IT Application Development (Senior Specialist)

Washington State Health Care Authority; Olympia (WA); Hybrid; USD 97,000 - 131,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in Olympia seeks a skilled .NET Developer to design, build, and support mission-critical applications that underpin child welfare and family services. You will act as technical lead on a collaborative team delivering secure, high-availability software and system integrations.

Role emphasizes SDLC improvements, interface development with state agencies and partners, and applying AI capabilities for decision support.

Qualifications

• Eleven years solving problems as a developer with .NET C#, SQL Server, and related tools.
• Associate’s degree in CS or similar with nine years of experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in CS or similar with seven years of experience.
• Ability to learn and grow.
• Ability to meet others' needs.

Responsibilities

• Independently creating, upgrading, maintaining, enhancing, testing and replacing existing applications
• Participates in iterative SDLC improvements
• Designs and develops interfaces with business partners
• Uses methods to integrate and support COTS software
• Decomposes requirements into functional specs
• Troubleshoots complex application/interface/data issues
• Ensures security and privacy requirements are met
• Monitors health and function of applications
• Provides technical leadership to the development team
• Develops apps with AI capabilities such as text analysis, automation, or decision support

Skills

.NET C#

SQL Server

SQL Reporting Services

Transact SQL

Web programming

Technical leadership

Education

Associate's degree or higher in CS or related field

Bachelor's degree in CS or related field

Tools

Unisys COBOL

UCOB TIP programs

ECL

DMS 2200

SSG

Job description

Our vision is to ensure that “Washington state’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally and educationally, nurtured by family and community."

*This position is being reposted. If you have already applied, you do not need to apply again.

Job Title

IT Application Development – Senior/Specialist (Olympia)

Location

Olympia WA, Thurston County (Flexible/Hybrid)

Closes

July 1st, 2026

Salary

$97,356.00 - $130,992.00 Annually

The Opportunity:

The DCYF Application Development team is seeking a skilled .NET Developer to help design, develop, and support mission‑critical applications that directly support the agency’s mission to protect children and strengthen families. This role serves as a technical lead on a collaborative team, working on secure, high‑availability applications, mobile solutions, and system integrations that support critical child welfare and business services across Washington State.

Some of what you will get to do:

• Independently creating, upgrading, maintaining, enhancing, testing and replacing existing applications
• Participates in iterative process improvements regarding the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC.)
• Designs and develops of interfaces with business partners (state agencies as well as third party.)
• Uses software development methods and tools to integrate and support custom‑off‑the‑shelf (COTS) software and services.
• Decomposes high‑level business and user requirements into functional requirements
• Troubleshooting and resolving complex application, interface and data related issues.
• Ensures security and privacy requirements are met.
• Monitors health and function of applications, reacts and responds to problems.
• Provides technical leadership to application development team
• Develops applications integrating AI capabilities such as text analysis, automation, or decision support

Required Qualifications:

Eleven (11) years of progressively more complex problem solving as a developer designing, developing or maintaining large‑scale applications with mission critical business functions using .NET C#, SQL Server, SQL Reporting Services, Transact SQL, Web based programming, and supporting tools. Expert knowledge of application development principles, concepts, technologies, current industry standards and the Microsoft technology stack including Windows, Visual Studio, IIS, .NET C#, SQL, TFS, SharePoint, etc.

OR

Associate’s degree or higher with a focus on computer science or closely allied field. AND Nine (9) years of progressively more complex problem solving as a developer designing, developing or maintaining large‑scale applications with mission critical business functions using .NET C#, SQL Server, SQL Reporting Services, Transact SQL, Web based programming, and supporting tools.

OR

Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science or closely allied field. AND Seven (7) years of progressively more complex problem solving as a developer designing, developing or maintaining large‑scale applications with mission critical business functions using NET C#, SQL Server, SQL Reporting Services, Transact SQL, Web based programming, and supporting tools.

AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

*Experience may be gained concurrently.

Desirable/Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in Unisys COBOL, UCOB MCB TIP Programs interfacing with Web Services, 2200 Executive Control Language (ECL), DMS 2200 database software, and SSG.
• Experience maintaining and supporting IT applications in a 7 day a week / 24 hour a day availability situation.
• Agile Training or Certification
• .NET Developer training or certification
• Familiarity with concepts in Machine Learning or Natural Language Processing.

Supplemental Information:

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington’s children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our mission to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment or if you would like to request an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, contact Cole Alford (Talent Acquisition Specialist) at [e-mail]. If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at [phone] or [e-mail].

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications and wish to claim Veteran's Preference MUST attach a copy of their DD214, NGB Form 22 or Predischarge Certification (issued not more than 120 days prior to End of Term of Service (ETS) by date of submission). If claiming preference based on Predischarge Certification, individual will be required to provide their official discharge documentation, such as a DD form 214, NGB form 22, or equivalent, within 30 days after the date of discharge. Please blackout (redact) the social security number before attaching any documents. For additional information on Veteran's Preference and guidance on how to determine if you are eligible, click here.

DCYF participates in the federal E-Verify program. The selected candidate must provide proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States, consistent with E-Verify requirements, on their first day of employment.