Freelance Java Spring Developer Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Software Developer - Mid-Level (Java)

Location: Remote, with occasional travel as required

Clearance: Must be a US Citizen able to OBTAIN a favorable Public Trust

Citizenship: US Citizen

AttainX Inc. is seeking a Mid-Level Software Developer to support the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) trade certification systems under an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and Development, Modernization, and Enhancement (DME) contract. The developer will design, build, and maintain features for the Lacey Act Web Governance System (LAWGS), the Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance and Tracking (PCIT) system, and the Veterinary Export Health Certification System (VEHCS) — Java-based web applications that enable importers, exporters, brokers, accredited veterinarians, and state and federal officials to file declarations and generate export health and phytosanitary certificates.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on mid-level developer with strong Java skills, experience deploying and operating applications in Microsoft Azure, and practical experience generating documents and reports with JasperReports and iText. Working within an Agile/SAFe delivery team, the developer will deliver enhancements, resolve production issues, and help keep these mission-critical trade systems reliable and compliant.

Qualifications and Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field; equivalent professional experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 3+ years of professional software development experience at a mid-level, including full lifecycle design, development, testing, and maintenance.
• Strong hands-on experience developing with Java, including modern frameworks such as Spring / Spring Boot, RESTful web services, and ORM technologies (JPA/Hibernate).
• Experience developing, deploying, and maintaining applications in Microsoft Azure (e.g., App Service, Azure SQL, storage, and related cloud services).
• Practical experience building and maintaining reports, certificates, and PDF document outputs using JasperReports / Jaspersoft Studio and iText.
• Proficiency with relational databases and SQL, including writing and tuning queries and stored procedures.
• Experience with version control (Git) and CI/CD pipelines and tooling.
• Experience delivering in Agile or SAFe environments, including participation in sprint planning, estimation, and demos.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across development, testing, and O&M teams.
• US citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain a favorable Public Trust background investigation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience supporting federal government IT programs, particularly USDA or APHIS trade, import/export, or certification systems (LAWGS, PCIT, VEHCS, or similar).
• Microsoft Azure certification (e.g., AZ-204 Developer Associate or AZ-900 Fundamentals).
• Certified SAFe® Practitioner or equivalent Agile certification.
• Experience integrating with identity and access management platforms such as USDA eAuthentication.
• Familiarity with front-end web technologies (JavaScript, Angular, or React) and secure coding practices for federal applications.

Job Duties:

• Design, develop, test, and maintain Java application features and services for the LAWGS, PCIT, and VEHCS systems across both O&M and DME work streams.
• Develop and maintain document and report generation using JasperReports and iText to produce phytosanitary certificates, veterinary export health certificates, Lacey Act declarations, and program reports in PDF and related formats.
• Build, configure, deploy, and maintain application components hosted in Microsoft Azure, and support cloud performance, scalability, and reliability.
• Develop and maintain RESTful APIs and integrations, including with USDA eAuthentication and other program services.
• Analyze, reproduce, and resolve production defects and service requests reported through the help desk, providing timely fixes and root-cause analysis.
• Implement DME enhancements and modernization efforts, translating requirements and user stories into working, tested software.
• Write and maintain unit and integration tests, participate in peer code reviews, and follow secure coding and quality standards.
• Contribute to and maintain CI/CD pipelines to support consistent, automated builds, testing, and deployments.
• Support release, regression, and user acceptance testing activities and assist with deployment coordination.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, including design notes, deployment guides, and knowledge base content.
• Participate in Agile/SAFe ceremonies and collaborate with product owners, testers, and O&M staff to improve delivery and system quality.

Non-Essential Functions:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

About Us:

AttainX Inc. is a Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), Economically Disadvantaged WOSB (EDWOSB), CMMC Level 2, CMMI Level 3, ISO 9001:2015 certified QMS and Silver Level SAFe Partner. For more than 15 years, AttainX, Inc. has delivered emergent technologies, software products, and high-quality services that meet the needs of our Federal Government customers.

The last 4 years have shown significant company growth as we have increased our contracts portfolio and hold the “Best in Class” contract vehicles, GSA MAS and OASIS Small Business and 8(a) Pools 1, 2 and 3. In addition, we are prime on several Agency Specific IDIQs and BPAs with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Energy, Navy, Health and Human Service, USCIS and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

AttainX is dedicated to quality and best practices for the services we provide. We understand our people are the key ingredient to ensuring our customers Mission and Goals are met with excellence.

Benefits:

Competitive compensation and benefits packages including paid vacation, medical, dental, vision, matching 401K plan, tuition/training reimbursement, and Long & Short-Term Disability.

EEO Commitment:

AttainX is an equal employment opportunity employer, committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, VEVRAA and Section 503, or other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law. These protections also extend to applicants.

Accommodations:

Individuals with a disability who would like to request a reasonable workplace accommodation may send an email to Human Resources indicating the specifics of the assistance needed.

Physical Demands:

Sitting and working on a computer for long, continuous periods each day; effective communications by telephone, email, and face-to-face; standing, walking, and sitting; handling and feeling objects or controls; reaching; talking and hearing; lifting and/or moving up to 10 pounds; and specific vision abilities including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust and focus.

Work Environment: The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.