software developer Bristol, England
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Job summary
The Cabinet Office is the corporate headquarters for government, employing over 10,000 people in a variety of roles across the UK. In partnership with HM Treasury, we take the lead in certain critical policy areas and support the Prime Minister to ensure the effective running of government.
The Cabinet Office Digital unit has a crucial role to play in modernising the Cabinet Office through digital transformation. The directorate has approximately 250 staff and provides a wide range of services and tools for the Cabinet Office and across Government as a whole.
This role sits within the Chief Technology Function in CO Digital. We are responsible for leading and supporting the delivery of excellent digital services and digital transformation changes with business units across the Cabinet Office. This is an exciting opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects from high profile public-facing sites to internal digital transformation projects.
Job description
We're looking for Senior Developers of all experiences and backgrounds who can work across a range of digital services which we build and support for clients across the Cabinet Office and other Government Departments. We work in an agile manner, rapidly building working prototypes in code and improving these based on feedback. In CO Digital we also work closely with our sister departments the Government Digital Service and Government Business Systems as well as the Chief Central Digital and Data Office.
This role will be an informal hybrid working role and office attendance will be expected on a frequency as a greed with your Line Manager.
You will:
- Work as part of a multi-disciplinary agile team, getting involved with every part of the lifecycle of services, from user research to deploying code to production
- Build web applications with accessible, robust and performant user interfaces, to serve a variety of citizen and government needs, taking responsibility for the quality of code you produce
- Implement web services, toolkits and APIs for purposes such as integration, performance optimisation, security and scalability
- Build automated tests to support continuous deployment
- Share knowledge of tools and techniques with your wider team, both developers and non-developers
- Act as a digital ambassador across government, supporting recruitment, identifying good practices for Cabinet Office Digital to adopt and sharing experiences, e.g. through blog posts, tech talks at conferences etc
- Support the live operation of the services we build and run
- Provide technical leadership within team, advising and working with developers to identify the best solutions
- Have and apply broad knowledge of web technologies
- Take responsibility for solving complex issues
- Manage up to 2 Individuals of a Junior Grade
Person specification
Essential skills and experience:
- You will have experience in back-end development, with strong programming knowledge of at least one of NodeJS, TypeScript or Python and working knowledge of Ruby. You should also have the ability to quickly learn new languages and frameworks according to business needs
- You can turn agreed designs into robust and accessible user interfaces using HTML, CSS and JavaScript
- Experience with various deployment mechanisms such as AWS Cloud Formation, Code Build/Pipeline, Terraform, CDK and Elastic Beanstalk.
- Understand software design principles and how to apply them effectively
- Can confidently and independently research and learn new programming tools and techniques
- Take a systematic approach to solving problems
- Have experience of using automated testing and test driven development to validate solutions
- Understand agile environments and version control
- Have a good understanding about web security and accessibility
- Have an awareness of technologies used for web applications, e.g relational and document databases, backups, CDNs and search, and of Unix-like operating systems, e.g. Linux and/or Mac OS
- You are familiar with implementing working practices such as TDD, continuous integration, continuous delivery and DevOps
- You have experience in helping and supporting colleagues with their career development through coaching and mentoring of more junior staff members through techniques such as mob and pair programming.
- Have experience in technology Leadership in providing direction, advice and support to the wider business.
Experience of any of the following would be beneficial, Though all we require is an interest in developing these skills in post.
- Knowledge of JavaScript frameworks such as Angular and React
- Django web framework
- Using Docker for Deployment and Development
- Good understanding Accessibility Standards (WCAG)
- Understanding of Cloud Infrastructure and ability to work in a capacity supporting the live operation of servers.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Programming & build, system design, user focus
- Systems Integration.
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
- A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.
- Access to Pluralsight
- Substantial support for career progression.
- Hybrid Working with no Core Hours
- 8 days public leave and 1 Privilege Day
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Selection process details
In the Civil Service, we use our Success Profiles. For each role we advertise we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful.
Application process
To apply you will need to send your CV and a 750 word personal statement describing how you meet the person specification above. You will not be assess on behaviours at this stage. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Technical Assessment
If you are successful in passing the initial sift with your CV and personal statement, you will be invited to take a technical test. The technical test will be python/ruby or node based depending on your preference. And will take approximately 2 hours.
Interview
If you are successful in the technical test, you will be invited to interview which should take less than an hour. Here you will be asked further technical questions and a few management questions.
Interviews and the technical test will be run virtually.
If you do not meet the standards required at G7 level, you may be offered a role at a lower grade.
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – Start of June
Expected interview date/s – start/mid-June virtual
Interview location -
Reasonable adjustments
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via
[email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the 'Assistance required' section in the 'Additional requirements' page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Further information
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.
Please note that this role requires minimum CTC and a willingness to under go SC clearance upon joining, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Offers above the band minimum are subject to our assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview. Salaries over the band minimum will be paid as a non-pensionable allowance.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service at: [email protected].
If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: [email protected].
For further information on the Recruitment Principles, and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.
About Cabinet Office UK
CEO: Nick Clegg
Revenue: $25 to $50 million (USD)
Size: 1001 to 5000 Employees
Type: Government
Website: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Year Founded: 1916
