Lead Forward-Deployed Full-Stack Engineer

Introduction Maryland Benefits (MD Benefits) is a dynamic, cloud-based platform. This enterprise-wide digital service allows organizations to build, test, host, operate, and integrate mission-driven applications, data, and emerging technologies. MD Benefits offers cloud-based Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) capabilities, a shared data architecture, and product development services, all developed by the State of Maryland to help multiple agencies deliver and manage health, human, and social service benefits and programs. On July 1, 2025, the operation of the MD Benefits shared platform and statewide applications transitioned from the Department of Human Services (DHS) to the Department of Information Technology (DoIT). ***This is a contractual position, with limited benefits*** ***All hires need to be eligible to work in the U.S., either as a U.S. Citizen or those who have a Permanent Resident or green card, as the state of Maryland does not have the ability to sponsor employees*** ***Applicants are required to submit an up-to-date and accurate resume.*** PLX Vision PLX (Permitting and Licensing Experience) is building a modern, shared permitting and licensing capability for the State. Built on the State’s enterprise technology foundation, PLX provides reusable capabilities and patterns that agencies can build on while retaining ownership of their individual programs and business processes. The vision is a composable approach to permitting and licensing: shared capabilities where it makes sense, with the flexibility for agencies to assemble and extend them around their own programs, users and business needs. PLX will build core capabilities while also helping agencies modernize their own permitting and licensing experiences, creating reusable knowledge and patterns along the way. The goal is not consolidation or a one-size-fits-all solution, but a product foundation that makes it faster and easier to build, modernize, and evolve permitting experiences without repeatedly solving the same problems from scratch. Description of Work As part of the core PLX team, the Forward Deployed Engineer Lead works cross-functionally to turn that vision into working software. The team builds the core PLX product while also working directly with agencies to understand problems, test approaches, and help solve permitting and licensing challenges outside the core product.The Forward Deployed Engineer Lead is the lead engineer on assigned agency engagements, working closely with the Product Manager, UX Designer, and Tech Lead /Architect to lead engineering on agency engagements, from problem to prototype to production. This is a hands-on role. The engineer works directly with agency partners, users and cross-functional team members to move from problem to prototype to production. They work across the stack and are comfortable navigating APIs, data, integrations, legacy systems, and cloud environments.They build and maintain both front-end and back-end components, and they own the quality of what they ship after launch, not just the prototype. Rather than separating discovery, architecture, and engineering into sequential handoffs, the Forward Deployed Engineer Lead works across all three. They use modern AI-assisted development tools to accelerate prototyping, testing, debugging, and iteration, shortening the distance between an idea and something real that can be moved into production. The engineer does not simply configure or extend what an agency already has. They help agencies iteratively evolve their systems and practices toward enterprise standards for security, scalability, accessibility, and maintainability. The engineer also helps identify which solutions and patterns should become reusable PLX capabilities versus those that are specific to an individual agency or program. In this way, each engagement contributes to a stronger shared product foundation rather than creating another one-off solution. The role requires someone equally comfortable in an agency working session, a technical design discussion, and a code review. The engineer brings technical credibility into ambiguous environments, builds alongside others, and helps agencies develop the capability to own and evolve what they build. This is a senior individual contributor role for someone who wants to help build something new, not simply maintain or implement something that already exists. Operates with significant autonomy and represents PLX's technical direction to agency leadership and executives. Tasks and Responsibilities Forward-Deployed Engineering Work directly with agency partners to identify problems, understand workflows, and translate them into working technical solutions.Rapidly prototype and build functional applications, integrations, APIs, and services that can be tested with real users.Build and maintain front-end and back-end components through production, including the fixes, enhancements, and iteration that follow launch.Ship maintainable, scalable, well-tested code that PLX engineers and agency teams can build on over time.Work across the stack as needed, including frontend, backend, data, APIs, integrations, and cloud services.Use AI-assisted development tools as a core part of the engineering workflow to accelerate development, debugging, testing, and iteration.Move comfortably between discovery, architecture, coding, testing, and deployment rather than treating them as separate phases.Work alongside team and stakeholders (in real time) to turn concepts into user journeys and functioning software.Sets the standards and guardrails for AI-assisted development across the team, so speed does not lower engineering quality. Leadership Scopes agency engagements up front: feasibility, team size and skills, timeline, and what a successful handoff looks like.Sets priorities across active engagements and decides which problems PLX builds versus advises on.Contributes to team standards for code review, testing, delivery,and AI-assisted development.Identifies and resolves blockers tied to legacy systems, policy constraints, and staffing.Advises and trains PLX and agency engineers in AI-forward development practices, building team capability to ship faster with AI while maintaining quality. Advises PLX leadership on feasibility and risk before an engagement starts.Balances agency demand against core product commitments.Platform & Architecture Identify solutions and technical patterns that can become reusable PLX/Platform MD capabilities.Design secure, scalable integration patterns across modern and legacy systems.Make pragmatic architecture decisions based on actual delivery needs rather than optimizing for theoretical future states.Document important technical decisions and patterns so they can be reused by agency teams and future PLX engineers.Help agencies modernize legacy applications and services while working within real-world technical and operational constraints.Ensure agency solutions align with Platform MD enterprise standards for security, data, identity, and integration, so they can be supported and extended over time. Recommends which patterns are promoted into the platform. Agency & Team Enablement Serve as a hands-on technical partner to agency teams, vendors, and PLX leadership.Explain technical trade-offs clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.Pair with and mentor agency developers and other engineers through actual delivery work.Help agencies build their own technical capability rather than creating long-term dependency on PLX.Presents solutions and tradeoffs to agency stakeholders Relationship Management Works closely with customer agencies in a leadership role, navigating conflicting priorities from stakeholders.Provides agency partners accurate, expert, and authoritative technical advice.Builds cooperative relationships across agency, vendor, and internal teams.Customer Enablement Enables agency ownership of the technical architecture and strategy for their programs, aligned to agency goals and user needs.Coaches and mentors agency staff, vendors, and peers in engineering practices, contributing to long-term capability-building.Serves as a technical advisor to agencies building or evaluating their own permitting and licensing solutions outside PLX, translating PLX's architecture and lessons learned into guidance those teams can act on. Qualifications Experience 3-5+ years professional software engineering, application development, systems integration, or related experience.Demonstrated experience taking ambiguous problems from concept through working software.Strong full-stack engineering capability, with particular depth in backend development, APIs, data, and integrations.Experience shipping maintainable, scalable code that other engineers build on and that stays in production over time. Experience working with cloud platforms and modern development practices.Experience integrating modern applications with legacy systems and data sources.Strong experience with version control, CI/CD, automated testing, and modern DevOps practices.Experience working directly with customers, users, product teams, or business stakeholders to shape and deliver solutions.Experience using AI-assisted coding or development tools; demonstrated ability to incorporate emerging AI capabilities into an engineering workflow.Government, permitting, licensing, or other regulated-domain experience is a plus, but not required.Experience presenting technical direction and trade-offs to executives and agency leadership. Education Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field; or equivalent experience. Attributes A problem moves from conversation to working prototype quickly.Engineers are testing ideas with users rather than debating them indefinitely.AI is used to increase development velocity without lowering engineering quality.PLX builds reusable capabilities instead of repeatedly solving the same agency problem.Agency teams leave engagements with more technical capability, not greater dependency.The code and architecture are good enough to evolve into secure, scalable, enterprise production, not merely demonstrate a concept.Agency solutions keep evolving toward enterprise standards after the engagement, rather than freezing at the version first delivered.