Lead Application Developer

Revolutional; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Revolutional in McLean, VA seeks a Lead Application Developer to direct design, development, modernization, and integration of enterprise applications supporting federal operations. You will be a technically hands-on leader driving delivery across cloud-native environments, working with architects, engineers, product teams, and contractors to ensure scalable, secure, and compliant solutions.

You will influence modernization strategy, DevSecOps adoption, and system integration while aligning with

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in software development, application engineering, or modernization programs.
• Proven experience leading development teams on large-scale federal transformation initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and modernization of enterprise applications within a cloud-native ecosystem.
• Refactor legacy and COTS applications into modular, microservices-based architectures using open-source technologies.
• Design, develop, and integrate APIs, event-driven services, and messaging-based systems.
• Develop secure, scalable, and highly available applications supporting high-volume and near real-time processing.
• Contribute to AI/ML-enabled application workflows, including model integration and deployment support.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines supporting automated testing, deployment, and security validation.
• Implement DevSecOps best practices, including secure SDLC, automated scanning, and compliance validation.
• Support system-of-systems integration across multiple applications, contractors, and technical teams.
• Ensure applications align with federal security and compliance requirements, including NIST, FedRAMP, FISMA, Zero Trust, MFA, and ATO support processes.
• Design and support data ingestion, ETL pipelines, transformation, analytics, and dissemination capabilities.
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues across application, infrastructure, integration, and data layers.
• Lead code reviews, mentor developers, and enforce engineering standards and best practices.
• Collaborate within Agile/Scrum and SAFe delivery environments to ensure consistent execution and delivery quality.

Skills

Hands-on leadership

Ownership mindset

Problem solving

Effective communication

Agile/Scrum/SAFe

Tools

Terraform

Docker

Kubernetes

Kafka

React

Node.js

Python

Job description

Clearance/Work Authorization:

U.S. Citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust is required

Travel:

0-20%

Project Description

This position supports Revolutional's federal customer as part of an application transformation and modernization initiative.

This program is driving a large-scale transformation of systems into a data-centric, cloud-native ecosystem capable of supporting high-volume, near real-time data processing and advanced analytics. The work includes modernization of legacy applications, development of new cloud-native solutions, and implementation of DevSecOps and scaled Agile practices across the organization.

The core challenge: orchestrating complex, multi-contractor delivery while transforming both technology and operating models without disrupting mission-critical operations.

Position Description

As a Lead Application Developer at Revolutional, you will lead the design, development, modernization, and integration of enterprise applications supporting mission-critical federal operations. This role requires a technically hands-on leader who can drive delivery across modern cloud-native environments while working closely with architects, engineers, product teams, and external partners. You will contribute directly to application development, modernization strategy, DevSecOps adoption, and system integration efforts. You are expected to move beyond feature delivery - ensuring applications are scalable, secure, resilient, and aligned to evolving mission and compliance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and modernization of enterprise applications within a cloud-native ecosystem
• Refactor legacy and COTS applications into modular, microservices-based architectures using open-source technologies
• Design, develop, and integrate APIs, event-driven services, and messaging-based systems
• Develop secure, scalable, and highly available applications supporting high-volume and near real-time processing
• Contribute to AI/ML-enabled application workflows, including model integration and deployment support
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines supporting automated testing, deployment, and security validation
• Implement DevSecOps best practices, including secure SDLC, automated scanning, and compliance validation
• Support system-of-systems integration across multiple applications, contractors, and technical teams
• Ensure applications align with federal security and compliance requirements, including NIST, FedRAMP, FISMA, Zero Trust, MFA, and ATO support processes
• Design and support data ingestion, ETL pipelines, transformation, analytics, and dissemination capabilities
• Troubleshoot and resolve complex issues across application, infrastructure, integration, and data layers
• Lead code reviews, mentor developers, and enforce engineering standards and best practices
• Collaborate within Agile/Scrum and SAFe delivery environments to ensure consistent execution and delivery quality

Technical Environment

• Cloud-native environments (AWS, Azure)
• Open-source frameworks and technologies (React, Node.js, Python)
• Containerization and orchestration platforms (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Infrastructure as Code and automation (Terraform)
• CI/CD and DevSecOps toolchains (Jenkins, GitLab, GitHub Actions)
• Messaging and event-driven platforms (Kafka)
• APIs, microservices, and distributed systems architectures
• High-volume, near real-time data processing environments

What You Bring (Requirements)

Baseline Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in software development, application engineering, or modernization programs
• Proven experience leading development teams on large-scale federal transformation initiatives

Technical Capabilities

• Strong experience designing and developing enterprise-grade, cloud-native applications
• Experience modernizing legacy/COTS systems into open-source, microservices-based platforms
• Experience with APIs, event-driven architecture, messaging systems, and distributed integrations
• Experience implementing DevSecOps practices and CI/CD pipelines in secure environments
• Experience supporting data ingest, ETL pipelines, transformation, analytics, and dissemination workflows
• Experience deploying and managing applications using Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience working with Terraform and infrastructure automation practices
• Strong understanding of federal security and compliance frameworks (NIST, FedRAMP, FISMA, Zero Trust, MFA, ATO processes)
• Experience supporting high availability, resiliency engineering, scalability, and performance optimization
• Experience operating in Agile/Scrum and SAFe environments across multi-team delivery organizations

Core Strengths

• Strong ownership mindset with accountability for technical delivery outcomes
• Ability to remain hands-on while leading development teams and modernization efforts
• Strong problem-solving skills across applications, integrations, infrastructure, and data systems
• Effective communication and coordination across technical teams, contractors, and stakeholders
• Ability to operate in fast-paced, high-impact modernization environments

Nice to Have (Differentiators)

• Cloud certifications (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud)
• Experience supporting large-scale, federal, statistical, or mission-critical modernization programs
• Experience integrating AI/ML capabilities into enterprise applications
• Experience with Kafka or large-scale event-streaming architecture
• Experience supporting complex system-of-systems integration efforts

Work Authorization/Clearance:

Must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a Public Trust