Engineering Manager, Software Engineering (Java Backend)

Accountabilities:: Lead and support a team of software engineers developing, enhancing, and maintaining Java-based backend applications and services. Provide hands-on technical leadership through architecture, technical design, code reviews, troubleshooting, and development contributions as needed. Guide the design and delivery of scalable backend solutions using Java 17+, Spring, Spring Boot, REST APIs, and microservices. Manage and develop team members through regular one-on-ones, coaching, performance feedback, career planning, and professional development. Collaborate with engineers, architects, product managers, and program leaders to establish technical priorities and align delivery with program objectives. Help engineers take ownership of complex technical challenges involving API architecture, service integration, data access, and enterprise application modernization. Establish and reinforce engineering standards for maintainable code, automated testing, code reviews, and continuous improvement. Support Agile delivery through sprint planning, technical estimation, prioritization, and the identification and resolution of engineering blockers. Identify technical risks, dependencies, and improvement opportunities, communicating clearly with both technical and nontechnical stakeholders. Partner with customer technical teams and architects to ensure solutions meet program requirements and engineering standards. Contribute to hiring, technical interviews, onboarding, and ongoing team development. Balance engineering delivery and technical contributions with people management, team engagement, and performance responsibilities. Requirements: Bachelor's degree and 9+ years of relevant software engineering experience, or equivalent professional experience in place of a degree. 8+ years of professional software development experience, including substantial hands-on Java backend development. 5+ years of experience developing production backend applications with Spring and Spring Boot. 5+ years of experience designing, developing, or integrating RESTful APIs and microservices. Experience leading engineers through technical delivery, mentorship, coaching, or formal people management. Experience providing performance feedback, supporting career development, and managing engineering priorities. Strong technical foundation in Java, Spring Boot, backend architecture, object-oriented programming, and API design. Recent hands-on engineering experience, with the ability to review code, contribute to technical designs, and troubleshoot complex backend systems. Experience with relational databases such as Oracle or PostgreSQL, SQL, and ORM frameworks such as Hibernate/JPA. Experience across the full software development lifecycle, including design, development, testing, deployment, and production support. Familiarity with Agile development practices and collaboration across engineering, product, and program teams. Ability to balance technical leadership, hands-on delivery, and team development responsibilities. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work effectively with technical and nontechnical stakeholders. Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship. Must be able to successfully obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance. Preferred: active, VA-adjudicated Public Trust clearance; previous experience as an Engineering Manager, Technical Lead, Engineering Lead, or Staff Software Engineer with team leadership responsibilities. Preferred: direct experience managing engineers, including performance reviews, coaching, and career development. Preferred: experience modernizing legacy enterprise applications or transitioning monolithic systems to microservices. Preferred: experience with Java 17+, modern Spring Boot frameworks, event-driven architecture, Kafka, Redis, distributed systems, or reactive programming with Spring WebFlux. Preferred: familiarity with Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, and modern DevOps practices. Preferred: experience supporting federal government programs, particularly the Department of Veterans Affairs, and leading distributed or fully remote engineering teams. Benefits: Annual salary range of $120,000–$170,000 USD . Company-subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance. Flexible paid time off. 401(k) retirement plan with employer match. Paid parental leave after one year of service. Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Fully remote position within the United States.