Backend API Developer

General Dynamics Information Technology; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

401K with company match

Comprehensive benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

General Dynamics Information Technology is seeking a Backend API Developer to design, build, and operate the service layer behind an operator application in a national cyber defense environment. You will focus on low-latency delivery, correct behavior under load, and strict entitlement enforcement.

Responsibilities include integrating with upstream services, delivering server-sent events and WebSocket streams, and enforcing authorization with auditable logs.

Qualifications

• Experience building and operating production service interfaces at scale.
• Experience integrating with upstream services and maintaining derived state.
• Knowledge of push/streaming delivery, connection lifecycle, and backpressure.
• Experience with server-side authorization models.
• Experience with containerized deployment and cloud environments.
• Experience instrumenting services and supporting production incidents.
• BS in computer science or engineering with 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Public Trust eligibility and U.S. citizenship.
• On-site work in the Washington, D.C. metro area (not remote or hybrid).

Responsibilities

• Build and operate independently deployable services behind the application.
• Maintain interface contracts, versioning, and backward compatibility.
• Implement consistent request handling, validation, errors, authentication, and authorization.
• Create automated tests for service behavior and contract compliance.
• Integrate with upstream services via REST and streaming interfaces.
• Maintain accurate view state and ensure mid-stream clients receive a complete picture.
• Coordinate payload and interface changes with upstream service owners.
• Deliver updates using server-sent events and WebSocket streams.
• Manage connection lifecycle, authentication, backpressure, reconnection, and catch-up.
• Sustain large numbers of concurrent long-lived connections.
• Enforce role and attribute-based authorization server-side.

Skills

Production services

Upstream integration

Streaming delivery

Server-side authorization

Containerized deployment

Cloud environments

Observability & incidents

Frontend collaboration

Education

BS in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

Kafka

MSK

Event Hubs

API gateways

Service meshes

AWS/Azure Functions

Job description

Position Summary

The Backend API Developer builds and operates the service layer behind an operator application in a cyber command center supporting national cyber defense across Critical Infrastructure and government partners. Responsibilities focus on low‑latency service delivery, correctness under load, and strict entitlement enforcement.

Key Responsibilities

Service Design & Development

• Build and operate independently deployable services behind the application.
• Maintain interface contracts, versioning, and backward compatibility.
• Implement consistent request handling, validation, errors, authentication, and authorization.
• Create automated tests for service behavior and contract compliance.

Upstream Integration & View State

• Integrate with upstream services via REST and streaming interfaces.
• Maintain accurate, consistent view state and ensure clients connecting mid‑stream receive a complete picture.
• Coordinate payload and interface changes with upstream service owners.

Real‑Time Delivery

• Deliver updates using server-sent events and WebSocket streams.
• Manage connection lifecycle, authentication, backpressure, reconnection, and catch‑up.
• Sustain large numbers of concurrent long‑lived connections without degradation.

Authorization & Content Filtering

• Enforce role and attribute‑based authorization server‑side.
• Implement content filtering so users receive only authorized data.
• Test entitlement enforcement and maintain audit logs of all deliveries.

Event‑Triggered Services

• Build and operate event‑triggered functions for routing, downstream actions, and notifications.
• Integrate with managed messaging services.
• Ensure triggered actions are idempotent, observable, and safely retried.

Performance, Reliability & Operations

• Design and validate services for low‑latency, high‑throughput use.
• Instrument services for monitoring, diagnosis, and production incident response.
• Deploy through established pipelines into containerized environments.
• Maintain required training and certifications; report certification status monthly.

Collaboration

• Collaborate with front‑end engineers on service contracts.
• Work with platform teams on configuration, scaling, secrets, and deployment.
• Participate in sprint planning, demos, and reviews.

Required Qualifications

• Experience building and operating production service interfaces at scale.
• Experience integrating with upstream services and maintaining derived state.
• Knowledge of push/streaming delivery, connection lifecycle, and backpressure.
• Experience with server‑side authorization models.
• Experience with containerized deployment and cloud environments.
• Experience instrumenting services and supporting production incidents.
• BS in computer science or engineering and 8+ years relevant experience (or equivalent).
• Public Trust eligibility and U.S. citizenship.
• On‑site work in the Washington, D.C. metro area (not remote or hybrid).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with streaming platforms (Kafka, MSK, Event Hubs).
• Experience with API gateways or service meshes.
• Experience with serverless functions (Lambda, Azure Functions).
• Experience supporting latency‑sensitive operational systems.
• Experience delivering software in regulated environments.
• Current cloud developer/associate certification.

GDIT Is Your Place

• Growth: AI-powered career tool that identifies career steps and learning opportunities
• Support: An internal mobility team focused on helping you achieve your career goals
• Rewards: Comprehensive benefits and wellness packages, 401K with company match, and competitive pay and paid time off
• Community: Award‑winning culture of innovation and a military‑friendly workplace

Own Your Opportunity

Explore a career in data science and engineering at GDIT and you’ll find endless opportunities to grow alongside colleagues who share your determination for solving complex data challenges.