Senior Java Developer (DROOLS) in Silver Spring, Maryland at Diaconia LLC

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Java Developer with Drools expertise to support mission-critical initiatives within a federal health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience designing, developing, and maintaining enterprise-grade Java applications while implementing complex business rules and decision automation solutions using Drools.

This role requires strong technical leadership, hands-on development expertise, and the ability to work within highly regulated federal environments supporting healthcare, regulatory, or scientific data systems. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, secure, and high-performance applications that meet a federal health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services compliance standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, test, and maintain enterprise-level Java applications in complex, large-scale environments.
• Implement and manage business rules and decision automation solutions using Drools.
• Author, optimize, and maintain Drools rule sets, workflows, and decision tables.
• Develop scalable microservices and RESTful APIs using modern Java frameworks and technologies.
• Build and enhance user interfaces using Java-based UI frameworks and front-end technologies.
• Collaborate with business analysts, architects, and stakeholders to translate complex business requirements into technical solutions.
• Lead technical design discussions and contribute to architectural decisions.
• Ensure applications meet performance, scalability, security, and maintainability standards.
• Participate in code reviews, unit testing, integration testing, and CI/CD pipeline activities.
• Support cloud-based deployments and containerized environments.
• Troubleshoot production issues and provide ongoing application support.
• Ensure compliance with federal security, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Mentor junior developers and promote software engineering best practices across teams.

Disclaimer "The responsibilities and duties outlined in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this role. However, they are not exhaustive and may be subject to change or modification at any time to meet the evolving needs of the organization.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or related field. Will accept a suitable combination of education, training, or experience
• 5+ years of professional experience in Java application development.
• Strong expertise in:
  • Java/J2EE
  • Spring Framework / Spring Boot
  • RESTful API development
  • Microservices architecture
  • Drools Business Rules Management System (BRMS)
• Experience designing and integrating enterprise applications.
• Strong knowledge of object-oriented design principles and software development best practices.
• Experience with relational databases such as Oracle, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server.
• Experience with version control systems such as Git.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and DevOps practices.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in Agile/Scrum environments.

Clearance Requirements

Federal Health Agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Trust clearance

Onsite Requirement:

Location: Hybrid - locals to DMV area

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with regulated data and systems within agencies such as:
  • FDA
  • HHS
  • CMS
  • Other federal healthcare agencies
• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.
• Experience with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
• Knowledge of security frameworks and federal compliance standards.
• Experience with rule engine optimization and enterprise decision automation strategies.
• Prior experience supporting federal government contracts or healthcare systems.