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Software Engineer Contract Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

Software Engineer

Des Moines, IA · On-site

$68 - $73/hr

Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) / Production Support Engineer We are not accepting C2C or 1099 ... Des Moines, IA (Preferred) | Minneapolis, MN | Irving (Las Colinas), TX Duration: 18-Month Contract ...

S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract. Security Clearance ... We are seeking an Associate Software Engineer who thrives on solving complex technical challenges ...

Co-Op, Software Engineer- Onsite

Cedar Rapids, IA · On-site

$171K - $203K/yr

S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract. Security Clearance ... Software Engineer in this organization, you will be involved in the development of state-of-the-art ...

$169K - $200K/yr

S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract. Security Clearance ... Software Engineer in this organization, you will be involved in the development of state-of-the-art ...

New

S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract. Security Clearance ... We are seeking an Associate Software Engineer who thrives on solving complex technical challenges ...

S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract. Security Clearance ... Software Engineer in this organization, you will be involved in the development of state-of-the-art ...

Showing results 21-40

Software Engineer Contract information

See Iowa salary details

$59.6K

$138.6K

$193K

How much do software engineer contract jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for software engineer contract in Iowa is $138,564.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $112,700.00 and $162,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a software engineer contract?

Software engineer contracts are agreements where software engineers are hired on a temporary basis to work on specific projects or for a set period of time, rather than as permanent employees. Contractors often work for multiple clients, are paid hourly or per project, and may have more flexible schedules. These contracts outline the scope of work, compensation, deadlines, and other terms. Contract software engineers are responsible for delivering quality code and meeting the requirements set by the client or organization. This working arrangement can offer more autonomy, but also less job security and benefits compared to full-time employment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a software engineer contract?

To thrive as a Software Engineer Contract, you need strong programming skills, a solid understanding of software development methodologies, and a relevant degree or proven experience in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with source control systems (e.g., Git), cloud platforms, and proficiency in languages or frameworks required by the contract are crucial, as are any certifications in areas like AWS or Agile methodologies. Excellent problem-solving, adaptability, and communication skills help you quickly integrate with new teams and deliver results in diverse environments. These skills ensure you can efficiently contribute to projects, meet client expectations, and maintain professional flexibility across various assignments.

What are some common challenges faced by software engineers working on contract positions, and how can they be managed?

Software engineers on contract often face challenges such as quickly adapting to new codebases, understanding diverse team workflows, and managing changing project scopes. It's important to proactively communicate with team members, clarify project requirements early on, and stay organized to meet tight deadlines. Additionally, maintaining a strong personal workflow and being open to feedback can help contract engineers integrate more smoothly and deliver high-quality results within limited timeframes.

What is the difference between Software Engineer Contract vs Software Engineer Full-Time?

AspectSoftware Engineer ContractSoftware Engineer Full-Time
Employment TypeTemporary, project-basedPermanent, ongoing
Work EnvironmentTypically freelance or agency-basedCompany offices or remote
CredentialsUsually similar certifications and skillsSame as contract roles
BenefitsLimited or no benefitsHealth, retirement, paid leave

In summary, Software Engineer Contract roles are temporary positions focused on specific projects, often with fewer benefits, while Software Engineer Full-Time roles offer permanent employment with comprehensive benefits. Both roles require similar skills and credentials but differ mainly in employment stability and perks.

What are the most commonly searched types of Software Engineer jobs in Iowa?

The most popular types of Software Engineer jobs in Iowa are:

What are popular job titles related to Software Engineer Contract jobs in Iowa?

For Software Engineer Contract jobs in Iowa, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Software Engineer Contract jobs in Iowa look for?

The top searched job categories for Software Engineer Contract jobs in Iowa are:

What cities in Iowa are hiring for Software Engineer Contract jobs?

Cities in Iowa with the most Software Engineer Contract job openings:

Infographic showing various Software Engineer Contract job openings in Iowa as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 60% In-person, and 40% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $138,564 per year, or $66.6 per hour.

Software Engineer

Des Moines, IA • On-site

Judge Group, Inc.
Recruiting and Staffing Services • 5 - 10K employees

$68 - $73/hr

Other

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.


Key responsibilities

  • Lead L2/L3 production support activities for mission-critical applications and platforms.

  • Serve as a primary responder and coordinator for incident, problem, and change management activities.

  • Monitor system health and performance, analyze logs and metrics, and support automation and reliability engineering efforts.


