.NET Developer

Job Title: .NET Software Developer 1
Location: Remote
Contract: USDA OMNI – NRCS Operations & Maintenance
Security Clearance: USDA Public Trust

Position Overview

The .NET Software Developer 1 is a mid-level position responsible for the development, maintenance, and support of .NET applications within the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) IT ecosystem. This role performs hands-on application development, defect resolution, testing, and operational support under the guidance of senior developers and technical leads. The Developer 1 contributes to modernization efforts, supports AWS cloud migration activities, and participates in Agile delivery across the full software development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Application Development and Maintenance

Develop, modify, and maintain .NET web applications, Windows services, APIs, and backend components using C#, ASP.NET Core, ASP.NET MVC, and related frameworks.

Implement new features and enhancements to existing NRCS applications based on approved Jira tickets and Government Program Manager direction.

Build and maintain RESTful APIs and web services; support integration with internal and external systems using JSON, XML, and standard protocols.

Write and maintain SQL Server stored procedures, views, functions, and queries; develop SSRS reports as needed.

Support the migration of legacy .NET Framework applications to .NET Core/.NET 8+ under senior developer guidance.

Participate in containerization of applications for deployment on AWS EKS/ECS Fargate, including Docker configuration.

Develop and maintain unit tests using xUnit, NUnit, or equivalent frameworks to ensure code quality and reduce regression risk.

Maintain all source code, application files, and associated documentation in the Government-designated version control system and repositories.

Operations and Maintenance

Perform corrective maintenance by developing, testing, and deploying fixes for application-level defects, batch jobs, and database issues reported through the Sustainment Engineering Team (SET) or Single Point of Entry (SPOE).

Execute preventive maintenance tasks including applying updates, patches, and library upgrades to supported applications and components.

Perform adaptive maintenance by implementing application-level changes in response to environmental changes, audit findings, or compliance mandates.

Implement minor enhancements that improve usability, efficiency, or maintainability following approved change control processes (perfective maintenance).

Verify implemented fixes through regression testing and confirm resolution before closing issues in the tracking system.

Support production release activities, including pre-deployment validation in lower environments, deployment execution, and post-deployment verification.

Assist senior developers with Tier 3 technical support, including troubleshooting, log analysis, and root cause investigation.

Release and Deployment Support

Validate deployment packages in lower environments (Development, Test, QA, UAT) and capture results in Government-approved tools.

Execute releases through FPAC-approved CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, AWS CodeBuild/CodeDeploy/CodePipeline) following documented procedures.

Implement and maintain automated deployment scripts to reduce manual errors.

Prepare required release artifacts including release readiness checklists, release notes, and change documentation.

Support integration testing and UAT by providing technical assistance, test data preparation, and defect analysis.

AWS Cloud Migration Support

Support the migration of applications from on-premises DISC data center to AWS by performing application testing, configuration updates, and post-migration validation.

Implement application-level configuration changes needed for AWS-hosted services (RDS, EC2, EKS, S3).

Assist with cutover activities and post-migration issue triage and resolution under senior developer direction.

Security and Compliance

Follow secure coding practices in alignment with NIST SP 800–53, USDA secure coding standards, FPAC SDLC, FISMA, and Zero Trust principles across all development and maintenance activities.

Implement input validation, encryption, and secure authentication mechanisms in application code.

Address static and dynamic code analysis findings from SonarQube, Fortify SCA/WebInspect, and OWASP dependency checks.

Remediate security vulnerabilities assigned through the defect tracking system within defined SLAs.

Ensure all work products, services, fixes, and deliverables meet or exceed the Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) defined in the applicable contract attachments.

Ensure application changes meet Section 508 accessibility requirements and FedRAMP compliance standards.

Support security assessments and compliance audits by providing technical artifacts as requested.

Data Management

Manage schema changes using Liquibase and Government-approved versioning tools; coordinate synchronization across environments.

Implement data quality controls (validation, reconciliation, monitoring) for supported applications.

Support data migration and transformation activities, including test data management and privacy-preserving techniques for non-production environments.

Follow service-layer data access patterns; refactor direct cross-database queries and stored procedure business logic when directed by senior developers.

Maintain data lineage and stewardship information for assigned applications; report changes that affect downstream systems.

Collaboration and Knowledge Management

Participate in Agile ceremonies including daily stand-ups, sprint planning, backlog grooming, and retrospectives.

Execute work through appropriate delivery lanes: Kanban O&M Fast Lane for SET and urgent SPOE tasks; Scrum Feature/Adaptive Lane for planned SPOE work and DM&E refinements.

Support ITIL-aligned incident, problem, and change management processes consistent with FPAC standards.

Contribute to risk identification by reporting technical risks, blockers, and dependencies in the Government-designated risk and issue log.

Maintain and update troubleshooting playbooks, runbooks, and knowledge articles following incidents, releases, and major changes.

Participate in code reviews and incorporate feedback from senior developers and technical leads.

Support knowledge transfer activities during transition-in and transition-out periods.

Track all work activities, tasks, and deliverables individually in the Government-approved project management system (currently Jira); each work item must have a unique identifier, clear title, description, acceptance criteria, and defined status.

Support disaster recovery readiness by assisting with DR/COOP exercises, failover testing, and recovery procedure validation for assigned applications.

Modernization Support

Contribute to system inventory activities by documenting technology stacks, dependencies, and operational status for assigned applications.

Assist in evaluating modernization options for assigned applications under senior developer guidance.

Support AI-enabled analysis and remediation activities (e.g., Rhino.ai or equivalent) as authorized by the Government.

Participate in efforts to decouple tightly coupled web services and database dependencies.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• Five (5) or more years of professional software development experience with C# and .NET technologies.
• Three (3) or more years of experience with .NET web application development (ASP.NET, ASP.NET Core, MVC).<