Software Engineer II

Build and sustain modern software capabilities in support of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Infrastructure and Risk Modeling Environment (IRME). This Software Engineer II role focuses on software engineering analysis and technical planning for modernization and sustainment, with opportunities to influence system behavior, interfaces, dependencies, reliability, and performance. Work is based in Arlington, VA (hybrid), supporting government stakeholders and mission-critical outcomes.

Compensation: USD 101,000 - 105,000 per year.

What you’ll do

• Evaluate software components, interfaces, cloud dependencies, data flows, and analytical workflows as part of comprehensive system assessment.
• Assess technical debt, performance bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities, and reliability concerns; document engineering risks and recommendations.
• Participate in stakeholder interviews and working sessions to define functional and nonfunctional software requirements and candidate capabilities.
• Document current workflows, integration constraints, operational pain points, and engineering modernization goals.
• Review engineering options and identify reuse opportunities for existing DHS or interagency analytical, geospatial, and data capabilities.
• Contribute effort, resource, cost-benefit, and risk analysis inputs to modernization roadmaps and project plans.
• Define measurable technical success criteria and maintain requirements traceability to support milestone reviews and later capability validation.
• Support methodology selection, iterative planning, dependency tracking, and technical performance monitoring.
• Create engineering assessments, systems documentation, briefings, and demonstrations to support Government governance and decision-making.
• Maintain engineering knowledge repositories, including decisions, process descriptions, and technical transition materials to support continuity.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, engineering, or a related field (preferred). Equivalent education, training, and relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience: Minimum 3-5 years of related software engineering experience, including application design and development, API integration, cloud-based solutions, system integration, and software testing.
• Experience in software engineering, system integration, and lifecycle delivery.
• Experience designing modular software, APIs, microservices, and cloud-based applications.
• Proficiency with relevant programming languages and engineering practices, including version control, code review, and automated builds.
• Experience defining test criteria and conducting integration, performance, regression, and operational validation testing.
• Experience analyzing dependencies, reliability, security risks, and performance bottlenecks.
• Familiarity with identity protocols, data exchange, enterprise monitoring, and secure development.
• Federal security and accessibility experience, analytical modeling, simulation, and geospatial applications are preferred.
• AWS certifications highly preferred: AWS Certified Developer – Associate, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional, or an equivalent certification relevant to the supported technology environment.
• US citizenship required. Must be a US Citizen able to obtain and maintain a DHS CISA IRME Public Trust clearance.
• Tier 4 background investigation required. Must obtain and maintain a favorable DHS/CISA IRME suitability/fitness determination/public trust and required facility and system access.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Technologies

• AWS
• APIs
• Microservices
• Cloud-based applications

Benefits

• Paid vacation
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Matching 401(k) plan
• Tuition/training reimbursement
• Long- and short-term disability coverage

Work schedule and environment

• Work schedule: Monday through Friday.
• Hybrid/telework: Work is performed at DHS CISA offices in Arlington, Virginia, and authorized contractor facilities. Telework is situational, requires Government approval, and may be revoked.
• Site locations: 4200 Wilson Boulevard and 4601 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203.
• Core hours: Core availability from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time; general work hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays.
• After-hours support: Occasional work outside normal hours, including weekends or holidays, may be required for crisis response or critical IT issues.
• Office noise: Generally moderate.

Physical demands and accommodations

This position primarily involves computer-based work, reviewing technical materials, and communicating with team members and stakeholders. Essential functions may be performed with or without reasonable accommodation. Applicants and employees who need a reasonable accommodation for the application process or to perform essential job functions may contact Human Resources.