Application Programmer III

Unissant•Washington, VA

3d•$105 - $120•Onsite

About The Position

Unissant, Inc. is seeking an Application Programmer III to support a newly awarded program for a federal health agency. The role develops, maintains, and troubleshoots assigned application components, with emphasis on business logic, data access, and reliable releases. The successful candidate brings practical delivery experience, sound judgment, and a collaborative approach to maintaining Federal business applications while improving technical capability. The position includes analyzing existing code, incident history, and business rules; implementing approved enhancements and defect corrections; maintaining database queries, data access logic, and application interfaces; and creating unit tests while supporting integration and regression testing. The programmer investigates production defects, documents root causes and corrective actions, participates in peer review, addresses code-quality and security findings, and maintains changes in source control. The role also involves preparing release and maintenance documentation, supporting transition knowledge transfer, coordinating work with program leadership and Government stakeholders, and using Government-approved tools and authorized environments. The position requires the ability to meet federal suitability and access requirements and provide on-site support in the Bethesda, Maryland area as directed. The work is mainly in a routine office environment. Candidates must complete pre-employment screening.

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience programming and maintaining enterprise business applications in a production support environment.
Hands-on proficiency in a relevant assigned stack, such as Java or .NET; expertise in every application language is not assumed.
Ability to write and troubleshoot SQL and understand relational database structures.
Experience with version control, unit testing, debugging, and structured defect management.
Ability to interpret requirements and implement secure, maintainable code with documented error handling.
Experience supporting application releases and coordinating with analysts, testers, and operations staff.
Ability to document work clearly, protect sensitive program information, and collaborate across Government and contractor teams.
Ability to meet federal suitability and access requirements and provide on-site support in the Bethesda, Maryland area as directed.
Must hold or be eligible for a Public Trust Moderate (Tier 2) background investigation and meet applicable federal suitability, badging, and system-access requirements.
Clear verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain role-specific findings, document decisions and procedures, and communicate risks and recommended actions to the appropriate audience.

Nice To Haves

Experience maintaining legacy code and documenting business logic during incumbent transition.
Familiarity with API integration, automated builds, and approved cloud development environments.
Experience using approved AI-assisted code comprehension tools while validating generated findings.
Experience supporting a Federal IT services environment, preferably within a federal health agency or comparable federal IT environment.
Experience transferring knowledge from an incumbent team and maintaining reliable services during transition.
A degree or relevant coursework in computer science, information systems, engineering, or a related discipline.
Relevant cloud, development, or platform credentials.

Responsibilities

Analyze existing code, incident history, and business rules to understand assigned applications.
Implement approved enhancements and defect corrections using the application's assigned language and framework.
Develop and maintain database queries, data access logic, and application interfaces with appropriate validation and error handling.
Create unit tests and support integration and regression testing with traceability to approved requirements.
Investigate production defects, reproduce failures safely, and document root causes and corrective actions.
Participate in peer review, remediate code-quality and security findings, and maintain changes in source control.
Prepare release notes, configuration instructions, and maintenance documentation for support staff.
Support transition knowledge transfer and maintain current technical or process documentation for assigned responsibilities.
Coordinate assigned work with program leadership, Government stakeholders, and related teams, and report blockers and dependencies promptly.
Use Government-approved tools and handle program data within authorized environments; validate AI-assisted output before it informs delivery decisions.