Remote Principal Java Software Engineer Jobs in Virginia

540 is looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help improve the efficiency of acquisition and procurement within the Department of War. We are looking for a startup-minded individual to work within an Agile team focusing on full stack development with JavaScript / Typescript, Java, Spring, Node and Angular primarily.

On this project, you will be supporting the development and implementation of several web applications that assist procurement specialists within the Department of War to help them become more efficient. These applications use modern technologies to gather and display relevant information in a user-friendly way, which help the client increase data consistency for systems of record. With better standardization across these source systems, the client will have better insight into the procurement landscape that will help them develop and drive policy for the entire Department of War.

Alongside project responsibilities, this role will also serve as the project's Technical Anchor for 540. In this capacity, you will help drive the overall technical delivery and success of the project in partnership with the Project Anchor and internal team members. Responsibilities include establishing and maintaining technical standards aligned with organizational objectives, providing technical guidance and coaching to team members, and helping lead technical innovation and continuous improvement efforts across the project.

Location: Remote friendly within the continental United States, East Coast working hours
Citizenship & Clearance Requirement: per client requirements, candidates must be a U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a DoW Secret clearance
Education Requirement: Bachelor's Degree
540 Internal Thrive Level: Senior Software Engineer

WHY 540?

540 is a forward-thinking company that the government turns to in order to #getshitdone. We don't just talk about innovation – we deliver it. We break down barriers, build impactful technology, and solve mission-critical problems.

HOW YOU'LL DRIVE IMPACT

• Design, build, and deliver scalable, user-facing applications that support mission-critical workflows in a modern cloud environment
• Own features end-to-end—from requirements and design through development, testing, and deployment
• Collaborate directly with engineers, architects, and stakeholders to translate complex requirements into practical, working solutions
• Develop and integrate RESTful APIs and data-driven services across distributed systems
• Contribute to front-end development using Angular while supporting backend services in Node.js / NestJS
• Debug and resolve issues across the stack, ensuring performance, reliability, and maintainability
• Operate with a high degree of autonomy—able to move work forward independently while staying aligned with the broader team
• Continuously improve code quality through testing, code reviews, enforcing coding standards and thoughtful design decisions
• Bring a builder mindset—focused on delivering real, working software over theoretical perfection
• Mentoring fellow developers and encouraging overall team growth
• Assisting in the removal of blockers to keep a high velocity within the team

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• 8+ years of professional software development experience
• 4+ years of experience with JavaScript / TypeScript
• Experience building backend services with Node.js and/or NestJS
• Experience developing modern front-end applications using Angular (2+)
• Experience designing and integrating RESTful APIs and data-driven web applications
• Experience working with relational databases (PostgreSQL)
• Experience working with non-relational databases (MongoDB)
• Proficiency working in an Agile environment (i.e. backlog refinement, story size estimation, etc)
• Ability to handle the creation/distribution of release notes
• Coordination of application deployments
• Ability to identify and communicate technical requirements needed to implement a feature
• Identify/collaborate with team over new technical work/gaps within applications
• Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently in client-facing environments while collaborating effectively with a team

NICE TO HAVE SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Experience with test automation frameworks with Playwright
• Experience developing in Java and working with the Spring framework
• Experience with containerization with Docker
• Experience writing unit tests with Jest or Jasmine
• Experience working in cloud environments (AWS preferred)
• An understanding of cloud services and when to utilize them
• An understanding of technical architecture design
• Experience completing Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs)

BENEFITS & PERKS

• 100% covered health, dental and vision premium for employees, optional dependent coverage
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 401k with employer match
• Company Sponsored Life Insurance, Short and Long Term Disability coverage
• Flexible PTO + all Federal holidays off
• Home Office allowance
• Reimbursement for trainings / certifications
• Paid AWS Developer account
• Referral Bonus - good people know good people
• Annual Social Events (hackathon, holiday party, charity golf tournament, etc.)
• Access to 540's Washington Capitals tickets

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO)

540's policy is to provide equal employment opportunity 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.