Senior / SME Software Developer – Java / Python

About the role

As a senior technical leader on our solutions delivery team, you will have the unique opportunity to shape and drive programs advancing critical government systems. NT Concepts is seeking a Senior / SME Developer to lead and architect solutions for an exciting data transformation and system modernization initiative within the Intelligence Community (IC).

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and implement resilient, scalable backend applications, microservices, and distributed data processing pipelines using Java (e.g., Spring Boot) or Python (e.g., FastAPI, Django, distributed frameworks).
• Serve as the subject matter expert on software architecture, design patterns, and engineering standards across the program; mentor team members and lead technical design sessions.
• Lead the design and implementation of enterprise RESTful APIs, event-driven architectures, and secure interfaces across complex multi-system environments.
• Architect and optimize robust data storage, ingestion, and transformation pipelines utilizing complex SQL and NoSQL databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Elasticsearch).
• Drive cloud-native application designs and container orchestration strategies (Docker, Kubernetes) within secure IC cloud environments (AWS / Azure).
• Ensure systems meet the highest standards of security compliance, zero-trust architecture, high availability, and low-latency performance.
• Partner closely with government stakeholders, product managers, and systems architects to translate complex operational needs into clear technical roadmaps and actionable solutions.

Qualifications

• Security Clearance: Must possess an active TS/SCI with CI Polygraph.
• Senior Level: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field and 7+ years of professional software engineering experience (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• SME Level: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field and 10+ years of progressive software engineering and architectural leadership experience.
• Core Languages: Deep production expertise in Java (Java 11/17+, Spring Framework / Spring Boot) OR Python (Python 3.x, FastAPI, Flask, async programming), with the versatility to work across both environments.
• System Design & Architecture: Proven track record of designing scalable, loosely coupled, and fault-tolerant microservices architectures and enterprise APIs.
• Database Architecture: Advanced experience with relational data modeling, query optimization, and NoSQL solutions (e.g., PostgreSQL, MongoDB, DynamoDB, Elasticsearch).
• Cloud & Containerization: Hands-on experience architecting and deploying solutions in secure cloud environments (AWS, Azure) using Docker and Kubernetes.
• DevOps & CI/CD: Strong understanding of continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, automated testing frameworks, and secure coding practices.
• Methodologies: Strong background working within and guiding Agile/Scrum delivery teams.

Preferred skills

• Experience with large-scale data transformation, ETL/ELT pipelines, or distributed computing frameworks (e.g., Apache Spark, Kafka, AWS Glue/EMR).
• Experience architecting solutions within high-security or air-gapped AWS environments (e.g., AWS GovCloud / C2S).
• Relevant technical certifications (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Certified Kubernetes Administrator, or relevant language certifications).

Physical requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift to 10-15 pounds at times.

Pay

Virginia Pay Range $120,336—$180,504 USD