Software Engineer (Contract)

<p>540 is seeking a Software Engineer to support the DoW in building a next-generation Air Force aircraft maintenance platform. This application leverages Java/Spring Boot microservices, Angular front-end applications, and cloud-native infrastructure (Kubernetes, Google Cloud, Apigee). Engineers on this team build and scale full-stack features across user interfaces, backend services, and data layers that power critical maintenance operations. This platform will modernize how Air Force maintainers plan and execute maintenance and is a key part of the Air Force’s technology strategy for the coming decade.</p> <p>This role is offered as a contract engagement and is ideal for engineers who value flexibility, autonomy, and high-impact work. While there may be an opportunity to convert to full-time in the future, conversion is not guaranteed and is dependent on program needs.</p> <p><strong>Location</strong>: Remote within the continental United States, East Coast working hours<br><strong>Citizenship & Clearance Requirement</strong>: per client requirements, candidates must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a DoW Secret clearance<br><strong>Education Requirement: </strong>Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related engineering field (preferred)<br><strong>Contract Duration: </strong>initial<strong> </strong>9 month contract, 40 hours per week<br><br><strong>HOW YOU’LL DRIVE IMPACT</strong></p> <ul> <li>Develop full-stack features across Angular front-end applications and Java/Spring Boot microservices</li> <li>Build and deploy services in containerized environments (Docker, Kubernetes)</li> <li>Design and integrate RESTful APIs to enable secure communication across systems</li> <li>Implement asynchronous messaging patterns (Kafka) for distributed systems</li> <li>Design and maintain data models and persistence layers (Postgres or MySQL)</li> <li>Collaborate with engineers, architects, and stakeholders to translate mission needs into technical solutions</li> <li>Contribute to technical design documentation and system architecture artifacts</li> <li>Participate in code reviews, testing, and troubleshooting to ensure high-quality software</li> <li>Support and improve CI/CD pipelines and deployment processes</li> <li>Enhance system performance, scalability, and reliability as the platform evolves</li> </ul> <p><strong>REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE</strong></p> <ul> <li>5+ years of professional software development experience</li> <li>Strong experience with Java and Spring Boot for building production-grade services</li> <li>Experience developing microservices in containerized environments (Docker, Kub