Sr. Backend Engineer

The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) provides support to state agencies, the Executive Office of the Governor, the Governor’s coordinating offices, and a variety of independent agencies within the Executive Branch.

Striving to provide the highest level of customer service to its internal and external customers, DoIT supports Maryland’s agencies and commissions through its leadership and strategic direction for Information Technology and Telecommunications, establishing a long range, target technology architecture, encouraging cross agency collaboration and advocating best practices for operations and project management.

**This is a management service position which serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority**

STD 0024

100 Community Place, Crownsville, MD 21032

As a Senior Backend/DevOps Engineer with the Maryland Digital Service under the Department of Information Technology, you will tackle statewide engineering challenges, shape the technical direction of our digital services, and support the growth and development of the engineering team. You will assist state agencies in adopting new backend technologies and overcoming significant digital challenges. You will lead efforts to develop secure backend systems and incorporate modern development practices into government operations. You will navigate and help update policies and regulations to modernize the State’s digital service delivery. You will work with frontend engineers and product managers to develop scalable systems and interfaces for securely accessing and sharing data. You will collaborate with platform owners and state agencies to understand their needs and constraints, developing strategies to optimize backend solutions and state resources. You will also be responsible for implementing and maintaining DevOps practices, ensuring efficient deployment processes, proactive system monitoring, and resilient infrastructure.

This includes automating workflows, optimizing operational environments, and supporting a culture of continuous improvement to enhance delivery of digital services. You will help establish efficient development and operations workflows, ensuring reliable and timely delivery of high- quality digital services to Marylanders.

Additionally, you will play a critical role in building secure, efficient, and scalable systems capable of supporting large numbers of users and managing extensive datasets. You will leverage best practices in system integration, delivery processes, and infrastructure management to ensure robust and reliable services. Your contributions will be vital in enhancing digital experiences for Marylanders and advancing the state’s digital capabilities. This role will require strong problem solving skills and attention to detail as well as excellent communication and collaboration abilities.

This is a hybrid position, requiring travel to Crownsville, Maryland, twice a week.

Backend Development: Write clean, scalable, and efficient code in modern backend languages such as Python, Go, and Node.js or equivalent object oriented languages. Design and manage databases using SQL and NoSQL technologies. Implement and maintain CI/CD pipelines, automate testing and deployment processes into cloud and on-premise servers. Develop and maintain APIs for communication between services and systems. Troubleshoot and debug backend systems, optimize performance, and ensure compliance with industry security standards. Building reusable code libraries for future use. Stay updated with technology trends.

Project Management and Collaboration: Participate in project management planning, including timelines, cost, and resource allocation. Collaborate with designers, frontend engineers, product managers, and stakeholders to translate customer needs into technical specifications. Work with IT and cloud engineers to ensure efficient resource utilization. Conduct code reviews and formal requirements gathering as needed.

DevOps and Infrastructure Management - Design and implement CI/CD pipelines for automated builds, testing, and deployments. Manage cloud infrastructure using tools like Terraform, CloudFormation, and Kubernetes. Optimize containerized environments with Docker and Kubernetes for scalability and efficiency. Monitor application performance and infrastructure using tools like Prometheus and Grafana. Maintain infrastructure as code (IaC) practices for reproducible deployments.

Customer Support and Engagement: Provide technical support to customers and resolve their issues. Engage with customers to understand their needs and improve products.

Technical Documentation: Write and maintain comprehensive technical documentation. Create user manuals, guides, and architecture diagrams for end-users and developers. Document system architecture and design decisions. Develop and document best engineering practices. Review and update policies and standards relevant to engineering

**This is a management service position which serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority**

At least three years of professional experience in backend engineering, DevOps, or a related field, with expertise in designing, building, and maintaining scalable and secure systems. Proven ability to automate workflows, optimize deployments, and ensure reliable infrastructure performance.

Preference will be given to applicants who possess the following preferred qualification(s). Include clear and specific information on your application regarding your qualifications.

1. Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. 
2. Working experience with infrastructure as code (IaC) tools like CloudFormation or Terraform. 
3. Previous experience in a government or public sector environment. 
4. Experience deploying, managing, and scaling enterprise Content Management Systems (CMS) such as Drupal or WordPress.

The assessment may consist of a rating of your education, training, and experience related to the requirements of the position. It is important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. Please report all experience and education that is related to this position.

STATE OF MARYLAND BENEFITS

Online applications are highly recommended. However, if you are unable to apply online, the paper application and supplemental questionnaire may be submitted to: Department of Budget and Management, Recruitment and Examination Division, 301 W. Preston St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Paper application materials must be received in our office by the closing date for the recruitment. No postmarks will be accepted.

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact the DBM Recruitment and Examination Division at Application.Help@maryland.gov or 410-767-4850, MD TTY Relay Service 1-800-735-2258.

We thank our Veterans for their service to our country.

People with disabilities and bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

As an equal opportunity employer, Maryland is committed to recruitment, retaining and promoting employees who are reflective of the State's diversity.