Senior Java Software Developer, Technical Lead - Remote (WFH)

About Cognitive:

Cognitive is an IT and software engineering services company dedicated to elevating the quality, speed and delivery of today’s US government healthcare programs. With a wealth of clinical expertise and hands-on experience, our team understands the significant challenges our government clients—and their customers—face every day. This real-world experience equips us to develop IT solutions that seamlessly connect all facets of healthcare delivery. At Cognitive, we’re guiding government agencies to the forefront of technology innovation in healthcare delivery.

Position Overview:

*This position is contingent upon contract award*

The Senior Software Developer, Technical Lead serves as the technical lead for the CMS Drug Data Processing System (DDPS) and Payment Reconciliation System (PRS) application development team, owning sprint-level delivery execution, developer mentorship, and code quality governance. This individual leads development of the Manufacturer Discount Program (MDP) system, GLP-1 business rules, and all CMS-directed application enhancements while ensuring the team adheres to Agile delivery practices, meets the 80% automated test coverage mandate, and delivers through the CMS CI/CD pipeline.

This is a remote position; however, Cognitive hires only in the following designated U.S. states based on contract and business requirements: VA, DC, MD, TN, FL, AZ, CO, OR, and TX.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead sprint-level application development execution; manage developer workload, sprint commitments, and backlog refinement in coordination with the Solution Architect and Program Manager.
• Own development of the invoice, dispute, outlier, and reconciliation system; lead legacy system maintenance; oversee business rule development.
• Enforce code quality standards: 80 percent or greater automated unit test coverage for all new code, mandatory peer code review, secure code review integration, BDD/TDD practices.
• Deliver code through the CMS CI/CD pipeline: GitHub, Jenkins/CloudBees, JFrog Artifactory/XRay, SonarQube, and Snyk; coordinate releases through CMS change control board (CCB).
• Mentor Senior and mid-level Java/AWS developers; conduct code reviews, enforce coding standards, and drive technical debt reduction.
• Support AI-assisted development using CMS-approved tools subject to CMS AI governance approval; contribute to AI Use Case Inventory.
• Participate in PI Planning, sprint ceremonies, and Demo presentations to CMS stakeholders.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Scienceor related field; 8 or more years in software development including 3 or more years in a technical lead or team lead role.
• Strong Java development expertise.
• Strong Python proficiency.
• Experience with Agentic AI or AI-assisted development tools for improving developer productivity, code quality, and sprint velocity.
• Experience delivering inside a CI/CD pipeline: GitHub, Jenkins/CloudBees, JFrog Artifactory/XRay, SonarQube, Snyk.
• Experience with Python test frameworks (Pytest,UnitTest) and database testing (DBFit/FitNesse); enforced 80% coverage gate experience.
• Experience with AWS application services: EC2, Lambda, S3, SQS, and API Gateway.
• Experience in a SAFe Agile environment including sprint planning, backlog refinement, and PI Planning.
• Ability to pass CMS and internal required background checks for public trust.

Why Join Us? 

• Be part of a mission-driven organization making a difference in healthcare IT.
• Collaborate with innovative and passionate professionals that are there to support you at every turn.
• Enjoy a supportive work/life balance with the flexibility of a 100% remote company.
• Benefit from opportunities for growth and development in a dynamic environment.