Software Developer Contract Jobs in Ames, IA (NOW HIRING)

COMPANY SUMMARY

Since 1992, Kingland has been a leading provider of enterprise software products, using innovative problem solving to address many of the most complex data, risk, and regulatory compliance challenges for some of the most integral companies in the world. Because our actions and decisions are guided by our purpose – delivering confidence to make the world work better – we create predictability, consistency, and trust in our business. This allows Kingland to serve like no one else can, upholding our values of authenticity, creativity, excellence, and ownership, enabling our clients to use data to confidently manage risk and comply with regulations.

We believe that every employee plays an important role in the business and contributes to the success that we continue to experience. We seek individuals with unique skill sets that have the desire to work on mission-critical programs. We believe in the value of in-person connection and interactions within our US offices in Ames and Clear Lake, Iowa and Fort Myers, Florida, while also offering team members flexibility that supports the unique needs of both their work and personal lives. By using best practices in developing and maintaining enterprise-class software solutions and services, you can be a part of an amazing team committed to our purpose and values. We hope that you will choose to launch yourself into an exciting new adventure at Kingland.

POSITION SUMMARY | Senior Software Design Engineer

We are seeking a highly analytical and hands-on Software Design Engineer to join our engineering team. This is a unique, high-impact role designed for a skilled developer who loves both high-level system architecture and deep-dive coding.

In this role, you won't just hand off blueprints—you will actively write production code, design system workflows, and own the technical implementation lifecycle – bridging the gap between abstract product vision and clean, concrete execution. Because our development organization lives and breathes in Jira, you will also act as a tactical champion of our workspace, translating complex architectural designs into highly structured, actionable Jira Epics, Stories, and tasks that you and the team will execute.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES | Senior Software Design Engineer

• Hands-On Development: Write clean, maintainable, and scalable production code. Actively participate in code reviews and contribute to core repository development. Leverage automated build and deploy processes to create and execute integration tests. Identify, fix and communicate defects throughout the software engineering process.
• System & Technical Architecture: Design robust software architectures, API contracts, data models, and component workflows that align with long-term product strategy.
• Jira-Driven Execution: Own the technical handoff and sprint readiness. Translate architectural designs into comprehensive Jira Epics, technical User Stories, and granular sub-tasks with clear acceptance criteria.
• Agile Leadership & Refinement: Lead backlog grooming and technical spikes. Ensure that dependencies, technical debt, and architectural runway are clearly mapped and prioritized on the Jira board.
• Collaborative Problem Solving: Partner with Product Managers and Solution Architects to evaluate feasibility, scope technical effort, and decompose massive initiatives into bite-sized sprint items.
• Mentorship and Continuous Improvement: Provide guidance on engineering principles and mentoring others on the team. Assist with onboarding new engineers and maintaining engineering routines. Continually improve engineering principles to ensure the team delivers quality and velocity.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS | Senior Software Engineer

• Engineering Excellence: Bachelor’s degree and requisite experience in Computer Science, Software Engineering or Computer Engineering. 4+ years of hands-on software engineering experience delivering production-grade applications, with demonstrated expertise in Java-based development and AWS Cloud technologies.
• Advanced Jira Proficiency: Exceptional experience utilizing Jira as a primary work management tool. Ability to structure a board for maximum engineering velocity, track work components seamlessly, and maintain a pristine backlog.
• System Design: Strong background in software design patterns, system architecture, API design, and data modeling.
• Documentation & Precision: Ability to write precise technical documentation, architectural diagrams (e.g., Mermaid, Lucidchart), and explicit Jira ticket requirements that eliminate ambiguity for the team.
• Communication: Strong collaborative skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical trade-offs to both business stakeholders and engineering peers.
• Preferred Skills:
  • Experience building automated workflows or custom reporting scripts utilizing Jira Cloud APIs (or integrating Jira data with external tracking tools).
  • Familiarity with Jira Automation rules, advanced road mapping, or JQL power-searching.
  • Experience guiding or mentoring junior engineers through structured technical design reviews.

BENEFITS

Kingland has a suite of world class benefits and perks. Because we understand that each team member is unique, we offer generous and flexible health and welfare, wellness, lifestyle, and total rewards benefits that are carefully picked and well designed. We are authentic in our commitment to providing team members with an exceptional experience and work hard to ensure that each individual feels valued and supported in their role and can advance their career through development plans and growth opportunities. Visit Kingland.com/Careers for additional details.

LOCATION

• This is a hybrid position. Kingland offers modern office locations in Ames, Iowa; Clear Lake, Iowa; or Fort Myers, Florida.