Software Engineer II

Software Engineer II 

About the Role

ESI provides direct support to the Frederick National Lab (FNL) and its clients at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), aiding their mission to accelerate the prevention and treatment of cancer. FNL's support of NCI includes the management and execution of IT projects. 

The organization supports several high-priority programs focused on advancing research through modern data infrastructure. These programs provide secure, cloud-based environments that accelerate discovery by facilitating data submission, sharing, access, interoperability, and cost-effective analysis at scale. The data ecosystems are dynamic and evolving infrastructures that bring together data from various collections generated or held at institutions across the country and worldwide, ensuring quality and consistency for the broader research community. 

The systems include: 

• Enhanced cloud-computing platforms. 

• Services that link disparate information, including clinical, image, and molecular data. 

• Standards and tools so that data are interoperable. 

• Essential underlying data science infrastructure, methods, and portals for the Cancer Data Ecosystem. 

• Sustainable data governance to ensure long-term health of the Ecosystem. 

What You'll Do

• Collaborate with other developers and test engineers to produce high-quality software that delivers business value and follows established standards and processes. 

• Independently develop, code, modify, test, and debug application programs with minimal guidance. 

• Serve as a trusted code reviewer for peers and follow and help evolve documented best practices for testing and validation. 

• Independently emulate the style and architecture of the existing codebase and write clear technical design documents for your own projects. 

• Integrate existing software into new or modified systems or operating environments. 

• Set milestones, break work into tasks, and participate in retrospectives; present technical design and project progress to the team. 

• Work with business users to develop and implement acceptance tests to ensure the product meets customer requirements. 

• Monitor application performance and troubleshoot production problems. 

• Create and maintain technical documentation and contribute to team-level documentation. 

• Mentor and support junior team members as needed; participate in and occasionally present at technical forums such as brown bags or design reviews. 

• Use approved AI tools independently to support research, implementation, and documentation — critically evaluating AI-generated outputs for correctness before use and sharing effective prompts and workflows with teammates. 

• Proactively communicate the status of your work, risks, and blockers to the team and stakeholders. 

• Implement recommendations for improving documentation and software development process standards and actively engage in process improvement initiatives. 

What You'll Bring

• Possession of a bachelor's degree from a college/university accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in Computer Science or a related field. 

• At least 5 years of experience in the responsibilities described above. 

• Experience designing, developing, and delivering Web 2.0 systems using HTML/HTML5, Java, JavaScript, ReactJS, Angular JS, Bootstrap, Node.js, Docker, SQL, CSS, OOP, Python, and AWS Core Services. 

• AWS Cloud Practitioner certification. 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including experience working directly with customers to discuss their requirements and objectives. 

• Ability to prioritize, status, and multitask. 

• Exceptional interpersonal skills with a strong ability to coordinate and collaborate on tasks and activities within a team environment. 

• Ability to work in a busy and complex setting, including working with all levels of staff within the government, with familiarity with the nuances of government practices and processes. 

About Essential Software Inc. (ESI) 

In a time when federal agencies rely on novel technology solutions, ESI stands as a trusted partner. We have built our success on our commitment to technology, teamwork, and trust. At ESI, we acknowledge and celebrate our dedicated, diverse staff, who consistently strive for and achieve excellence. 

ESI offers a robust benefits package that includes health care, paid time off, 401(k) retirement savings, professional development, and more. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: 

ESI is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, including equitable hiring and promotion practices, and ongoing learning that supports belonging for every team member. 

Work Authorization Notice: 

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire. ESI is unable to provide employment visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Because this role is performed in support of government contract work and does not allow ESI to provide the level of direct employer oversight and training administration required for certain temporary work authorization categories, ESI cannot support those employer-specific training obligations for this position. 

Work Location: 

Hybrid; periodic travel (1–4 days a month) to our client office in Rockville, MD 20850 for meetings and/or collaboration sessions is required. You must live in the Washington, D.C., Maryland or Virginia area. This is not a fully remote position.

Job Type: Full-time 

Salary $80,000 – $125,000 per year, depending on skills and experience. 

Essential Software Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.