Java Software Engineer | Full Stack (Backend Focused) | AWS

District Partners has been engaged by a growing federal technology integrator supporting some of the largest and most complex national security programs in the country. While the work operates at enterprise scale, the engineering team remains intentionally lean, giving engineers far more visibility, ownership, and access to leadership than they would typically find inside a large systems integrator. If you're looking for the stability of long-term federal programs without becoming just another employee on a massive contract, this is the kind of opportunity where your contributions will be recognized, your growth will be supported, and your career can accelerate.

Our client is a growing federal technology integrator delivering secure software solutions across complex government environments. Their engineers support enterprise-scale applications running on some of the nation's most important technology programs while maintaining the agility and accessibility of a smaller organization. Developers work closely with technical leadership, giving them greater ownership, faster career growth, and significantly more visibility than is typical within large federal contractors.

Why You'll Actually Care:

This is far more than a Java development position. You'll help design and build enterprise applications that support large-scale data processing, real-time analytics, and mission-critical decision making while working alongside experienced architects and senior engineers. Although the role leans heavily toward backend development, the team values engineers who understand the full application lifecycle and are comfortable contributing across the stack when needed. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who has built a strong technical foundation early in their career and is looking for a long-term environment where they can continue developing alongside an experienced engineering team.

What You'll Be Owning:

• Design, develop, and enhance enterprise Java applications supporting mission-critical analytics and operational platforms
• Build scalable REST APIs and microservices using Spring Boot and modern Java frameworks
• Develop primarily backend services while contributing across the application stack as business needs evolve
• Design, optimize, and integrate complex SQL queries supporting enterprise data platforms
• Build, deploy, and support cloud-native applications within AWS using modern container technologies
• Collaborate closely with architects, engineers, and technical stakeholders throughout the software development lifecycle
• Participate in architecture discussions, code reviews, testing, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives

The Environment:

You'll join a collaborative engineering team where developers work directly with senior technical leadership instead of through multiple layers of management. Engineers are encouraged to take ownership, solve challenging technical problems, and continuously expand their skillsets across backend engineering, cloud technologies, and modern application development. This is an environment built for professionals looking to establish themselves within an organization that values long-term growth and technical excellence.

What You Bring To The Table:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline from an accredited U.S. institution is required
• Master's degree in Computer Science or a closely related technical discipline is highly preferred; Candidates with a Master's degree and approximately 4 years of professional software engineering experience are strongly encouraged to apply
• Approximately 4 to 6 years of professional software engineering experience, with the majority focused on Java backend or full stack application development
• Strong hands-on experience with Java 8+, Spring Framework, Spring Boot, RESTful APIs, Microservices, and object-oriented software design
• Strong experience building enterprise applications within AWS, including services such as EC2, RDS, S3, IAM, and cloud-native application development
• Experience deploying containerized applications using Docker, Kubernetes, or OpenShift
• Strong SQL development experience working with Oracle, PostgreSQL, or MySQL
• Experience using Git, Maven or Gradle, Jenkins or Bamboo, and modern CI/CD pipelines
• Exposure to frontend technologies such as Angular, React, JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML5, or CSS. While this role is backend focused, developers should be comfortable contributing across the full application stack when needed
• Strong understanding of software architecture, design patterns, multithreading, and enterprise application development best practices
• Experience working within Agile Scrum software development environments
• A demonstrated record of career stability and professional growth; this opportunity is best suited for engineers who have built meaningful depth within one or two organizations during the first several years of their career and are looking for their next long-term opportunity
• Active DHS clearance or comparable federal security clearance is highly preferred
• U.S. Citizenship is required with the ability to obtain DHS CBP Suitability

Compensation: Up to $130,000 base salary

Location: Ashburn, Virginia metro area

Work Model: Hybrid

Engagement Type: Full-time, direct hire

Education: Technical degree from an accredited U.S. institution is required, a Master's degree in Computer Science is highly preferred

Ideal Candidate: An engineer with a strong academic foundation, approximately 4 to 6 years of progressive software engineering experience, demonstrated career stability, and a desire to build a long-term career supporting enterprise federal technology initiatives

Clearance: U.S. Citizenship required; candidates with an active DHS or equivalent federal security clearance will receive strong preference