About the job

Job summary

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS) is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group.

We have around 1,200 colleagues across DDTS and our ambition is to make it easier and faster than ever for people to interact with Defra. If you are ready to drive innovation and push boundaries, we want to hear from you. Join us and together we will create a great place for living, and a green and healthy future for all.

Find out more about DDTS:

Defra digital, data and techology blog

LinkedIn 

Defra Jobs 

Job description

You will be one of a group of Principal Developers who oversee the work of the DDTS (Digital, Data and Technology Services) software development team, which consists of over a hundred software developers. Defra’s work ranges from supporting the UK’s world-leading food, farming and fishing industries to providing robust defences against natural threats. By joining us, you will be contributing towards our vital role at the heart of UK life.

In addition to providing technical leadership in the software development function, you will also provide specific guidance to work within our Robotic Process Automation development team and Power Platform development team and when required, be hands-on.

You will develop and maintain the standards for software development and act as a champion for best practice. This involves identifying and implementing opportunities for improving software development processes as well as coaching and supporting developers.

You will plan software development activity across several delivery teams and ensuring that appropriate quality assurance practices are in place.

As the most senior technical expert, you will work with other Principal Developers to ensure that Power Platform & Robotic Process Automation (RPA) development is aligned with other technical disciplines. This includes other development technologies such as Node.js but also other practices such as information security and service operation.

You will work with a wide variety of people to achieve this, including RPA and Power Platform Service Owners, Delivery Managers, and Technical Architects, but will also be required to influence senior leaders and decision-makers as part of the Software Development Management Team.

Please note for this role you will require SC Clearance which is a higher level of clearance than our standard checks. Therefore, confirmation of appointment to the advertised post will be dependent upon successful SC clearance being confirmed as part of pre-employment checks.

Person specification

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across multiple delivery teams, ensuring that our solutions are built in accordance with the Defra software development standards
• Work with senior decision-makers to define and agree the most appropriate designs, technology, and approaches for solutions
• Define best practice and standards in Power Platform & Robotic Process Automation (RPA) development, ensuring that this is shared within the development community and with other disciplines
• Keep abreast of Power Platform and RPA technology futures and the competitive landscape to inform the technology strategy of the direction to achieve our corporate aims
• Ensure that all levels of Power Platform & Robotic Process Automation (RPA) developers are supported in producing quality solutions. Help to identify training needs, guidance, and opportunities to support their technical and career development
• Provide specialist consultancy and advice to Defra-led activities. Build strong and influential relationships with technology and business stakeholders, communicating effectively to technical and senior non-technical audiences
• Work with your allocated Resource Manager to ensure the team structure is maintained through recruitment and retention

Skills and experience

• Experience of building modern, resilient solutions, with specialist knowledge of the Power Platform & Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
• Experience of leading development in agile, multi-disciplinary teams
• Expertise in tooling and techniques for delivering Power Platform & Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions on cloud platform services
• Experience of owning, delivering, driving software development standards in a large organisation, and leading by example
• Experience of guiding teams in growing their technical skills and creating personal development opportunities
• Skilled in identifying and evaluating new tools, technologies, and techniques. Able to maintain up to date expertise in development using Power Platform & Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
• Skilled at balancing multiple priorities and dealing with ambiguity

Selection process

The Civil Service marks each element of the selection process on a merit basis. You can visit the gov.uk website for further information on the Civil Service rating scale.

Ensure you have tailored your CV and Personal Statement to the 'skills and experience' section of the job advert by providing examples on how you are suitable for the role using the STAR method. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your personal statement, how you meet these requirements, as the information you provide will form a key part when the panel is scoring your application.

For further information on STAR, you can check out our Hints and Tips document.

Application process

As part of the application process, you will be assessed on your Experience and will be asked to complete:

• A CV
• A 750-word Personal Statement: "Referring to the 'skills and experience' sections of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples."

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form

Sift

Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.

Should there be a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted using your personal statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment or interview.

Interview

If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview.

There will be 2 rounds of interview for this role. If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to the first interview. This will be a scenario-based interview in early February where you will be assessed on the Power Platform & Robotic Process Automation (RPA) element of the role.

If successful, you will be invited to the second interview and will be assessed on the Behaviours and Technical skills listed below.

The following Behaviour:

• Leadership

The following technical skills:

• Programming and Build
• Systems Design
• Information Security
• User Focus
• Development process optimisation
• Modern standards approach
• Prototyping

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

The technical skills are aligned with the DDaT framework for the Principal Developer profession. To find out more about them, please visit the website.

Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.

Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.

For further information on Success Profiles, you visit the links below and watch our videos on DefraJobs.

Behaviours

Experience

Technical

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,605, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £16,903 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, Experience and Technical skills.

For further information on the selection process for this role, please refer to the person specification section of the job advert.

Location

Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.

All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations.Our current office attendance approach requires 60% attendance in Defra group workplaces or off site meetings with partners and customers. This balance provides thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice. 

Travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to a base office location.

Reserve list

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

Near miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

This post offers successful candidates the opportunity to be considered for an additional Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Skills Supplement. The level of the awarded supplement is determined following a separate skills assessment process, the outcome of which has no impact on the decision to make a job offer. This digital capability supplement ranges from £0 to £22,459 and you may be awarded a pay supplement within this range based on results of your additional skills assessment.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Reasonable adjustment

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 defrarecruitment.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

Accessibility

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

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another government department, a criminal record check maybe 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 circumstance 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-Employment.Checks@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal fraud database check

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.

Higher Security Clearance

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.

Childcare vouchers

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility on the Childcare Choices website.

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.