Software Engineer
Aquia is hiring a Back-End Software Engineer to support the modernization of digital forms and benefit applications for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This role is part of the Non-Disability Benefits Forms team, responsible for powering essential services such as burial, education, and healthcare benefits. You’ll build and scale secure, cloud-integrated backend systems that support pre-fill, multi-user workflows, and real-time validation—ultimately improving how Veterans access and complete critical forms on VA.gov. This position is fully remote, requires U.S. citizenship and a background check.
What You'll Do:
- Design, develop, and maintain backend APIs and business logic supporting VA.gov forms outside of the disability benefits scope.
- Build secure and scalable services that integrate with internal and external systems, including VistA, eBenefits, and emerging cloud-native platforms.
- Contribute to pre-fill capabilities, real-time data validation, and resilient form submission workflows.
- Ensure backend architecture promotes high availability, performance, observability, and data security.
- Implement and maintain authentication, authorization, and secure data exchange in compliance with VA policies and ATO requirements.
- Collaborate closely with front-end engineers, product managers, and designers to improve the Veteran-facing experience from the backend up.
- Contribute to DevSecOps practices and infrastructure pipelines using tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and Docker.
- Write clear, maintainable code and technical documentation to support ongoing development and onboarding.
What We're Looking For:
- 3+ years of experience building backend applications and APIs using frameworks like Node.js, Express, or comparable technologies.
- Strong understanding of RESTful API architecture, authentication/authorization protocols, and data transformation.
- Experience integrating with legacy systems and modern cloud environments (e.g., AWS).
- Familiarity with government security and compliance requirements (e.g., FedRAMP, FISMA, ATO).
- Strong problem-solving skills and an ability to work collaboratively in agile teams.
- Proficiency with version control (GitHub), containerization (Docker), and CI/CD tooling.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience supporting public sector digital services, particularly in benefits, forms, or claims processing.
- Familiarity with VA.gov platform architecture, backend form logic, or document workflows.
- Background in highly regulated environments with strict security and privacy constraints.
- Knowledge of observability and monitoring tools to ensure system health and data integrity.
Remote - USA
$90,000 - $125,000 USD
Benefits
- Premium health care plans (90% employer-paid)
- Employee stock plan
- 100% 401k match (up to IRS annual max)
- Generous PTO package
- Personal training and development budget