Software Engineer III; Contractor

The Software Engineer III (contractor) is responsible for the analysis, design, development, testing, implementation, and maintenance of enterprise software applications and supporting tools. This role participates in all phases of the software development lifecycle, including requirements analysis, system design, coding, testing, deployment, production support, and ongoing maintenance. The ideal candidate is a highly skilled Java enterprise developer who thrives in a fast‑paced Agile environment and is passionate about building scalable, reliable, and maintainable software solutions.

This position supports the Idaho Benefit Eligibility System (IBES), a mission‑critical application that has supported Idaho's public assistance programs for more than a decade. As federal and state program requirements continue to evolve, this role will help modernize the platform through workflow automation, AI‑enabled software development practices, and continuous application enhancement.

The successful candidate will quickly become proficient in the existing application architecture, infrastructure, and business processes while contributing to modernization initiatives that improve efficiency, maintainability, and service delivery.

• Analyze business requirements and translate them into technical designs and software solutions.
• Design, develop, test, and maintain high‑volume, high‑performance enterprise applications.
• Participate in all phases of the software development lifecycle including analysis, design, coding, testing, deployment, and production support.
• Develop clean, efficient, maintainable, and well‑tested code following industry best practices.
• Deliver software enhancements, new functionality, bug fixes, and production support activities.
• Design applications that meet functional, technical, security, and performance standards.
• Develop system specifications, interfaces, and technical documentation.
• Estimate development effort and manage assigned work to meet project schedules.
• Participate in design reviews, code reviews, and technical walkthroughs.
• Design and support unit, integration, and system testing activities prior to deployment.
• Troubleshoot production issues and participate in on‑call support as required.
• Collaborate with business analysts, architects, QA engineers, product owners, and technical teams to ensure successful project delivery.
• Continuously evaluate emerging technologies and recommend improvements to development practices and application architecture.

As part of the organization's modernization strategy, this position will help advance AI‑enabled software engineering practices by:

• Evaluating and implementing AI and machine learning capabilities that improve software delivery and developer productivity.
• Utilizing AI‑assisted development tools to accelerate coding, testing, documentation, and software releases.
• Collaborating with product, QA, and data teams to define requirements for AI‑enabled features and workflows.
• Supporting the development of intelligent, guided workflows that reduce manual business process reviews and improve benefit application processing.
• Exploring agentic AI development solutions capable of automating routine coding activities while ensuring software remains secure, maintainable, supportable, and aligned with enterprise architecture standards.

Candidates must demonstrate experience in the following areas:

• Minimum five (5) years of experience developing J2EE enterprise applications, including front‑end, middle‑tier, and back‑end components.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience with enterprise web and application servers.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience implementing software design patterns in enterprise applications.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience integrating third‑party middleware into enterprise application architectures.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience creating, consuming, and implementing web services.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience developing applications using the Spring Framework and Spring modules.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience developing web applications using Apache Struts.
• Minimum two (2)…