The Application Programmer/QA Engineer will provide application programming and QA engineering support for NAL scientific research data applications using Drupal, PHP, Tripal, Chado, and DevSecOps practices. The successful candidate will support software development, application modernization, quality assurance, testing, security, and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) activities while collaborating with government stakeholders and technical teams.
Task and Duties:- Provide application programming and Quality Assurance (QA) engineering support for NAL scientific research data applications using Drupal, PHP, Tripal, Chado, and DevSecOps practices.
- Develop, customize, test, deploy, and maintain scientific research data applications and related web applications.
- Support application modernization and technology refresh initiatives for legacy systems.
- Analyze existing application code and independently determine the best approach for enhancements, maintenance, and updates.
- Develop and execute quality assurance processes, application testing, troubleshooting, and defect resolution activities.
- Collaborate with developers, product owners, subject matter experts, systems analysts, and project coordinators to evaluate application requirements and define application migration paths.
- Support application deployments, software updates, production releases, and Operations & Maintenance (O&M) activities.
- Utilize version control systems to manage source code and support collaborative software development.
- Implement DevSecOps best practices throughout the software development lifecycle.
- Utilize containerization technologies to support application development, testing, and deployment.
- Develop and maintain technical documentation related to application development, testing, deployment, and system configuration.
- Ensure applications comply with federal accessibility requirements, security standards, and modern web development best practices.
- Provide technical support and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams to deliver secure, reliable, and high-quality software solutions.
Required Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
- Minimum of 6 years of professional experience developing substantial applications using some or all of the following technologies:
- Drupal
- PHP
- Tripal
- Chado
- DevSecOps practices
- Minimum of 4 years of general programming experience with PHP and/or Python.
- Proficiency using version control systems, including Git and GitHub.
- Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker and Podman.
- Experience working in a LAMP environment and proficiency using the Linux command line.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with software developers, product owners, and subject matter experts.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze existing code and independently determine the best course of action for application development, maintenance, and updates.
- Demonstrated ability to understand and implement web application requirements.
- Expert knowledge of modern web development standards and best practices.
- Experience modernizing legacy systems and performing technology refresh initiatives.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with systems analysts and project coordinators to evaluate and define application migration paths.
- Ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
- Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
- Experience working with relational databases, including MySQL and PostgreSQL.
- Strong experience working in Linux environments, including command-line utilities and system administration.
- Expert knowledge of HTML, XHTML, and CSS standards with practical web development experience.
- Knowledge of the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) and the USDA Digital Strategy Playbook.
