About the job

Job summary

• Can you thrive in a fast-paced agile environment?
• Are you passionate about continuous learning and applying new techniques to software projects?
• Are you detail oriented and can deliver high quality software?

As a member of the Digital, Data and Technology directorate (DDaT), you will work closely with colleagues across the directorate, within the Solution Delivery function and alongside other full-stack developers, delivery mangers, user researchers and test engineers. 

Working in an agile environment, you will aid the development of end-to-end Digital Services for Charities, trustees, charity representatives and members of the public. You will also be responsible for maintaining existing digital services and products. 

It is essential that you work collaboratively with team members in the multi-skilled DDaT function and across the wider Charity Commission to ensure our software meets the product vision, GDS design requirements, passes service reviews, acceptance criteria and is deployable to production without issue.  

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Using Java and JavaScript, produce high quality software, following best practices and coding standards, including the design, coding, verification, testing and documentation of moderately complex programs and scripts. 
• Collaborating with Application Support & Service Delivery to ensure developed software is supported and maintained to the required level by amending and refactoring our code as required. 
• Support agile delivery methods by: 
  • Collaborating in reviews of work with others as appropriate (Such as Sprint Reviews, Pair Programming, Retrospectives) 
  • Utilising User Centred Design and test & data driven iteration. 
  • Working with colleagues to remove blockages. 
• Support the efficient adoption of live software by business colleagues, users and the Application Support team through walk-throughs, training, guidance notes and other documentation. 
• Ensure digital developments are delivered against GDS standards, frameworks and adhering to the Commissions IS principles. 
• Create documents and designs for software applications or components applying agreed modelling techniques, standards, patterns, and tools.  
• Contributes to the design of components of larger software systems by collaborating with other DDaT team members. 
• Continuous learning to improve capabilities across the full stack of technologies. 

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Ability 

• Ability to write and maintain clean code, which is production ready, maintainable, and documented. 
• Ability to understand how user stories are broken down to illustrate the tasks required leading to successful implementation.
• Has the ability to produce high-quality documentation that supports written code for the purposes of support and maintenance.  
• Support and mentor junior colleagues.
• Ability to work within a Service Support environment to resolve faults in line with agreed procedures and SLAs. 

Experience

• Experience of working within a multi-disciplined team in a software development/engineering context.  
• Experience of designing, coding, testing, correcting, and documenting simple programmes or scripts within and across the full development stack including the use of Java and/or JavaScript.
• Experience of building software following design standards and that conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 

Technical 

• Assisting as part of a team on design of components of larger systems. 
• Knowledge and awareness of systems integration and the challenges of designing, building, and testing interfaces between systems 
• Detailed knowledge of the product stack in use at the Charity Commission: Java, JSP, JavaScript, Docker, Source Control (E.g., Git), TSQL, HTML, CSS, JSON, XML, Azure – functions and logic apps, Liferay, Elastic Search. 
• Experience of Object-Oriented design/development and developing frontend web applications.
• Experience of developing secure applications using JavaScript frameworks (E.g., React, Vue, Angular).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,086, Charity Commission contributes £9,473 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 and Experience.

To apply for this post, you must complete an online application with the following: 

• A blind CV setting out your Job History/Full Qualifications/Previous skills and experiences.

A Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

At interview you will be assessed on your technical knowledge, experience and the following behaviours: 

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

The sift is due to take place on 15/01/2024.

Interviews will be taking place face to face in our Liverpool and Newport Office.

Interviews will be held Liverpool, 26/01/2024, Newport, 31/01/2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. 

At the interview, the panel can then probe further and ask applicants to provide further specific examples that show how they best demonstrate their skills.

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process to manage numbers.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Behaviours

The distinguishing Behaviours (the required skills, knowledge, and behaviours) for this role are set out in the Civil Service Behaviours Framework 2018 (Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) and should be referred to when making this application.

You are required, under the Behaviours approach, to describe how you have dealt with a specific situation.

You must give evidence of your knowledge, skills, and behaviours and how you have applied this, such as what you did or said and how you interacted with other people.

When you are giving your examples, do not spend too many words on description and background information. Avoid using general or unspecific statements. Instead say what the situation was, what you did, what your thought process was and what was the result.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled persons, 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 Charitycommissionrecruitment.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 an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Reserve Lists

If we have more successful candidates than available vacancies, we will hold a 12-month reserve list as standard.

During that time, we may use the list to fill the same, or similar roles with closely matching essential criteria, without further testing of merit. Any appointments from the Reserve list will be made in strict merit order

Applying

We recognise everyone as an individual, accepting people for who they are and treating everyone fairly

All applications for these vacancies must be made online. There are limited exceptions to this. Paper applications will only be considered if you have a disability that will prevent you from applying online. If this is the case, please email Charitycommissionrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Once you have submitted your application it cannot be amended; only submit your application when you have completely finished and answered all the relevant questions.

Please note that late applications will not be accepted.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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

Concerns/Complaints

The Charity Commission’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance hrselfservice@charitycommission.gov.uk.

 If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web page here.

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

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.