Developer - Integration/API Development - Contingent

Aretum•McLean, VA

2h•Remote

About The Position

Design, develop, and test secure integration interfaces connecting vendor-supplied containerized applications with 10+ disparate client data systems in a Federal cloud environment. This is for a polypharmacy solution in a complex, multi-system cloud integration solution for Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system that services millions of veterans. Focus on building robust APIs, data orchestration workflows, and integration patterns that enable risk analysis and service coordination for millions of clients while meeting strict federal security and compliance requirements. Due to the nature of our work as a federal consulting organization, employees may be expected to handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and must adhere to applicable safeguarding and compliance requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or related field
Relevant professional certifications and demonstrated experience may supplement education
8+ years software development experience with focus on integration and API development
5+ years hands-on AWS development experience
3+ years in a senior development role
Experience integrating with COTS/vendor applications (not building from scratch)
Background working with containerized applications and microservices architectures
Programming Languages: Python, Java, or Node.js (proficiency in at least one)
AWS Services: Lambda, Step Functions, API Gateway, EventBridge, SQS, SNS, S3, IAM, Secrets Manager, CloudWatch
Integration Patterns: RESTful APIs, asynchronous messaging, event-driven architecture, ETL workflows
Security: OAuth 2.0, JWT, API authentication/authorization, encryption libraries, input validation
CI/CD: Experience with AWS CodePipeline, CodeBuild, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins including security scanning integration
Infrastructure-as-Code: AWS SAM, CloudFormation, or Terraform (basic understanding)
Data Formats: JSON, XML, CSV, Parquet; experience with schema validation
Version Control: Git workflows, branching strategies, pull request processes
Monitoring & Debugging: CloudWatch Logs, X-Ray tracing, application performance monitoring

Nice To Haves

AWS Certified Developer – Associate or Professional
Experience with container troubleshooting and log analysis (Docker, ECS task definitions)
Knowledge of SQL and database integration patterns
Familiarity with Databricks or data analytics platforms
Previous experience working with one or more VA systems such as: VISTA, Cerner/Oracle, eRX, VDIF, JLV, CMOP, Meds by Mail, CRPCC, PBM and VA Enterprise Cloud.
Integrate VA approved SAST (Static Application Security Testing) tools into CI/CD pipelines with automated gates to block deployment of high and critical findings; remediate all high and critical vulnerabilities in preparation for formal source code audit and security assessment prior to release to production.
Understanding of NIST 800-53 security controls relevant to application development
Federal government contracting or DoD development experience

Responsibilities

Design and implement secure integration interfaces (RESTful APIs, SOAP, message queues, file-based) connecting vendor applications with client data systems
Develop data orchestration workflows using AWS services (Lambda, Step Functions, EventBridge, SQS/SNS)
Use VA-endorsed interoperability standards including FHIR R4, CDS Hooks, and SMART on FHIR
Build error handling, retry logic, and dead-letter queue patterns for distributed system reliability
Implement data transformation and validation logic to reconcile disparate source system formats
Create reusable integration patterns and libraries for scaling to 130+ system instances
Work with vendor-supplied containers to understand integration points and API requirements
Design and implement fault-tolerant integration patterns with automatic retry, circuit breaker, and graceful degradation strategies
Build multi-AZ deployment architectures ensuring integration availability during infrastructure failures
Develop idempotent APIs and workflows to handle duplicate processing and enable safe retries
Implement health checks, readiness probes, and self-healing mechanisms for integration endpoints
Create disaster recovery procedures including backup strategies, failover mechanisms, and recovery time objective (RTO) compliance
Design for horizontal scalability to handle variable workload demands across millions of client records
Implement secure integration patterns including encryption (at-rest and in-transit), authentication/authorization (OAuth, API keys, IAM roles), and input validation
Apply least-privilege IAM policies for cross-service and cross-account access
Implement audit logging and traceability for compliance requirements
Handle PII, PHI and other sensitive client data according to federal data protection standards
Support RMF/ATO process by documenting security controls and providing evidence for assessment
Develop comprehensive integration test suites (unit, integration, end-to-end)
Create test data sets and mocking strategies for isolated component testing
Perform load and performance testing on integration endpoints
Support security testing and vulnerability remediation activities
Document test plans, test cases, and test results for compliance review
Build serverless integration workflows using Lambda functions and Step Functions state machines
Configure API Gateway for RESTful endpoint exposure with throttling and authorization
Implement event-driven architectures using EventBridge, SNS, and SQS
Manage secrets and configuration using Secrets Manager and Parameter Store
Monitor integration health using CloudWatch metrics, logs, and alarms
Deploy infrastructure-as-code using AWS SAM, CloudFormation, or Terraform