Job description

Location: Des Moines, IA Salary: $68.00 USD Hourly - $73.00 USD Hourly Description:
Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) / Production Support Engineer
We are not accepting C2C or 1099 arrangements.
Location: Des Moines, IA (Preferred) | Minneapolis, MN | Irving (Las Colinas), TX
Duration: 18-Month Contract (Potential Extension to 24 Months)
Work Model: Hybrid (3 days onsite, 2 days remote)
About the Role
This role is ideal for an experienced Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) or Production Support Engineer who thrives in large-scale enterprise environments and enjoys improving reliability, observability, automation, and operational excellence.
You will support critical customer-facing mortgage and home lending platforms, ensuring system stability, performance, and operational resilience. The role combines production support, incident management, observability engineering, automation, and emerging AI-enabled operational practices.
You will partner with engineering, platform, infrastructure, and business teams to reduce operational risk, improve service reliability, and drive self-healing capabilities across complex technology ecosystems.
What You'll Do
  • Lead L2/L3 production support activities for mission-critical applications and platforms.
  • Serve as a primary responder and coordinator for incident management, problem management, and change management activities using ITIL best practices.
  • Monitor the health and performance of applications, infrastructure, and services across hybrid cloud and on-premises environments.
  • Build, enhance, and maintain business observability dashboards using Grafana and related monitoring technologies.
  • Analyze logs, metrics, traces, and events using platforms such as Splunk, AppDynamics, BigPanda, and Application Insights.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives to reduce incidents, improve service availability, and optimize system performance.
  • Support reliability engineering efforts, including capacity planning, resiliency testing, operational readiness, and service-level objectives (SLOs).
  • Develop and maintain automation solutions using Ansible and related technologies to improve operational efficiency.
  • Support CI/CD pipelines and deployment processes using tools such as Jenkins, Artifactory, UDeploy, and Terraform.
  • Troubleshoot and resolve complex production issues involving Java, .NET, database, middleware, and infrastructure components.
  • Partner with development teams to implement resilient, scalable, and observable system designs.
  • Leverage knowledge of AI/ML, LLM, and Agentic AI technologies to identify operational efficiencies and innovative support solutions.
  • Participate in major incident reviews and contribute to root cause analysis and preventive action planning.
  • Support Oracle, MSSQL, and other enterprise database technologies through analysis and troubleshooting.
Minimum Qualifications
  • 8+ years of experience in Site Reliability Engineering, Production Support, Systems Engineering, or related technical roles.
  • Experience leading production support operations within large-scale enterprise environments.
  • Strong experience with ITIL-based incident, problem, and change management practices.
  • Hands-on experience with observability and monitoring technologies, including:
    • Grafana
    • Splunk
    • AppDynamics
    • BigPanda
    • Application Insights
  • Experience supporting distributed applications across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud platforms.
  • Strong troubleshooting skills using Unix/Linux command-line tools.
  • Experience supporting large-scale Java and/or .NET applications.
  • Experience with Oracle, MSSQL, MongoDB, or similar database technologies.
  • Experience working with CI/CD tools including Jenkins, Artifactory, UDeploy, and Terraform.
  • Experience implementing automation solutions using Ansible.
  • Strong SQL skills with the ability to analyze and troubleshoot application and database issues.
Preferred Qualifications
  • Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) experience in a highly regulated industry such as banking, financial services, healthcare, or insurance.
  • Experience supporting AI/ML platforms and Large Language Model (LLM)-based systems.
  • Understanding of Agentic AI concepts, use cases, operational impacts, and efficiency improvements.
  • Experience building self-healing and autonomous operational solutions.
  • Strong knowledge of reliability engineering principles, including SLIs, SLOs, and error budgets.
  • Experience designing highly available and resilient systems.
  • Familiarity with modern observability practices, telemetry collection, and operational analytics.
  • Experience collaborating with offshore support teams.
Preferred Attributes
Google values candidates who:
  • Solve ambiguous and complex technical problems with a data-driven approach.
  • Demonstrate ownership and accountability for production systems.
  • Communicate effectively across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Continuously improve processes through automation and operational excellence.
  • Have a passion for reliability, customer experience, and scalable engineering practices.
  • Mentor teams and drive adoption of modern SRE methodologies.
Key Skills
  • Site Reliability Engineering (SRE)
  • Production Support
  • ITIL
  • Observability Engineering
  • Grafana
  • Splunk
  • AppDynamics
  • BigPanda
  • Application Insights
  • Jenkins
  • Terraform
  • Artifactory
  • UDeploy
  • Ansible
  • SQL
  • MongoDB
  • Oracle
  • MSSQL
  • Java
  • .NET
  • Unix/Linux
  • Incident Management
  • Change Management
  • Agentic AI
  • AI/ML Operations
  • LLM Support
  • Automation & Self-Healing Systems

Target Candidate: A senior SRE-minded engineer with strong production support expertise, hands-on observability experience, and a solid understanding of AI-enabled operational practices who can help elevate the team's reliability engineering capabilities.
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Contact:
This job and many more are available through The Judge Group. Please apply with us today!