Senior Drupal Architect/Lead Developer

Who we are:

Makpar is a comprehensive professional and technical solutions provider for the Federal government. We combine functional and technical expertise in cloud engineering, data management, cybersecurity and emerging technologies to deliver mission success. We build the right IT solution for government clients by partnering with them to understand their WHAT, WHY, and HOW. Using our signature consulting methodology that we call "The Makpar Way," we help agencies navigate the ongoing changes in the Federal technology landscape. We succeed where others fail because of our connected and engaged workforce are dedicated to delivering success for our clients and the American people.


Our Mission: We solve complex problems for the Federal government to accelerate access to citizen services.

When it comes to excellence, we deliver. Learn more about our employer brand at makpar.com/careers.

Makpar has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Drupal Architect / Lead Developer to join our growing team. The Senior Drupal Engineer will support a Federal Government Agency in designing and delivering a high-performing, secure, and accessible platform for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims. The senior Drupal engineer will lead development efforts, apply Drupal expertise, and integrate emerging technologies to ensure the platform meets the requirements of federal, state, and end-users.

This role requires collaboration with federal program managers, contracting officers, UX/UI researchers, and multi-disciplinary development teams. The engineer will report directly to the IT Federal Program Manager (FPM) and the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).

Role Specific Duties/ Role Responsibilities:

• Lead development, maintenance, and management of a custom Drupal-based platform to initiate unemployment insurance (UI) claims for participating states.
• Lead the use of AI coding tools to create AI generated requirements and code.
• Integrate Login.gov and id.me for front-end identity verification and the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system for work authorization verification.
• Design and implement user registration, authentication, and access control features using existing or generating new APIs. May include implementation of an API gateway.
• Build and maintain claims submission and tracking processes within the Drupal platform.
• Apply artificial intelligence for rapid prototyping to accelerate requirements gathering and solution design.
• Incorporate U.S. Web Design System standards to ensure mobile-friendly, accessible, and government-compliant websites.
• Translate UX/UI research findings into actionable design and development requirements.
• Support iterative, agile development practices and integrate design thinking approaches to ensure solutions meet user needs.
• Conduct usability, accessibility, and quality assurance testing to ensure compliance with Section 508 and DOL technical standards.
• Review and remediate vulnerabilities identified in security scans and reports.
• Ensure cross-browser and cross-device compatibility for all Drupal-based applications.
• Implement and support DevOps, CI/CD, and configuration management practices.
• Provide thought leadership on emerging web technologies; brief OCIO managers and recommend adoption strategies.
• Support Certification and Accreditation (C&A), third-party service assessments, and privacy impact assessments for compliance.
• Collaborate with Federal Program Manager (FPM), Contracting Officer Representative (COR), and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrate professionalism in all customer and stakeholder interactions, with consistent follow-up and service-oriented communication.

Required Qualifications:

• Drupal Expertise: Minimum 7 years of hands-on experience with Drupal, including custom module development, theming, and API integrations.
• Federal System Integration: Proven experience integrating identity verification (e.g., Login.gov) and entitlement verification systems (e.g., SAVE) into web applications.
• Web Development Skills: Proficiency in PHP, MySQL, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; working knowledge of additional languages and frameworks (.NET, Python, Ruby, Swift, SQL Server).
• DevOps and CICD: Demonstrated experience with automated testing, continuous integration/continuous delivery pipelines, version control (Git), and configuration management.
• Accessibility and Compliance: Knowledge of Section 508 accessibility standards, responsive design, and federal digital service guidelines (U.S. Web Design System).
• Security and Compliance: Familiarity with Certification & Accreditation (C&A), third-party service assessments, Privacy Impact Assessments, and vulnerability remediation.
• Agile and Design Thinking: Experience working in agile environments and applying user-centered design or design thinking approaches to government projects.
• Testing and Quality Assurance: Experience with automated, manual, and performance testing frameworks to ensure high-quality, secure applications.
• Systems Knowledge: Understanding of databases and networking technologies in federal or enterprise environments (MS Windows, Linux, Mac OS, cloud-based systems).
• Communication and Collaboration: Ability to engage with federal program managers, contracting officers, and cross-functional teams with professionalism and service orientation.
• API Development Expertise: Minimum 5-7 years of hands-on experience designing, developing, and managing enterprise-grade RESTful APIs and integration services.
• Modern API Frameworks: Strong experience building scalable APIs using Node.js, FastAPI (Python), Bun, or similar modern backend technologies.
• API Integration Experience: Proven experience integrating with third-party, federal, identity verification, or enterprise systems using secure API-based communication.
• Authentication and Security: Experience implementing OAuth2, JWT, API keys, SSO, role-based access control, encryption, and secure data exchange practices.

Additional Requirements as per contract/client (Optional or Preferred):

• Candidates must be a U.S. citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident (Green Card status) for 3 years and be Federal Tax compliant.
• Prior experience supporting Department of Labor (DOL), General Services Administration (GSA), or other federal government digital platforms.
• Demonstrated experience applying artificial intelligence or machine learning techniques for rapid prototyping and application development.
• Familiarity with UX/UI research methods, including both quantitative and qualitative user testing approaches.
• Hands-on experience applying U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) standards in federal or state government projects.
• Strong knowledge of federal IT security frameworks, compliance requirements, and emerging cybersecurity practices.
• Background in implementing or supporting large-scale identity verification and entitlement validation systems.
• Experience leading agile development teams in government or regulated environments.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) supporting Drupal hosting and scaling.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for stakeholder briefings, technical documentation, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Benefits:

At Makpar Corporation we understand that we all need to balance work and life - that is why we have a great benefits package, excellent training and career development opportunities, flexible work schedules along with a generous compensation package. At Makpar, we believe in keeping our employees happy, healthy and engaged. We pride ourselves in providing outstanding benefits, creating environments where employees are encouraged to be themselves, collaborate, and be inquisitive in order to achieve goals.

Start your career today and be a part of something meaningful!

Makpar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.