What this role is actually about

We're hiring a Software Developer to build and extend the applications our clients run their operations on. That means designing web, mobile, and service-oriented solutions on top of APIs and web services - and owning the work end to end, from figuring out what the system actually needs to do through analysis, design, code, testing, and the documentation that lets someone else pick it up later.

This is not a ticket-taking role. You'll help define technical direction and choose the patterns we use on a project, which means the decisions you make will still be visible in the codebase years from now. You also won't start from zero - our templates, pipelines, and patterns are productized and versioned, so the work begins at about 70% and your judgment goes into the part that's actually specific to the client. You'll work across various phases of development and maintenance on approved projects, and you'll be trusted to move a piece of work forward without someone standing over it.

The environment is real and the stakes are real. The systems you touch support airline operations, so correctness matters more than cleverness and a clear explanation matters as much as working code. You'll partner with support and business analysts to get technical and user documentation right, and you'll be expected to keep learning the client landscape well enough to suggest better solutions than the ones you were handed. You'll work inside one of our development PODs on a named client engagement, reporting to our Development capability lead.

What you will do

• Design and implement web, mobile, and service-oriented solutions built on APIs and web services - loosely coupled, instrumented, and able to deploy independently
• Participate in defining and implementing technical direction, and select the technical patterns used on your projects
• Perform and review system analysis, design, programming, testing, debugging, and documentation
• Work with support and business analysts to provide the technical documentation, user training, and manuals that go with every enhancement
• Lead or contribute to process improvement - the goal is a better way of working, not just a shipped change
• Keep building your understanding of the client landscape so you can suggest and implement solutions that hold up over time
• Manage your own phases of development and maintenance on approved projects, and communicate honestly about where they stand

The kind of person who does well here

Technical skills matter and we'll get to those. But the people who thrive at H&K share some things that don't show up on a resume.

They're honest before they're impressive. When they don't know something, they say so and go find out. When something went wrong on their watch, they own it and explain what they learned. They're not trying to manage perception - they're trying to solve the problem.

They're curious about the parts they don't know yet. This environment spans application development, integration, cloud platforms, distributed systems, and airline operations all at once. Nobody walks in knowing all of it. The people who grow fastest here are the ones who find that interesting rather than overwhelming.

They're comfortable moving before the picture is complete. We build solutions that work now and evolve over time. That means making good decisions with incomplete information, adjusting course without losing momentum, and being energized by change rather than threatened by it.

They make the people around them better. This is a team sport. We're looking for someone whose instinct when they figure something out is to share it - in a code review, in a design conversation, or in the documentation nobody else wanted to write.

They care about the work, not just the output. There's a difference between closing a story and actually solving the problem behind it. We want someone who knows the difference and consistently chooses the harder, more honest path.

Required qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related field with an emphasis in systems analysis, plus 3+ years designing software solutions - OR 5+ years of equivalent experience combining education, training, and hands-on work.

Proficiency in systems analysis and/or programming, including leadership responsibilities on the work you own.

Experience with structured programming techniques and with transactional and message-based patterns in an agile-driven development project.

Strong written and verbal communication skills - enough to develop, coordinate, and execute requirements, project plans, and test approaches with both technical and business audiences.

Technical experience (significant experience required):

• .NET, C#, Java
• REST / SOAP
• Oracle, SQL

Preferred qualifications

Experience in an airline information systems environment, systems integration work, or airline development generally is a real advantage - but we'd rather hire someone curious about the domain than someone who has simply been near it.

Working knowledge or a solid understanding of any of the following:

• Cloud - Azure, AWS
• TIBCO BusinessWorks
• TIBCO BusinessEvents
• Single Page Applications - Blazor, Angular, JavaScript
• Domain modeling, Swagger / OpenAPI
• Cache patterns and technology - Redis, ActiveSpaces
• Azure DevOps

Location

This role is based in Houston and works on a hybrid schedule. You'll be onsite near the Galleria at least two days a week, with additional onsite days as the work requires - including a monthly team meeting that typically brings the full team together for a third day. We're not counting days for the sake of it, but presence matters here and we're transparent about that upfront.