Kearney Activate - Full Stack Developer

About the Role

As an early-career Full Stack Developer, you're being hired for aptitude and trajectory as much as experience. This role is genuinely full-stack — front end and back end in equal measure, not weighted toward one side the way our senior full-stack role is. It's not a UX design role: you're not expected to run wireframe workshops or own visual design.

We're looking for someone with strong fundamentals, real curiosity, and the ability to learn fast, not a fixed number of years. You'll work across the front end and back end with senior developers and a data scientist close by to guide you.

You may have some exposure to data fundamentals, but you're not expected to be a practicing data engineer — you can ramp into data tasks over time if you're interested, without being loaded down with formal QA duties. Forge pods are small, so from day one you'll also be exposed to real client conversations, not shielded from them — this is not a back-office, heads-down-only role.

What You'll Do

• Build front-end components, interfaces, and application logic in React/TypeScript, and back-end services/APIs in Python, developing genuine range across the stack under senior guidance
• Build basic familiarity with data fundamentals as part of your growth on the team, without being expected to practice data engineering
• Work within a modern collaborative SDLC: Git branching and pull requests, peer code review, CI/CD pipelines, and automated testing
• Deploy and troubleshoot in secure cloud environments with senior support
• Take direction from architects, senior developers, and product owners, and translate it into working, well-tested code
• Participate fully in agile delivery: sprint planning, backlog refinement, estimation, testing, and release
• Sit in on client conversations and pod discussions, building the business-facing communication skills that will matter throughout your career here
• Apply modern AI/GenAI tools as part of how you learn and build — using coding assistants and similar tools well is an expected skill, not an advanced one
• Take feedback well, learn quickly, and raise your engineering craft against team standards

Who You Are

After nearly 100 years, we know this business is fundamentally about making connections — between facts, technologies, and above all, people. We look for collaborative, inquisitive problem-solvers who don't accept the first thing in front of them, who are always unapologetically themselves, and who are hungry to grow fast in a small, high-trust team.

In addition, we look for individuals with the following experience or qualities:

• Roughly 1-3 years of experience, or equivalent aptitude demonstrated through coursework, personal projects, internships, bootcamp work, or a portfolio — we weight trajectory and fundamentals over a strict years threshold
• Genuine curiosity and fast learning velocity; you pick up new tools and concepts quickly and don't need everything spelled out
• An early instinct for genuine full-stack versatility — comfortable in both front-end and back-end work equally, not leaning toward one side the way our senior full-stack role does; building UI, not design/UX
• Some natural interest in data is welcome, though there's no expectation of practicing data engineering — this grows on the job, without formal QA overload
• Real interest in the business side of the work, not just the code. Forge pods are small, and everyone on them needs to be able to engage with why the work matters
• No industry-vertical background expected at this stage — you'll build fluency in aerospace & defense, manufacturing, supply chain, or similar context on the job
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, iterative, client-facing environments
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Comfortable using modern AI/GenAI tools day to day, or eager to build that fluency quickly
• English fluency

Required Qualifications

• Ability to obtain, or current possession of, a U.S. Secret security clearance is required; an active or prior clearance is a strong plus
• Full-time employment
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field — or equivalent demonstrated experience (bootcamp, military technical training, or a strong personal project portfolio)

Core (expected)

Technical skills and tools

• Foundational React and JavaScript/TypeScript
• Foundational Python
• Basic REST API concepts
• SQL fundamentals
• Git-based version control

Preferred / a Plus

• Any exposure to FastAPI or a similar modern API framework
• Any exposure to cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud)
• Any exposure to Docker/containerization
• Basic secure-coding awareness (general familiarity with secure development practices)
• Personal projects, hackathons, open-source contributions, or coursework demonstrating initiative and range

Location

• Washington, D.C. or Arlington preferred.
• Boston and other East Coast hubs will be considered.
• Must be able to work closely with the team and travel to client delivery sites as required.
• U.S.-based only.

What we can offer you

Benefits

Every day, our people work to be the difference for our clients, our communities, and our colleagues. Helping them make an impact, they are sustained by a competitive remuneration package plus comprehensive benefits and perks, including but not limited to:

• Generous retirement and pension savings contributions.
• Comprehensive medical insurance for employees and immediate family.
• Gym membership discounts.
• Non-partner equity-based awards for consulting managers and above.
• Structured and on-the-job learning and development opportunities.
• Personalized opportunities including talent mobility, flexible work programs, and externships to help you chart a unique career journey.

Compensation Range

[ADD RANGE HERE]: It is important to note that at Kearney, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role. Individual salaries within each range are determined through a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, and skills. Kearney reviews compensation regularly and may adjust base salaries to reflect market competitiveness.

In addition to salary, individuals may be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus.Our full suite of benefits includes paid time off, 401(k) match and profit sharing, medical, dental, and vision coverage, healthcare concierge, backup child/adult care, annual employer HSA contribution, home office stipend, subsidized Gympass, annual wellness programming, and leaves of absence when needed to support employees’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Read more about our benefits and careers at Kearney Benefits and Kearney Careers.

Equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination

Kearney prides itself on providing a culture that allows employees to bring their best selves to work every day. Our people can feel comfortable, confident, and joyful to do great things for our firm, our colleagues, and our clients. Kearney aims to build diverse capabilities to help our clients solve their most mission critical problems. Kearney is committed to building a diverse, unbiased, and inclusive workforce.

Kearney is an equal opportunity employer; we recruit, hire, train, promote, develop, and provide other conditions of employment without regard to a person’s gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other differences consistent with applicable laws.

This includes providing reasonable accommodation for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices. Members of communities historically underrepresented in consulting are encouraged to apply.