Lead Developer

Important Notice for Applicants:

At Bixal, we want to ensure a transparent and secure application process for all candidates. Official communication will come from an email address ending in @bixal.com or from @bixal.na.teamtailor-mail.com. Messages from other sources may be fraudulent, and you should exercise care to avoid any links or attachments included.

Bixal will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Need Assistance or a Reasonable Accommodation?

If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation to complete your application, we're here to help. Please reach out to us at View email address on click.appcast.io let us know how we can support you. You do not need to share personal details or disclose the nature of your request. You can expect a response from a team member within 24 hours during the regular work week and on the next operating day during the weekend or holidays.

Why Bixal?

Bixal is a consulting company headquartered in Fairfax, VA, working alongside governments and organizations to help them deliver better services and experiences to the communities they serve. Using evidence-based knowledge and technology, Bixal empowers clients to deliver on their missions more effectively by fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Our values:

• People-First : Emphasizing the importance of people in all aspects of work.

• Collaboration and Transparency : Valuing teamwork and open communication.

• Growth Mindset : Encouraging innovation and continuous improvement.

• Creating Lasting Impact : Focusing on meaningful outcomes and positive change.

About the role:

We are seeking a senior Lead Developer who will lead engineering on a Drupal and React platform hosted on Acquia, direct development of new datasets, interactive tools, and dashboards, and keep the platform secure, accessible, FISMA-compliant, and highly available. Beyond day-to-day delivery, this role will lead the platform's modernization, including evaluating and executing a hosting and CDN migration and consolidating other data websites onto the platform.

This is a full-time position contingent on contract award. This role offers you a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on a project that aligns with Bixal’s mission of delivering innovative, human-centered solutions. While the role has a fixed duration, we are committed to transparency and collaboration, keeping you informed about contract updates and new opportunities. At Bixal, we support your professional journey, ensuring your experience reflects our inclusive, purpose-driven culture and prepares you for future success.

Location

This role can work remotely from anywhere in the United States, excluding its territories. You must be legally authorized to work in the US. Bixal does not provide visa sponsorship.

Compensation:

The salary range for this role is $135,000 – $145,000. In the spirit of transparency, most offers tend to land near the midpoint of the range. We make compensation decisions thoughtfully, considering your experience, the skills you bring, and our commitment to internal equity. Fairness and transparency are core to how we operate.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as technical authority for the Drupal and React platform, including JSON:API integration, custom Drupal modules, and the SQLite and MySQL data layers.

• Maintain Acquia hosting, the Akamai CDN, and current integrations, and recommend how to apply platform vendor updates.

• Lead technical design and development of new data products, interactive tools, dashboards, and features.

• Build Drupal role-based access controls and self-service tools so data owners can publish and edit their own content.

• Provide secure APIs and data exchange mechanisms for external systems and third-party use.

• Manage release management, including emergency out-of-cycle releases to production.

• Oversee functional, performance, security, accessibility, and user acceptance testing.

• Ensure Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, with zero unresolved critical accessibility defects in production.

• Maintain a secure, FISMA-compliant codebase, running static and dynamic security scans and fixing all critical and high vulnerabilities before release.

• Maintain the ATO and its security documentation in CFACTS, coordinating with the CMS ISSO.

• Own monitoring, incident response, and disaster recovery.

• Lead the technical analysis and execution of the hosting and CDN migration.

• Lead data migration and system integration for the website consolidation.

• Lead technical knowledge transfer with the incumbent and ensure every release ships with complete technical documentation.

• Other relevant duties as assigned and qualified/trained to perform.

Qualifications:

• Bacehlor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field or equivalent combination of educationa and experience.

• At least 10 years of Drupal development, including a minimum of 3 years integrating React front-ends with Drupal backends via JSON:API

• At least 8 years of overall web development, including a minimum of 4 years of experience each with React, custom Drupal module development, Acquia-hosted environments, and SQLite/MySQL

• Subject matter expertise in open data standards, Drupal engineering, React engineering, and Agile SDLC

• Familiarity with CDN technologies, including Akamai and alternative CDN platforms

• Experience with cloud hosting and the ability to assess, plan, and execute hosting migrations

• Experience overseeing development, testing, and validation (functional, performance, security, accessibility)

• Experience with Section 508-compliant web development

• Demonstrated experience maintaining a secure, FISMA-compliant codebase

• Familiarity with CMS Authority to Operate (ATO) processes

• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a favorable Public Trust clearance in support of a federal government contract.

How We Support Our Team:

• Flex hours

• 401K with matching incentive

• Parental Leave

• Medical/dental/vision benefits

• Flex Spending Account

• Company provided short-term disability and life insurance

• Commuter benefits

• Paid Time Off (PTO)

• 11 Paid holidays

Our company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.