Job Title: Senior Software Development Engineer – Full Stack / Backend (Go, Java, Node.js)
Location: McLean, VA (On-site)
Employment Type: Contract (W2 through ZipStaff — No C2C or 1099)
About the Opportunity
ZipStaff is seeking an experienced Senior Software Development Engineer to join the chief technology office engineering team at a global technology consulting and professional services firm.
You will focus on building the Software-Defined Everything (SDE) platform to enable Physical AI, Edge, Trusted Environments, and other applications across mission domains. This role involves designing, developing, deploying, and operating high-availability software products with robust monitoring, alerting, and fault-tolerant capabilities, integrating agentic AI at their core. You will work as a self-starter with genuine autonomy and ownership on internal platform development.
What You’ll Do:
- Design and develop software products that meet user needs and market demands.
- Apply engineering principles to construct and maintain efficient, bug-free software systems.
- Collaborate with designers, product managers, and other engineers to bring products from concept to launch.
- Architect secure, scalable, and high-performance backend applications.
- Work on both front-end and back-end development using languages such as Go, Node.js, Java, or C#.
- Integrate backend services with relational and NoSQL databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and DynamoDB.
- Write clean, efficient, testable code following best practices for performance, maintainability, and security.
- Integrate generative AI tools to accelerate development and enhance product design.
- Communicate design decisions and technical trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Contribute to a culture of innovation and technical excellence by keeping abreast of industry trends.
- Embed security checks and compliance requirements into the development process to meet relevant standards.
- Implement best practices for CI/CD deployments, telemetry, canaries, and automated testing.
Required Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience building and operating production-grade full-stack applications in cloud environments such as AWS.
- 5+ years of experience with Go, Java, Node.js, or C# development.
- 3+ years of experience in distributed architectures using microservices or serverless in AWS, Google, or Azure Cloud.
- 3+ years of experience with SQL and NoSQL databases.
- Experience designing and implementing RESTful APIs and microservices.
- Experience in CI/CD pipeline setup and maintenance.
- Knowledge of authentication, authorization, and security best practices.
- Experience using generative AI tools to accelerate development, automate coding tasks, and review AI-generated code.
- Ability to obtain a TS/SCI clearance.
- Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years of experience in software engineering, or 5+ years of experience in software engineering in lieu of a degree.
- Ability to work on-site in McLean, VA.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience writing source code for new applications or generating and enhancing code samples for existing applications.
- Experience acquiring client requirements and resolving workflow problems through automation optimization.
- Ability to work with automated testing tools to perform testing and maintenance.
- Active or prior TS/SCI clearance.
- Master’s degree.
- AWS Certifications, such as Cloud Practitioner, Developer Associate, or Solutions Architect Associate.
- Prior experience supporting platform or mission-oriented software development in a consulting or professional services environment.
Benefits:
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- 401(k) + 401(k) matching
- Paid time off
- Referral Program
About ZipStaff:
ZipStaff partners with leading organizations to connect skilled technology professionals with high-impact contract opportunities. We focus on quality matches, clear communication, and long-term success for candidates and clients.
To apply, submit your resume highlighting your production full-stack and backend experience (Go, Java, Node.js, or C#), microservices or serverless architectures, AWS deployments, CI/CD, and use of generative AI tools. Ability to obtain TS/SCI is required. Pure research or junior experience will not be considered.