About the job

Job summary

The Cabinet Office is the centre of government. Its purpose is: to maintain the integrity of the Union, co-ordinate the security of the realm and sustain a flourishing democracy; to support the design and implementation of HM Government’s policies and the Prime Minister’s priorities; and to ensure the delivery of the finest public services by attracting and developing the best public servants and improving the efficiency of government. 

Cabinet Office Digital is the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) hub for the Cabinet Office. Our vision is enabling the department through the provision of exemplary digital, data and technology (DDaT) services and transformative in support of the digital transformation strategy of the organisation. 

We are creating a digital culture where user needs are at the heart of everything we build and through data democratisation, automation, governance, convergence and consolidation we will support creating a Better Cabinet Office of the future. 

We are transforming ourselves to be even more effective and efficient in the way we service our users' needs. This exciting transformation programme will shape the organisation, our ways of working, our engagement model and our "delivery engine" enabling CO Digital to become a product centric organisation; delivering through a highly matrixed portfolio of projects and programmes. As both Digital Partner and/or Digital Delivery Partner we advise and assure business units and ALBs in developing their own Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) capabilities, as well as taking on delivery responsibilities ourselves where relevant.

We have structured ourselves into eight critical functions to realise this vision - Product, Portfolio, Enterprise Services, Technology, Cyber, Data, Strategy & Digital Transformation and People & Business Services. This role sits within the Technology Function.

Job description

As a senior developer you will be enthusiastic about clean code, well designed software and mentoring others to enable them to work at their best. You will have outstanding technical knowledge that allows you to provide support and direction across a number of teams, whether through deep technical insight in a particular field or managing technical work. You will pioneer new approaches, define and share best practices and setting culture not only by example, but also by taking responsibility for others' behaviour. 

Above all, you’ll share the responsibility for making public services digital by default, and simpler, clearer and faster to use. You’ll be motivated by truly important work that puts users first. You’ll thrive using agile methods and enjoy working openly, collaboratively and as part of multidisciplinary teams focused on one or more projects. Above all, you’ll want to make the government better, which may sometimes involve challenging the status quo.

Our developers design, build, run and improve new and existing user-friendly digital services in line with government digital strategy, and help the government manage and reduce its dependency on older technology.

We value both breadth and depth of technical capability. Our developers:  

• know how to put users first 
• can design, build and run digital services with a passion for high quality, well-crafted code, and associated tooling
• are committed to sharing knowledge with others patiently and in a holistic fashion
• embrace continuous integration and have a continuous delivery mindset
• thrive using agile methods

Responsibilities

• Write, amend, refactor and document code to build complex programs/scripts, and as required leading on these activities. Adhere to internal processes and procedures, promoting and advising others which software development standards/processes/procedures apply
• Ensure that products are secure, engineered to mitigate security threats and have the necessary security controls in place. Ensure that information is handled with confidentiality and integrity, and that products are compliant. Identify and raise risks and support Information Assurance activities
• Constantly seek to learn and further develop your skills as required for your role. Monitor changes in the tech stack you use and alert on any major changes affecting our software. Adhere to industry's best practices, produce well-engineered modern products and guide others to do so in a highly competently manner
• Support and maintain software as required, including in the live environment. Use modern tools to effectively and thoroughly identify, troubleshoot and fix faults. Package and deploy software built. Some activities may be outside the core office hours (in-line with the organisation's policy for OOH).
• The post holder may be expected to travel between sites, for meetings, events etc as and when required
• mentoring more junior technologists in best practices across your range of expertise
• cultivating and maintaining relationships with other development teams within CO digital and across government encouraging positive and constructive communication
• working with technical architects, product managers, delivery managers and senior management to identify and address technical, cultural and delivery issues
• Plan the development on sets of related stories and coordinate integration tasks across systems. Contribute to selection of the software development approach (plan-driven, iterative/agile etc.) for projects. Identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance and support activities to improve the development process. Choose the most appropriate from a variety of methods of prototyping, actively solicit prototypes with others.
• Define, analyse, plan, forecast, measure, maintain and improve all aspects of the availability of services. Control and manage service availability to meet the needs of the business in a cost-effective manner. This includes managing the capability, functionality and sustainability of service components (for example, hardware, software, network resources and software/infrastructure as a service).
• Design systems characterised by medium levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity. Take designs through the required governance. Review designs of others to ensure the selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration of multiple systems and technology. Identify, record and escalate tech debt and medium-level risks.
• Define the integration build. Coordinate build activities across systems and undertake and support integration testing activities.
• Take a test-driven approach to software development, write complex automation test scripts and participate in testing. Participate in code reviews of your own work and lead code reviews of colleagues' work.
• Translate user stories to a proposed design and develop software to meet user needs. Collaborate with user researchers, represent users internally and champion user research to focus on all users.

Person specification

Essential Skills and Experience

It is essential that you have:

• Experience of mentoring, coaching or leading other developers (at work or in meetups etc)
• Working knowledge of cloud services (AWS/Azure) and integration 
• Experience of coaching, mentoring and/or line managing other technical staff
• Experience of using testing to validate solutions with an understanding of a wide range of testing practices
• Ability to quickly research and learn new programming tools and techniques
• Experience of agile development methodologies, including writing and taking ownership of stories
• Understanding of what it means for a service to be operationally ready, and how to assess that
• Ability to actively participate in senior technical management discussions, evaluating technology choices on a range of relevant criteria
• An understanding of common security issues and how to mitigate them

Desirable Skills and Experience

It is desirable that you have:

• Experience recruiting developers and other technical roles
• Experience of managing stakeholders and non-­technical staff and expectations around what is possible
• Familiarity with implementation of monitoring, alerting and other production support services
• An understanding and experience of incident management techniques and processes
• Experience of working in a secure environment and of tools that support secure practices
• Experience of other programming languages, such as Javascript, Python and other Web frameworks, and common web application architectures

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,400, Cabinet Office contributes £14,418 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of your application you will be required to provide a CV setting out your career history and qualifications, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role.

You will also be required to provide a Statement of Suitability (750 words max.)

Please use your statement of suitability to explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification section of the job advert.

Your CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the 'Person Specification' section of the job advert.

You will also be assessed on behaviours and technical skills at application stage.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the behaviours Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing and Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Should you be successful at sift, you will be invited to attend an interview where you will be assessed on behaviours, technical skills and strengths.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – WC 6th May 2024
Expected interview date/s – WC 13th May 2024
Interview location – Video

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 menurecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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 terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, 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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

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

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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.