Web Developer Apprenticeship Axminster, England
Job description
As part of our in-house Web Development team you will be working alongside other experienced web developers to learn how to develop, maintain and support our ecommerce website and associated services. You have a passion for web development and a strong desire to grow your web development skills and experience by applying them within online retail.
You will be encouraged to learn and will be given plenty of opportunities to further improve your coding skills via your college course and on the job. Working in an industry environment, you will be supported and mentored by senior developers on projects and day to day task, allowing you to put your knowledge into practice from day one.
You will learn specific programming languages such as PHP and JavaScript alongside improving your understanding of website fundamentals and best practices whilst working on real world applications. You will assist with all stages of the software development lifecycle from idea, analysis and requirements gathering, through to implementation, testing, deployment and maintenance.
With the realistic goal of contributing solutions to problems in the form of functional code (e.g. new features, bug fixes, tests) and supporting materials (e.g. documentation, issue reports, support) you will continually put the users of our websites and applications first as you help the Web Development team and wider business provide the best possible website shopping experience for our customers.
Your role is expected to be primarily a remote role, however, due to the training nature of an apprenticeship, there will be a requirement for both remote and office working alongside your formal training as per your contract of employment.
The responsibilities of the role include:
? Help the Web Development team collectively achieve their goal of providing the best possible online shopping experience for our customers
? Collaborate with senior developers to develop and maintain web applications
? Write clean, maintainable, and efficient code for both frontend and backend development
? Build and maintain front-end interfaces using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
? Develop and maintain server-side applications and APIs using server-side programming languages such as PHP
? Troubleshoot and debug web applications
? Optimise applications for maximum speed and scalability
? Stay up-to-date with emerging trends and technologies in web development and online retail
? Perform both manual and automated testing to ensure that any changes work as expected
? Monitor application performance and analytics
? Maintain existing applications e.g. bug fixes, enhancements, content changes, security updates and performance optimisations
? Handle internal customer queries
? Create and maintain issue reports and technical documentation
? An eye for detail and appreciate of good design practices and user experience (UX)
? Work to deadlines and produce accurate time estimates
? Ongoing personal learning and development
Location & Hours:
This job role is primarily expected to be remote since other team members work remotely.
However, due to the training requirements of an apprenticeship, you will need to spend more time in the office initially, but still have the option to work remotely once the training is completed. The initial arrangement is anticipated to involve two days at Head Office, one day of formal training, and two days of remote work per week for the first year.
The arrangement will be assessed every quarter and revised as your skill set and experience grows.
The hours of work for this position will be 37.5 hours, 5 days per week. This is inclusive of study time. We expect our employees to work in line with our core working hours of either 08:30 until 17:00 or 08:00 until 16:30 from Monday – Friday with a one hour lunch break.
Hours: 37.50 per week
About the employer:
We are a family business built on a foundation of strong customer service values. Located in the South West of England and predominantly distributing across the UK, Eire and mainland Europe, Axminster Tools has established itself as a market leader in the mail order tools and machinery industry offering a friendly and personal service to many thousands of customers ranging from trade professionals and businesses to amateur DIY and hobby enthusiasts. Axminster sources products from all over the world as well as supporting a number of specialist UK companies. With over 14,000 products lines, a multitude of brands and ranges are brought together on the website and in the stores. Axminster has long been recognised as holding the most extensive range of tools, machinery, accessories and consumables in the UK. Supportive marketing materials provide customers with additional opportunities to benefit from promotional and further value for money product offers. Axminster's business success is underpinned by providing a quality service that customers can depend upon, including free technical advice when needed and a fast and efficient delivery service. A dedicated customer services team provides professional support to customers in terms of product returns, delivery information, faults and problems. Through innovation, competitive pricing and a commitment to service and satisfaction, Axminster's business continues to grow.
Requirements and Prospects:
We are interested in hearing from you if you have a passion for website development and the internet, an interest in ecommerce and online retail. You will need to be proactive, organised, flexible, have a keen interest to grow your web development knowledge and be able to use your own initiative. You should have the ability to communicate effectively with other developers, customers and colleagues alike. Attempts to maintain clean, efficient and performant code to team development standards and best practices.
Other beneficial skills and experience includes:
? Experience with the fundamentals of Web Development (HTML, CSS, JS)
? Some familiarity with server-side programming languages and concepts (such as PHP or Python)
? Some experience working with web development tools such as Git, Chrome Developer Tools, and IDEs
? Good organisational skills and ability to meet deadlines
? Communicate effectively with other developers, customers and colleagues alike
? Strong problem-solving skills
? Ability to work well in a team environment
? Appreciation of the benefits of automated testing and testable code
? Awareness of the need for web security best practices
? Attempts to maintain clean, efficient and performant code to team development standards and best practices
Knowledge of and/or experience with any of the following technologies:
? PHP & Frameworks (e.g. Wordpress, Laravel)
? Databases (e.g. Microsoft SQL, MySQL)
? Javascript & Frameworks (e.g. Vue, React, Angular, jQuery)
? XML / JSON
? HTML
? CSS
? Cloud Computing (e.g. Azure, AWS, GCP)
? Programming languages (e.g. Python, Go)
? No code / Low code integrations
? Understanding of current web concepts and best practice
? A passion for website development and the internet
? An interest in Ecommerce and online retail
? An eagerness and self-motivation to learn and improve your skills
We are keen advocates of growing our own people and promoting from within whether it is a move sideways or upwards; we want people who strive for excellence and are excited to be a part of our journey!
We are committed to supporting young people in our local communities through apprenticeships. We have an exceptionally high retention rate for apprentices, many of which have remained with our company long term and progressed into management positions! In 2020, we won the award for Top Employer in Retail at The School Leaver Awards!
Training Provided:
You will attend college one day a week (during term time) to complete your Level 4 Software Developer apprenticeship.
Additional Information:
You will need to have GCSEs at grade 4 or above in English, Maths and ICT.
