Full Stack Software Developer

Ardent; Washington (Washington County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Comprehensive health coverage

Flexible PTO

Federal holidays off

Tuition reimbursement

Professional development support

Wellness stipends

Job summary

Ardent is seeking a Full Stack Software Developer to design, develop, test, and maintain web applications and backend services. The role emphasizes Python/FastAPI for APIs, React for front-end interfaces, PostgreSQL databases, and containerized deployments on AWS.

The contractor will work in a trunk-based workflow, with focus on iterative delivery, code reviews, and collaboration with CBO engineers, product owners, and analysts. Onsite in Washington DC.

Qualifications

• Experience developing full stack applications using Python back end and React front end.
• Experience designing and consuming RESTful APIs with proper validation and documentation.
• Proficient in PostgreSQL data modeling and query optimization.
• Familiarity with containerization using Docker and cloud deployments on AWS.
• Ability to work in trunk-based development and CI/CD workflows.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and deploy front-end (React) and back-end (Python/FastAPI) features for CBO applications.
• Build and maintain RESTful APIs with OpenAPI/Swagger documentation.
• Develop responsive, accessible UI with React adhering to UX standards and accessibility.
• Implement data models, queries, migrations in PostgreSQL with performance in mind.
• Collaborate with engineers, product owners, and analysts to iteratively deliver working software.

Skills

Python

FastAPI

ReactJS

PostgreSQL

Docker

AWS

Tools

OpenAPI/Swagger

Job description

Ardent, we hire people who want more than a job — they want to serve a mission that matters. Our teams support the federal government’s most critical national security and defense priorities, helping protect the nation, strengthen resilience, and advance the technologies and capabilities that keep America secure. For veterans, cleared professionals, and purpose-driven innovators, Ardent is a place to continue serving alongside a team that understands the importance of the mission and the people behind it.

We also know top talent has choices, which is why we back our mission with benefits and flexibility that stand out: competitive pay, comprehensive health coverage, flexible PTO, federal holidays off, tuition reimbursement, professional development support, wellness stipends, and a culture that values and rewards hard work, dedication, and adaptability. If you want to build something meaningful, while enjoying the kind of flexibility and support that you need to do your best work — Ardent is where your next mission begins.

Ardent is seeking a Full Stack Software Developer to join our team.

This is an onsite position in Washington DC.

Position Description

Ardent is seeking a professional full stack software development services to support the design, development, testing, and maintenance of web applications and supporting backend services. This engagement is focused on continuous delivery of working software through iterative development cycles, adherence to modern engineering practices, and close collaboration with technical staff and stakeholders.

The Developer shall provide development expertise across the full application stack, including Python-based backend APIs (FastAPI), ReactJS-based front-end interfaces, PostgreSQL databases, and containerized deployments targeting AWS cloud infrastructure. The Developer shall operate within the trunk-based development workflow, contributing clean, reviewed, and well-documented code through shared branching strategies with frequent integration to the main branch.

Responsibilities and Duties

Application Development and Feature Delivery

• Design, develop, test, and deploy new features and enhancements across front-end (ReactJS) and back-end (Python/FastAPI) layers of CBO applications.
• Build and maintain RESTful APIs using FastAPI, ensuring proper validation, error handling, versioning, and documentation (e.g., OpenAPI/Swagger).
• Develop responsive, accessible front-end interfaces using ReactJS, adhering to CBO UX standards and Section 508 accessibility requirements.
• Implement and manage data models, queries, migrations, and stored procedures within PostgreSQL databases, with attention to performance and data integrity.

Trunk-Based Development and Collaboration

• Operate within CBO’s trunk-based development workflow, committing small, incremental changes frequently to the main branch to reduce integration risk and maintain a releasable codebase.
• Participate in code reviews, providing and receiving constructive technical feedback to maintain code quality and consistency.
• Collaborate with CBO engineers, product owners, and analysts to understand requirements, refine user stories, and deliver working software iteratively.
• Adhere to CBO’s branching, commit, and merge standards, including the use of short-lived feature branches and feature flags where applicable.

Containerization and Cloud Deployment

• Package applications and services using Docker, maintaining clean, minimal, and reproducible container images.
• Support deployment of containerized workloads to AWS environments (e.g., ECS, EKS, or equivalent managed services), working within existing cloud infrastructure patterns established by CBO’s infrastructure team.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of AWS services relevant to application hosting and operation, including but not limited to EC2, S3, RDS, CloudWatch, IAM, and VPC networking concepts.
• Collaborate with CBO infrastructure staff on environment configuration, secrets management, and cloud resource usage. The Contractor is not expected to serve as a dedicated IaC or CI/CD engineer but should be comfortable working within automated deployment pipelines and contributing pipeline-compatible code.

Maintenance, Bug Fixes, and Technical Debt Reduction

• Investigate, diagnose, and resolve application defects, performance issues, and security vulnerabilities across all layers of the stack.
• Proactively identify and address technical debt, refactoring code to improve maintainability, readability, and test coverage.
• Monitor application behavior and logs (e.g., via AWS CloudWatch or equivalent) and respond to operational issues as needed.

Testing and Quality Assurance

• Write and maintain automated unit, integration, and regression tests for both back-end (pytest or equivalent) and front-end (Jest, React Testing Library, or equivalent) code.
• Ensure new features and bug fixes are accompanied by appropriate test coverage prior to merge.
• Participate in functional and user acceptance testing in coordination with CBO stakeholders.

Documentation

• Maintain accurate, up-to-date technical documentation for all developed systems, including API documentation, data model diagrams, architecture decision records (ADRs), and developer setup guides.
• Document operational procedures, environment configurations, and known issues in CBO’s designated knowledge management platform.

Due to the nature of the work we support, all candidates in consideration for this role must be willing to undergo the government issued background investigation process.

Ardent is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other basis protected by state, local, or federal law.