Lead .NET Developer / Solutions Architect

Job Title: Lead .NET Developer / Solutions Architect
Location: Rockville, MD or Remote for now
Clearance Level: public trust
Position Type: Full-Time

Position Overview:

We are seeking a Lead .NET Developer / Solutions Architect with deep technical expertise in leading full-stack development teams for enterprise-grade application development projects. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience in architecting, designing, developing, maintaining, and enhancing custom applications using modern .NET frameworks, tools, and languages. The candidate must also hold the Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) certification and have a proven track record of leading development teams to deliver high-quality solutions that align with enterprise architecture standards and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Technical Leadership Serve as the technical lead for a multi-disciplinary development team, guiding solution design, technical implementation, and delivery of custom applications using .NET Core/.NET Framework.

• Solution Architecture Define and document application architecture, system components, design patterns, and integration approaches following enterprise best practices and modern software engineering principles.

• Full-Stack Development Oversight Oversee all aspects of the SDLC, including backend development (.NET Core, C#), frontend development (Blazor, Angular, React, or other modern frameworks), database design (SQL Server), API development (RESTful services, Web APIs), and cloud-based integrations (Azure services).

• Team Management Lead and mentor a team of software developers, ensuring adherence to coding standards, development best practices, and project timelines. Facilitate knowledge-sharing and technical upskilling of team members.

• Maintenance & Enhancements Lead the enhancement and maintenance of existing .NET-based applications, identifying areas for performance improvement, refactoring, and modernization.

• DevOps Integration Collaborate with DevOps teams to automate build, deployment, and release pipelines using Azure DevOps or equivalent CI/CD tools.

• Stakeholder Engagement Work closely with project managers, business analysts, and client stakeholders to understand functional requirements and translate them into technical solutions.

• Quality Assurance Ensure code quality through peer reviews, static code analysis (e.g., SonarQube), and support for automated unit and integration testing.

Required Certification:

• Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204)

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in full-stack application development using .NET Core/.NET Framework (C#) and related technologies.

• Strong background in designing and implementing RESTful APIs and microservices using .NET Core.

• Experience with frontend technologies such as Blazor, Angular, React, or Vue.js.

• Expertise in SQL Server development, including stored procedures, views, triggers, and optimization.

• Solid understanding of Azure cloud services such as App Services, Azure Functions, Azure SQL, Key Vault, Service Bus, and Azure Active Directory.

• Hands-on experience with Entity Framework Core, LINQ, and other modern data access patterns.

• Proven experience leading development teams of 5 or more developers on complex application development projects of similar size and scope.

• Strong understanding of software architecture principles, including layered architecture, domain-driven design (DDD), and SOLID principles.

• Proficiency in integrating applications with identity providers using OAuth2.0 / OpenID Connect and Azure AD B2C.

• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies and working in iterative development environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in implementing CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins.

• Knowledge of containerization using Docker and container orchestration via Kubernetes (AKS).

• Exposure to performance tuning, caching strategies (e.g., Azure Redis Cache), and application monitoring tools like Application Insights.

• Experience working with government or public sector clients and understanding of compliance standards such as FISMA and FedRAMP.

Work Environment:

• The candidate will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including QA, DevOps, business analysts, and client stakeholders.

• Occasional travel may be required depending on project needs.