Java Backend Developer

About The Company

Aretum is a mission-driven organization dedicated to delivering innovative, technology-enabled solutions across the defense, civilian, and homeland security sectors. Our teams operate at the intersection of strategy, technology, and transformation, helping government agencies address their most critical challenges through cutting-edge solutions. We prioritize investing in our people and fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and continuous professional growth. Our commitment to excellence and integrity guides us in providing impactful services that support national security and public safety objectives.

About The Role

We are seeking a skilled Java Backend Developer to join our team supporting a large-scale federal technology modernization initiative. The successful candidate will be embedded within a dynamic, cross-functional Agile scrum team, contributing to the design, development, and testing of software tools and subsystems that facilitate reuse and domain analysis. The primary focus will be on developing Java backend microservices deployed as containerized services within an AWS cloud-native environment. The role involves collaborating with senior engineers and application programmers to interpret requirements, write production-quality code, and ensure the robustness and security of backend services. Additionally, the developer will support CI/CD pipelines, participate in peer code reviews, and contribute to Agile ceremonies, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality software solutions. This position requires a hands-on developer capable of working independently on well-scoped tasks while growing under the mentorship of senior staff. Due to the nature of federal work, candidates must be eligible for a Public Trust clearance and handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in compliance with security standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent experience (minimum 3 years).
• At least 3 years of professional experience in backend web development.
• Proven hands-on experience developing production backend services in Java.
• Experience with Python for backend development or scripting tasks.
• Strong understanding of designing, querying, and optimizing PostgreSQL or similar relational databases.
• Experience working with Elasticsearch or OpenSearch for search indexing.
• Hands-on experience building and deploying containerized microservices, including Docker.
• Familiarity with AWS cloud services relevant to microservices architectures, such as ECS, RDS, S3, SNS, and SQS.
• Experience with GitLab or equivalent source control and CI/CD pipelines.
• Knowledge of Terraform or similar infrastructure-as-code tools.
• Proficiency in writing and maintaining unit and integration tests.
• Active participation in peer code reviews and adherence to coding standards.
• Experience working within Agile/Scrum frameworks, including sprint planning and backlog refinement.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Eligibility for a Public Trust security clearance and the ability to handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

Responsibilities

• Participate in the design and development of software tools, subsystems, and reusable components, contributing to domain analysis and architectural discussions.
• Assist senior engineers and application programmers in translating requirements and design specifications into tested, working code.
• Develop, test, and maintain Java backend microservices and REST APIs following established standards and architectural patterns.
• Design and optimize database schemas, write efficient SQL queries, and manage data access layers in PostgreSQL.
• Integrate backend services with search indexing platforms like Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, and utilize AWS services such as S3, SNS, SQS, and RDS.
• Build and maintain containerized services on AWS ECS, ensuring resilience, observability, and security.
• Contribute to Python backend services as required, maintaining high standards of code quality.
• Author and maintain comprehensive unit and integration tests to support automation and quality assurance processes.
• Support and enhance CI/CD pipelines in GitLab, including build, test, scan, and deployment stages.
• Contribute to infrastructure-as-code efforts using Terraform, supporting peer reviews of infrastructure changes.
• Participate actively in peer code reviews, providing constructive feedback and ensuring code quality.
• Engage fully in Agile ceremonies such as sprint planning, daily standups, reviews, and retrospectives, providing accurate estimates and progress updates.
• Break down user stories into manageable technical tasks and track progress transparently within Agile tools.
• Support Tier-2 and Tier-3 production issue resolution, troubleshooting, and deploying hotfixes as needed.
• Remediate security vulnerabilities identified through routine scans within specified timeframes.
• Maintain clear, comprehensive documentation for code, APIs, data models, and infrastructure components.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental \& Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary \& AD\&D)
• Paid Time Off
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short-Term \& Long-Term Disability
• Training \& Development Opportunities

Equal Opportunity

Aretum is committed to fostering a workplace rooted in excellence, integrity, and equal opportunity for all. We adhere to merit-based hiring practices, ensuring employment decisions are based solely on qualifications, skills, and ability to perform the job, without consideration of factors unrelated to job performance. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we comply with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws.