Software Engineer, Application Platform

Tax Analysts•Falls Church, VA

5h•Onsite

About The Position

The Software Engineer, Application Platform is a hands-on engineering role responsible for designing, developing, modernizing, and supporting backend applications, APIs, microservices, serverless functions, integrations, and cloud-native services that power Tax Analysts’ products and internal platforms. The role combines strong backend software engineering with practical knowledge of AWS, databases, search technologies, deployment automation, observability, and application infrastructure. Working with other developers, QA, cloud, operations, reliability engineers, and external technology partners, this engineer contributes to technical design, implementation planning, production reliability, modernization efforts, and adopting modern development practices, including AI-assisted software development and AI-enabled application capabilities.

Requirements

Strong software development skills using Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Node.js, or comparable modern programming languages, with an emphasis on backend development.
Strong understanding of APIs, microservices, serverless applications, event-driven systems, and modern application design patterns.
Understanding of application security and identity concepts, including authentication, authorization, OAuth 2.0/OIDC, service-to-service communication, and secure API design.
Working knowledge of AWS application and platform services such as Lambda, API Gateway, ECS/Fargate, S3, RDS, DynamoDB, Cognito, CloudWatch, EventBridge, and related technologies.
Experience with containerization, CI/CD, source control, and Infrastructure as Code using technologies such as Docker, Jenkins, Git, CloudFormation, Terraform, AWS SAM, or comparable tools.
Experience with data ingestion, integration, transformation, and persistence technologies, including Apache NiFi, relational and NoSQL databases, and search platforms; MarkLogic, Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, or comparable platforms desirable.
Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills across application, database, integration, deployment, and cloud layers using logs, metrics, tracing, and debugging tools.
Ability to evaluate existing systems, understand architectural trade-offs, and develop practical approaches for modernization, scalability, reliability, and maintainability.
Ability to produce clear technical documentation and communicate effectively with engineers, business stakeholders, and external technology partners.
Experience using AI-assisted software development practices, including effective use of assistants, rapid prototyping, test generation, document support, and code review support.
Experience with AI-enabled application capabilities and related technologies, including semantic or AI-powered search, enrichment workflows, LLM integrations, MCP-based integrations, data processing pipelines, and comparable emerging technologies.
BA/BS in Computer Science or Software Engineering. Four years of related work experience may be substituted for the degree requirement.
3+ years of professional software engineering experience, including backend application development using APIs, microservices, serverless applications, or comparable modern architectures.
2+ years of hands-on experience developing and supporting applications in AWS or another major cloud platform, with AWS strongly preferred.
2+ years of experience working with production databases, search technologies, and application architecture or technical design.
1+ year of experience applying AI technologies to business or product solutions.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, test, deploy, and maintain secure, reliable backend applications, APIs, microservices, serverless applications, and containerized services.
Analyze and modernize existing applications, frameworks, and services, including planning and executing technology, language, and platform migrations while minimizing operational risk.
Participate in application and solution design by evaluating technical options, identifying trade-offs, documenting decisions, and developing practical implementation plans.
Design, develop, and support data transformation, integration, and persistence solutions using technologies.
Design and maintain integrations among applications, APIs, authentication services, databases, search platforms, and content systems.
Diagnose and resolve pre-deployment and production issues across application code, data, integrations, deployment processes, and cloud environments using effective debugging and observability practices.
Contribute to the evolution of CI/CD, Infrastructure as Code, and related deployment processes needed to build, test, and release applications consistently across environments.
Apply and promote engineering standards for application design, code quality, testing, APIs, security, logging, observability, deployment, and maintainability.
Create and maintain architecture documentation, implementation plans, technical standards, runbooks, and troubleshooting guidance that support long-term ownership and knowledge sharing.
Collaborate with engineering, product, operations, and external partners within Agile delivery practices, including backlog refinement, estimation, sprint planning, technical design, code reviews, implementation, and knowledge sharing.