The State of Utah is initiating a significant modernization of its digital infrastructure, seeking a specialized Java/AWS Developer to assist overhaul the public-facing systems used by citizens across the state. Through a partnership with Cleo Consulting Inc., the Department of Technology Services (DTS) is recruiting a senior-level consultant to join the Core Web Team, specifically supporting the Department of Workforce Services (DWS).
This initiative is not merely a maintenance project but a comprehensive migration of legacy systems. The state is currently moving several critical applications from AngularJS to Angular 21, shifting database architectures from Oracle to RDS/PostgreSQL, and transitioning to containerized Spring Boot environments deployed via Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS). The goal is to ensure that the internal and public-facing tools serving Utah residents are scalable, secure, and aligned with modern DevOps standards.
The engagement is structured as a long-term professional services agreement, with a projected duration of 24 months. The role is designed as a hybrid position, requiring the successful candidate to be a resident of Utah and capable of attending onsite interviews in Salt Lake City. This requirement underscores the state’s need for local expertise and a physical presence for critical phases of the deployment.
For qualified developers, this represents an opportunity to work at the intersection of government service and high-scale cloud architecture. The project focuses on the “Core Web Team,” where the primary objective is the continuous modernization of the state’s digital touchpoints, ensuring that workforce services remain accessible and efficient for the population.
Technical Roadmap and Migration Goals
The technical scope of this role is centered on a transition from monolithic or legacy architectures to a cloud-native ecosystem. A primary objective for the incoming developer will be the migration of data from Oracle databases to PostgreSQL. This process will involve a combination of custom-built tools and industry-standard migration software, specifically AWS Database Migration Service (DMS).
Beyond the database layer, the state is prioritizing the development of RESTful APIs using the modern Spring stack. This includes a heavy reliance on Spring Boot, Spring MVC, and Spring Security with OAuth2 for authentication. To maintain high standards of reliability, the state requires a strict adherence to Test Driven Development (TDD), with an emphasis on high code coverage and rigorous integration testing to prevent service disruptions during the migration.
The operational side of the project is rooted in a Scrum/DevOps culture. The developer will be expected to integrate into an Agile environment, utilizing Atlassian tools like Jira and Confluence for sprint planning, and retrospectives. The deployment pipeline is managed through GitHub Actions and AWS CloudDeploy, ensuring a streamlined CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) process.
Core Requirements and Preferred Expertise
To be considered for this role, candidates must possess at least five years of professional Information Technology experience. The state is looking for a developer who is not only proficient in coding but also capable of navigating the AWS Console to manage ECR, ECS, S3, and Application Load Balancers (ALB), while using CloudWatch for log interpretation and system monitoring.
While the baseline requirements are stringent, the state has indicated a preference for candidates who bring additional “future-proof” skills to the table. Specifically, experience with agentic AI development—utilizing tools such as GitHub Copilot, Google Gemini, or Anthropic’s Claude—is highly valued. Expertise in Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using Terraform and the development of event-driven architectures via AWS SNS and SQS would give a candidate a competitive edge.
| Milestone | Date/Duration |
|---|---|
| Tentative Interview Dates | April 22nd and 23rd |
| Projected Start Date | May 13, 2026 |
| Projected Finish Date | March 16, 2028 |
| Total Estimated Effort | 4,176 Hours |
The Impact on Utah’s Public Services
The modernization of the Department of Workforce Services’ web applications has direct implications for how Utahns interact with state government. By moving to Angular 21 and PostgreSQL, the state aims to reduce latency and improve the user experience for citizens seeking employment resources, training, and other critical workforce supports.
The shift to containerization via AWS ECS allows the state to scale resources dynamically based on demand. This is particularly vital during economic shifts when the volume of users accessing workforce services can spike unexpectedly. By utilizing a hybrid work model, the state balances the flexibility of remote work with the necessity of onsite collaboration at 140 E 300 S in Salt Lake City.
From a governance perspective, the Department of Technology Services (DTS) remains responsible for all licensing requirements of the environments. This structure allows the contracted developer to focus exclusively on the technical execution of the Statement of Work (SOW) without the administrative burden of software procurement.
Navigating the Application Process
Prospective candidates should be aware that this is a specialized engagement between Cleo Consulting Inc. And the state. As an equal opportunity employer, Cleo Consulting is seeking a diverse pool of applicants, including minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
The selection process is rigorous, emphasizing both technical proficiency and communication skills. Because the role requires active participation in team decisions and the ability to move choices forward productively, “soft skills” are weighted heavily alongside the ability to write clean, documented code via Swagger or OpenAPI.
The timeline for this project is unusually long-term for a consulting engagement, spanning two full years. This suggests a deep commitment by the State of Utah to not just “patch” existing systems but to fundamentally rewrite the backend of its workforce delivery systems for the next decade of use.
The next immediate checkpoint for this recruitment process is the tentative interview window scheduled for April 22nd and 23rd. Following the selection process, the state anticipates a projected start date of May 13, 2026, marking the beginning of the 4,176-hour level of effort required to complete the modernization.
We invite readers to share their thoughts on the state’s move toward agentic AI and cloud-native government services in the comments below.
