Software Engineer

Aquia is hiring a Back-End Software Engineer to support the modernization of digital forms and benefit applications for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This role is part of the Non-Disability Benefits Forms team, responsible for powering essential services such as burial, education, and healthcare benefits. You’ll build and scale secure, cloud-integrated backend systems that support pre-fill, multi-user workflows, and real-time validation—ultimately improving how Veterans access and complete critical forms on VA.gov. This position is fully remote, requires U.S. citizenship and a background check.

What You'll Do:

• Design, develop, and maintain backend APIs and business logic supporting VA.gov forms outside of the disability benefits scope.
• Build secure and scalable services that integrate with internal and external systems, including VistA, eBenefits, and emerging cloud-native platforms.
• Contribute to pre-fill capabilities, real-time data validation, and resilient form submission workflows.
• Ensure backend architecture promotes high availability, performance, observability, and data security.
• Implement and maintain authentication, authorization, and secure data exchange in compliance with VA policies and ATO requirements.
• Collaborate closely with front-end engineers, product managers, and designers to improve the Veteran-facing experience from the backend up.
• Contribute to DevSecOps practices and infrastructure pipelines using tools such as Jenkins, GitHub Actions, and Docker.
• Write clear, maintainable code and technical documentation to support ongoing development and onboarding.

What We're Looking For:

• 3+ years of experience building backend applications and APIs using frameworks like Node.js, Express, or comparable technologies.
• Strong understanding of RESTful API architecture, authentication/authorization protocols, and data transformation.
• Experience integrating with legacy systems and modern cloud environments (e.g., AWS).
• Familiarity with government security and compliance requirements (e.g., FedRAMP, FISMA, ATO).
• Strong problem-solving skills and an ability to work collaboratively in agile teams.
• Proficiency with version control (GitHub), containerization (Docker), and CI/CD tooling.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting public sector digital services, particularly in benefits, forms, or claims processing.
• Familiarity with VA.gov platform architecture, backend form logic, or document workflows.
• Background in highly regulated environments with strict security and privacy constraints.
• Knowledge of observability and monitoring tools to ensure system health and data integrity.

Remote - USA

$90,000 - $125,000 USD

Benefits

• Premium health care plans (90% employer-paid)
• Employee stock plan
• 100% 401k match (up to IRS annual max)
• Generous PTO package
• Personal training and development budget