Developer - Integration/API Development - Contingent

Location: McLean, Virginia, United States

Department: Veterans Affairs

Workplace: remote

Employment Type: full

Description

About Aretum

Aretum is a mission-driven organization committed to delivering innovative, technology-enabled solutions to our customers across defense, civilian, and homeland security sectors. Our teams work at the intersection of strategy, technology, and transformation, helping agencies solve their most critical challenges. We believe in investing in our people and creating a culture where collaboration, inclusion, and professional growth are at the forefront.

Job Summary

Design, develop, and test secure integration interfaces connecting vendor-supplied containerized applications with 10+ disparate client data systems in a Federal cloud environment. This is for a polypharmacy solution in a complex, multi-system cloud integration solution for Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system that services millions of veterans. Focus on building robust APIs, data orchestration workflows, and integration patterns that enable risk analysis and service coordination for millions of clients while meeting strict federal security and compliance requirements.

Due to the nature of our work as a federal consulting organization, employees may be expected to handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and must adhere to applicable safeguarding and compliance requirements. 

Responsibilities

• Design and implement secure integration interfaces (RESTful APIs, SOAP, message queues, file-based) connecting vendor applications with client data systems
• Develop data orchestration workflows using AWS services (Lambda, Step Functions, EventBridge, SQS/SNS)
• Use VA-endorsed interoperability standards including FHIR R4, CDS Hooks, and SMART on FHIR
• Build error handling, retry logic, and dead-letter queue patterns for distributed system reliability
• Implement data transformation and validation logic to reconcile disparate source system formats
• Create reusable integration patterns and libraries for scaling to 130+ system instances
• Work with vendor-supplied containers to understand integration points and API requirements
• Design and implement fault-tolerant integration patterns with automatic retry, circuit breaker, and graceful degradation strategies
• Build multi-AZ deployment architectures ensuring integration availability during infrastructure failures
• Develop idempotent APIs and workflows to handle duplicate processing and enable safe retries
• Implement health checks, readiness probes, and self-healing mechanisms for integration endpoints
• Create disaster recovery procedures including backup strategies, failover mechanisms, and recovery time objective (RTO) compliance
• Design for horizontal scalability to handle variable workload demands across millions of client records
• Implement secure integration patterns including encryption (at-rest and in-transit), authentication/authorization (OAuth, API keys, IAM roles), and input validation
• Apply least-privilege IAM policies for cross-service and cross-account access
• Implement audit logging and traceability for compliance requirements
• Handle PII, PHI and other sensitive client data according to federal data protection standards
• Support RMF/ATO process by documenting security controls and providing evidence for assessment
• Develop comprehensive integration test suites (unit, integration, end-to-end)
• Create test data sets and mocking strategies for isolated component testing
• Perform load and performance testing on integration endpoints
• Support security testing and vulnerability remediation activities
• Document test plans, test cases, and test results for compliance review
• Build serverless integration workflows using Lambda functions and Step Functions state machines
• Configure API Gateway for RESTful endpoint exposure with throttling and authorization
• Implement event-driven architectures using EventBridge, SNS, and SQS
• Manage secrets and configuration using Secrets Manager and Parameter Store
• Monitor integration health using CloudWatch metrics, logs, and alarms
• Deploy infrastructure-as-code using AWS SAM, CloudFormation, or Terraform

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or related field
• Relevant professional certifications and demonstrated experience may supplement education
• 8+ years software development experience with focus on integration and API development
• 5+ years hands-on AWS development experience
• 3+ years in a senior development role
• Experience integrating with COTS/vendor applications (not building from scratch)
• Background working with containerized applications and microservices architectures
• Programming Languages: Python, Java, or Node.js (proficiency in at least one)
• AWS Services: Lambda, Step Functions, API Gateway, EventBridge, SQS, SNS, S3, IAM, Secrets Manager, CloudWatch
• Integration Patterns: RESTful APIs, asynchronous messaging, event-driven architecture, ETL workflows
• Security: OAuth 2.0, JWT, API authentication/authorization, encryption libraries, input validation
• CI/CD: Experience with AWS CodePipeline, CodeBuild, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins including security scanning integration
• Infrastructure-as-Code: AWS SAM, CloudFormation, or Terraform (basic understanding)
• Data Formats: JSON, XML, CSV, Parquet; experience with schema validation
• Version Control: Git workflows, branching strategies, pull request processes
• Monitoring & Debugging: CloudWatch Logs, X-Ray tracing, application performance monitoring

Preferred Requirements

• AWS Certified Developer – Associate or Professional
• Experience with container troubleshooting and log analysis (Docker, ECS task definitions)
• Knowledge of SQL and database integration patterns
• Familiarity with Databricks or data analytics platforms  
• Previous experience working with one or more VA systems such as: VISTA, Cerner/Oracle, eRX, VDIF, JLV, CMOP, Meds by Mail, CRPCC, PBM and VA Enterprise Cloud.
• Integrate VA approved SAST (Static Application Security Testing) tools into CI/CD pipelines with automated gates to block deployment of high and critical findings; remediate all high and critical vulnerabilities in preparation for formal source code audit and security assessment prior to release to production.
• Understanding of NIST 800-53 security controls relevant to application development
• Federal government contracting or DoD development experience

Travel Requirements

This is a remote position; however, occasional travel may be required based on project needs, client meetings, team collaboration events, or training sessions. Travel is expected to be less than 10% and will be communicated in advance whenever possible.

EEO Statement

Aretum is committed to fostering a workplace rooted in excellence, integrity, and equal opportunity for all. We adhere to merit-based hiring practices, ensuring that all employment decisions are made based on qualifications, skills, and ability to perform the job, without preference or consideration of factors unrelated to job performance. 

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Aretum complies with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws. 

We are proud to support our nation’s veterans and military families, providing career opportunities that honor their service and experience. 

If you require reasonable accommodation during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact [email protected] for assistance. 

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled 

U.S. Work Authorization

Due to federal contract requirements, only U.S. citizens are eligible for this position. This position supports a federal government contract and requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust or Suitability Determination, depending on the agency’s background investigation requirements.  

Benefits

Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)  

Retirement Plan (401k) 

Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)  

Paid Time Off 

Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)  

Short Term & Long-Term Disability  

Training & Development