Senior Software Engineer at Unissant in Ashburn, VA, USA

Job description

• We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our team and support our client, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This is a remote position.
• The ideal candidate is a senior full-stack engineer who will provide technical leadership for application engineering, cloud integration, and platform operations across FEMA's AI portfolio. This individual will build, integrate, modernize, and sustain user-facing and back-end AI services that meet FEMA security, accessibility, performance, and operational requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, development, integration, testing, deployment, and sustainment of full-stack AI applications.
• Build user interfaces, APIs, middleware, data services, and back-end components for RAG/chatbot, document-processing, predictive-analytics, and enterprise-automation solutions.
• Apply PERN-stack engineering practices using PostgreSQL, Express.js, React, and Node.js; use Terraform for infrastructure-as-code where applicable.
• Establish and maintain CI/CD pipelines, source-control practices, automated testing, environment promotion, and observability across FEMA-approved AI platforms.
• Conduct system analysis, performance engineering, debugging, root-cause analysis, and technical-debt remediation.
• Ensure user-facing deliverables comply with Section 508; support accessibility test plans, test results, and Accessibility Conformance Reports as required.
• Develop and maintain architecture diagrams, build and operating plans, interface specifications, security artifacts, user guides, and technical documentation.
• Collaborate with AI engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity personnel, product owners, and program stakeholders to deliver secure, scalable, production-ready capabilities.

Requirements

• Five (5) to ten (10) years of experience in full-stack software engineering, application architecture, cloud engineering, DevSecOps, or related technical disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience with relational databases, modern web frameworks, Agile/Scrum delivery, software architecture, and system integration.
• Proficiency with PERN-stack technologies or comparable modern full-stack technologies; Terraform; CI/CD; git-based code management; and observability tools.
• Experience designing accessible user interfaces and testing web applications for Section 508 conformance.
• Experience building secure, maintainable, scalable applications and integrating cloud-hosted services, APIs, and enterprise data systems.
• Strong technical leadership, documentation, troubleshooting, performance-engineering, and collaboration skills.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or a related technical field required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain architecture, technical risks, accessibility considerations, and solution tradeoffs to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Ability to write clear, concise content and manage sensitive information in a highly confidential manner.
• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Favorably adjudicated FEMA Public Trust suitability is required before the employee's start date.
• Must comply with DHS/FEMA training, safeguarding, and access-control requirements applicable to FOUO/SBU information and assigned systems.
• Cloud, DevSecOps, agile, accessibility, software architecture, or relevant technical certification preferred.

Skills

Required

• Terraform
• CI/CD
• git-based code management
• observability tools
• relational databases
• modern web frameworks
• Agile/Scrum delivery
• software architecture
• system integration
• Section 508 conformance
• accessible UI design
• technical leadership