Junior Backend Developer Jobs in Silver Spring, MD

This is a multi-level ongoing pipeline position. Location: Columbia, MD Telework: TBD, subject to manager approval and tasking Clearance Required: TS/ / SCI with Polygraph Salary Range: $1 10 ,000 to $ 260 ,000 At Shadow Strategies, you will join a culture defined by innovation, purpose, and meaningful impact. We seek multiple levels who build and maintain the back-end logic, services, and data pipelines that enable mission software to operate reliably, securely, and efficiently, while supporting modernization, performance, and long-term maintainability. If you are inspired by complexity, motivated by clarity, and committed to excellence, we invite you to become part of something exceptional. This role supports mission software by developing and improving the underlying infrastructure, including modernizing existing tools, designing data-intensive platforms, and optimizing workflows for real-time, performance-sensitive, and security-focused environments. You will serve as a back-end software engineer (SWE0-SWE3) responsible for designing, developing, integrating, and maintaining core system logic, services, and pipelines across legacy and cloud-native environments that support mission software teams and engineers. This capability enables dependable, secure, and mission-critical software that supports reliable system operation and long-term performance. What You'll Do * Develop back-end logic, services, and data pipelines that support mission software operations * Design and implement reliable, secure software systems for mission-critical capabilities * Modernize existing tools and back-end infrastructure to improve long-term utility and maintainability * Integrate components across programming languages, data formats, and operating environments * Evaluate and optimize systems for performance, resilience, and real-time operational needs Who This Might Be a Fit For * You have experience working through complex technical challenges with limited documentation or context * You are comfortable owning technical decisions within mission and operational constraints * You understand how performance, reliability, security, and maintainability affect mission outcomes * You know how to connect systems across technical boundaries and environments * You prefer durable solutions and thoughtful engineering tradeoffs over short-term fixes Required Skills * Back-end software engineering fundamentals * Back-end service and data pipeline development * Reliable and secure software system design * Software and infrastructure modernization * Cross-system integration across languages, formats, and environments Helpful Experience Areas * Mission software modernization efforts * Data-intensive platform development * Performance optimization in real-time environments * Security-focused software environments * Cloud-native platform development Years of Experience and Degree Requirements Requirements will depend on what level you are being considered for, but at minimum we require a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field and 5 years of experience OR 9 years of experience without a degree Degrees must be obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Work Environment Based in Columbia, MD Primarily in the office in Columbia, MD Multidisciplinary teams supporting mission systems in classified environments Ownership and leadership expectations depend on level. Junior contributors are trusted to work independently while drawing on available mentorship and resources. Senior individual contributors are trusted to shape technical direction and connect evidence to execution. What Comes With It You will have what you need to do your best work: * Fully covered health insurance for medical, dental, and vision * Paid parental leave: 16 weeks if you give birth, 4 weeks if your partner does * Flexible leave: 36 days total each year, including 25 days of PTO and 11 paid holidays * 401(k) for your future * Short-term and long-term disability * Annual health stipend if you opt out of our insurance The Extras? They're Built In. No points systems. No bean bags. Just clarity, autonomy, and a mission that matters. Shadow invests in exceptional people because demanding work requires more than a paycheck. Our benefits are designed to provide meaningful support inside and outside the mission. See our benefit plan at: https://www.shadowstrategies.io/benefits Shadow Strategies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a workplace that values diversity and fosters inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Salary is determined by various factors , including but not limited to location, the individual's particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements.