Full Stack Developer

Knak Digital; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 115,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Knak Digital is seeking a Senior Full-Stack Developer in Washington, D.C. to lead development across React, Next.js, Node.js, and TypeScript. This role requires strong technical decision-making and mentoring abilities, as well as proficiency in integrating AI features.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in JavaScript/TypeScript and a solid understanding of APIs and databases. Compensation ranges from $115k to $170k based on experience level.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software engineering experience, bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• 5+ years of professional JavaScript/TypeScript development experience.
• Strong experience with React or Next.js.

Responsibilities

• Lead full-stack development across React, Next.js, Node.js, and TypeScript.
• Design and integrate RESTful APIs, GraphQL, and AI-assisted features.
• Mentor junior engineers on modern JavaScript and AI-augmented practices.

Skills

JavaScript

TypeScript

React

Node.js

REST APIs

GraphQL

DevOps practices

Git

Education

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering or equivalent

Tools

CI/CD

Docker

Terraform

Job description

Our client has been building digital products for government agencies and businesses for over 20 years. The work is technical, the clients are high-visibility, and the team is small by design. Everyone here owns their work.

This role is for a senior full-stack developer who is comfortable making technical decisions, working directly with clients and stakeholders, and mentoring the engineers around them. AI integration is a real part of this work, not a checkbox.

What you'll do

• Lead full-stack development across React, Next.js, Node.js, and TypeScript
• Design and integrate RESTful APIs, GraphQL endpoints, and AI‑assisted features including LLM‑powered workflows and RAG
• Work directly with clients to translate requirements into technical solutions
• Make architectural decisions and hold accountability for them
• Mentor junior engineers on modern JavaScript and AI‑augmented development practices
• Evaluate and adopt AI‑assisted tools (Copilot, Claude, automated testing) where they actually improve the work
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines, cloud architecture, and DevOps practices

What you bring

Required:

• 7+ years of software engineering experience, bachelor's degree or equivalent
• 5+ years of professional JavaScript/TypeScript development, front‑end and back‑end
• Strong React or Next.js experience building responsive, production‑grade interfaces
• Node.js proficiency with frameworks like Express or Fastify
• Experience designing and consuming REST APIs and/or GraphQL
• Solid understanding of relational or NoSQL databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or similar)
• Git and modern CI/CD workflows

Preferred:

• Prior government contracting experience
• Cloud platform experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• Hands‑on experience integrating LLM APIs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure AI) into production apps
• Familiarity with RAG, prompt engineering, or agentic workflows
• Docker, Terraform, GitHub Actions
• Section 508 / WCAG accessibility standards
• Agile methodologies

Compensation Range is wide due to leveling (1 and 2). Range depends on experience level.

Level 1: 115-135k.

Level 2: 135-170k.

Clearance requirement

Must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. This role requires the ability to obtain a Public Trust clearance.