Software Engineer, Elasticsearch

Fantom Corp; Chantilly, Northern (VA, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Fantom Corp is seeking an experienced Search Software Engineer to develop and optimize enterprise search capabilities for mission-critical applications. You will focus on backend Java development, search platform engineering, and big data technologies to build scalable, high-performance search and analytics solutions.

The ideal candidate has deep expertise in Elasticsearch or Apache Solr, strong backend Java development experience, and hands-on experience with distributed data processing

Qualifications

• Requires polygraph clearance and active U.S. security clearance.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related technical discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum of 5 years of hands-on backend Java development experience.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience with Elasticsearch or Apache Solr.
• Experience designing search schemas and distributed search architectures.
• Strong Lucene query syntax and search optimization knowledge.
• Experience with big data environments and distributed computing frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain enterprise search solutions using Elasticsearch or Apache Solr.
• Design and implement search schemas, indexing strategies, and optimization techniques.
• Develop Lucene-based search queries to improve accuracy and performance.
• Configure and optimize Elasticsearch or Solr clusters, including shard design and replication.
• Develop backend services using Java to support search and data processing.
• Follow secure software development practices and participate in code reviews and testing.
• Develop data processing pipelines using big data technologies and distributed computing frameworks.
• Collaborate with engineers and system architects to design scalable search/analytics.

Skills

Java backend

Elasticsearch

Apache Solr

Lucene

Distributed systems

Big data

Security clearance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related

Tools

Hadoop

Apache Spark

PySpark

HBase

Job description

Fantom Corporation is a mission-focused organization supporting critical programs across the defense and intelligence community. We partner with our customers to deliver high-impact technical solutions while fostering a culture built on trust, expertise, and long-term career growth.

We are seeking an experienced Search Software Engineer to develop and optimize enterprise search capabilities supporting mission-critical applications. This role focuses on backend Java development, search platform engineering, and big data technologies to build scalable, high-performance search and analytics solutions.

The ideal candidate has deep expertise in Elasticsearch or Apache Solr, strong backend Java development experience, and hands-on experience working with distributed data processing frameworks in large-scale data environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain enterprise search solutions using Elasticsearch or Apache Solr
• Design and implement search schemas, indexing strategies, and search optimization techniques
• Develop and optimize Lucene-based search queries to improve search accuracy and performance
• Configure, administer, and optimize Elasticsearch or Solr clusters, including shard design, replication, and performance tuning
• Develop scalable backend services using Java to support enterprise search and data processing applications
• Build, test, and deploy production-ready Java code following secure software development best practices
• Participate in code reviews, unit testing, integration testing, and production deployments
• Develop and maintain data processing pipelines using big data technologies
• Work with distributed computing frameworks to process and analyze large-scale datasets
• Troubleshoot application, search platform, and data pipeline performance issues
• Collaborate with software engineers, data engineers, and system architects to design scalable search and analytics solutions
• Participate in Agile development activities including sprint planning, code reviews, and technical design sessions

Required Qualifications

• Must be fully cleared with a recent polygraph
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related technical discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Minimum of 5 years of hands-on backend Java development experience
• Experience developing production software that undergoes code reviews, unit testing, integration testing, and production deployment
• Minimum of 3 years of experience administering and developing solutions with Elasticsearch or Apache Solr
• Experience performing schema design and schema updates
• Strong knowledge of Lucene query syntax and search optimization techniques
• Experience designing and managing Elasticsearch or Solr shards and distributed search architectures
• Experience tuning Elasticsearch or Solr clusters for performance, scalability, and query optimization
• Minimum of 3 years of experience working in big data environments
• Experience with at least two of the following technologies:
  • Hadoop
  • Apache Spark
  • PySpark
  • HBase
• Strong understanding of distributed computing, search architectures, and large-scale data processing
• Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Desired Qualifications

• Experience developing large-scale enterprise search platforms
• Experience supporting distributed, high-availability search environments
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices
• Experience with cloud-based search architectures
• Familiarity with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes
• Experience supporting secure government or Intelligence Community environments
• #CJ

Fantom Corp is a Software Development, Agile Cloud, Cyber Security (Risk Management, Assessments & Authorization (A&A)), Data, AI Platform (Computer Vision Models), Podcasting Media Services, and IT Services provider. Established in 2015, Fantom Corp serves Federal customers with top‑not? top‑? "Fantom Corp possesses mastery in all aspects of digital audio production. We lead in the ideation and creation of efforts for clients who want to harness the power of podcasting. We guide them in selecting the right show format for their needs and goals. As a Small Business, we possess the innovation, speed and flexibility to meet your requirements.