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The Role
Leads a combined software development and production support team, providing technical direction, architecture guidance, mentoring, code review, and engineering standards. Designs scalable Python and GraphQL backend services, optimizes PostgreSQL databases, and manages AWS infrastructure. Oversees Tier 3 support, monitoring, incident management, CI/CD, and DevOps practices while coordinating with product managers, system administrators, and NIH stakeholders.
Summary Generated by Built In
Job Description: Lead Developer (Python / PostgreSQL / GraphQL / AWS)
Job Title: Lead Developer – Development & Support
Location: Bethesda, MD (Hybrid – 3 days on-site per week)
Position Type: Full-Time
Experience Level: 10–15 Years
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Lead Developer to head our engineering and application support initiatives. In this role, you will provide technical direction and leadership to a combined development and support team, ensuring the successful delivery of new features while maintaining high system reliability. This is a hybrid position requiring you to be on-site three days a week at our Bethesda, MD office. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in cloud-native Python architectures, strong team-management capabilities, and immediate readiness to collaborate within federal health IT environments.
Key Responsibilities
Technical Leadership: Lead, mentor, and manage a dual-focused team handling both new software development and production support/maintenance.
Architecture & Design: Guide the architectural design of scalable backend services, efficient data graphs, and cloud infrastructure.
Operations & Support: Oversee Tier 3 support activities, troubleshoot complex production bottlenecks, and establish robust monitoring and incident management workflows.
Code Excellence: Establish coding standards, conduct comprehensive code reviews, and drive modern CI/CD and DevOps practices.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with product managers, system administrators, and NIH stakeholders to align technical execution with organizational goals.
Required Technical Skills and Qualifications
Overall Experience: 10 to 15 years of professional software engineering experience, including a minimum of 3 years leading engineering teams.
Backend Development: Advanced, expert-level proficiency in Python and its core framework ecosystem.
API Architecture: Production-proven experience designing, building, and optimizing GraphQL APIs.
Database Management: Strong expertise in PostgreSQL, including schema design, indexing, and complex query optimization.
Cloud Computing: Direct experience architecture and maintaining infrastructure on AWS (e.g., Lambda, EC2, RDS, IAM, CloudWatch).
Work Authorization: Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Location: Ability to work on-site in Bethesda, MD 3 days a week.
Preferred Qualifications
NIH Familiarity: Current or recent experience working on-site or directly with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Facility Access: Possession of a current, active NIH badge (PIV card) for rapid onboarding and facility access.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
Prior Work history at other Federal Government
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) operates through key operating divisions and agencies split across public health and human services.
See below agencies:
Operating Divisions & Agencies
- CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention): Protects public health and safety by controlling and preventing disease, injury, and disability.
- NIH (National Institutes of Health): Conducts and supports medical and behavioral research through 27 separate institutes and centers.
- FDA (Food and Drug Administration): Ensures the safety and efficacy of drugs, medical devices, the food supply, cosmetics, and tobacco products.
- CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services): Administers Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and health insurance marketplaces.
- ACF (Administration for Children and Families): Promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities.
- ACL (Administration for Community Living): Focuses on maximizing the independence, well-being, and health of older adults and people with disabilities.
- HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration): Improves access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable.
- SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): Leads public efforts to advance behavioral health and reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness.
- IHS (Indian Health Service): Provides federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives.
- AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality): Conducts research to make health care safer, higher quality, more accessible, and more affordable.
- ASPR (Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response): Coordinates federal medical and public health preparedness and response for disasters and emergencies.
- ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health): Funds high-risk, high-reward biomedical and health breakthroughs.
- ATSDR (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry): Protects communities from harmful exposures to hazardous and toxic substances
Requirements
Skills Required
- 10 to 15 years of professional software engineering experience
- At least 3 years leading engineering teams
- Expert proficiency in Python and its core framework ecosystem
- Production experience designing, building, and optimizing GraphQL APIs
- Expertise in PostgreSQL schema design, indexing, and complex query optimization
- Experience architecting and maintaining AWS infrastructure, including Lambda, EC2, RDS, IAM, and CloudWatch
- Legal authorization to work in the United States
- Ability to work onsite in Bethesda, Maryland three days per week
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- Current or recent experience working onsite or directly with the NIH
- Current, active NIH badge or PIV card
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The Company
What We Do
Simple Solutions is a US based company and Microsoft Partner with a global presence that provides a broad range of software and IT services solutions to better help our clients manage their business. Our personalized service follows industry “best practices” and delivers cost effective and efficient solutions for our client’s business and IT needs. Simple Solutions has a broad portfolio of cloud and packaged software expertise with development and Integration services. We are also providers of custom and off-the-shelf software products to address specific business and IT challenges. Simple Solutions has a broad portfolio of cloud and packaged software expertise with development and Integration services. We are also providers of custom and off-the-shelf software products to address specific business and IT challenges.
