About the job

Job summary

These positions are based nationally.

Job description

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Directorate: Digital Technology Services (DTS)

Pay Band:    Grade 7

Job Title:     Principal Development Manager

Location:     London / National

                    Successful applicants will be expected to be office based 2 days per     week in any HMCTS Office (subject to business availability). The   frequency may increase in the future

Term:           Permanent

Interview:  Video conference via Teams

Important salary details:

New recruits to the Civil Service joining MoJ are expected to join at the band minimum.

Existing Civil Servants applying on promotion, will usually be appointed on the salary minimum of the new pay band, or receive an increase of 10 percent on the current base salary, whichever is higher (This is restricted to the pay maximum of the new band).

DDaT:

Roles will be recruited using a combination of the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) and Success Profile Frameworks. Using DDaT we will then determine if you will be paid an additional allowance, on top of your basic salary.  This role is aligned to the Technical  Job Family, is a Software Developer role at Lead Developer level, but carries the title Principal Development Manager within DTS.

Reserve List:

HMCTS run a Reserve List, where candidates who are unsuccessful at interview by only a few points, can be offered other roles, at the same band, for up to 12 months. You will be able to view your status via the application screen. If you have been added to the Reserve List, your status will show either Merit or Reserve list.

Introduction:

These are exciting times at HM Court and Tribunals Service (HMCTS). We support the judiciary across England and Wales to deliver justice by running courts and tribunals and processing outcomes, and we are looking for talented people to help us achieve our ambitions. It will be challenging, important and rewarding.

HMCTS Digital and Technology Services (DTS) is a specialist technology directorate which provides support to HMCTS in the use of IT and Digital.

DTS is creating a place in which it is great to do work and part of our offer is brilliant training opportunities and support from expert colleagues. As well as that you’ll find flexible working, an inclusive culture and a place where your opinion is valued.

Please follow the link below for further information about HMCTS. www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service

Job Description:

A Software Development Manager reports to the Head of Software Development and is a leading role, responsible for the quality and effectiveness of all aspects of software delivery within a jurisdiction.

Working with software developers and automation testers deployed in delivery teams this role concentrates on how the software is delivered, ensuring engineering and outcome quality.

Building on a software delivery background as a developer, automation tester or agile delivery manager (with the right technical software developer experience) you will act as a Lead Developer and technical expert, monitor team performance, document, manage risk, and be part of Major Incident Management (MIM) process if the need arises. This may be for Civil Servant or Contractor squads or a combination of both.   

The particular focus of the role:

• Accountability for the allocation of developers and develop engineers to the required delivery teams (squads) as measured by on time software delivery, good risk management with no surprises, and delivery to budget.
• Engage with delivery teams (squads) from development through to live operation, ensuring build quality and appropriate tools use.
• Raising risks to squad delivery managers and onward to Heads of Software Development & Heads of Agile Delivery Management, depending on complexity and severity.
• Manage dependencies and ensuring efficiency of software delivery.
• Ensuring appropriate use of automation and delivery tools.
• Sign off authority up to agreed delegated level (as agreed with Heads of Software Development)
• Deployment of application performance management tools (APM) and production of system performance metrics.
• The Software Development Mangers are distributed across multi-functional product delivery teams and accountable for the delivery performance of those development teams, resolving technical delivery issues as required, which could be outside office hours and engaging the Heads of Software Development and Application Architects to resolve more complex issues.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure best practice standards for all relevant software engineering disciplines are adopted, throughout the application life cycle.
• Ensure the adoption of automation and measure how this reduces delivery time.
• Input innovative approaches to the delivery teams and support the successful adoption of such ideas, driving improved performance.
• Challenge unnecessary complexity of software development within delivery team, determining and removing the source of the complexity.
• Identify and deal with potential and actual risks across or between all stages of the product life cycle, reducing the incidence of recurring risks.
• Support the Head of Software Engineering and Head of Software Development on the most complicated risks, issues, and dependencies. Contribute to the community of practice, leading on specific disciplines, tools or methods as required.
• Work closely with the Principal Delivery Managers and Delivery Managers to ensure timely delivery of products and resources.

As a part of the Software engineering community of practice:

• Develop the understanding of software engineering issues and opportunities with technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Manage the interface with stakeholders at all levels for the allocated applications, influencing technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Contribute to building the credibility and reputation of DTS as a leading example of best practice software engineering delivery within Government and the industry. This reputation is critical to DTS to enable it to continue to recruit digital talent.

Skills and Experience

Availability and capacity management

• You can define, analyse, plan, forecast, measure, maintain and improve all aspects of the availability of services, including power. You can control and manage service availability to meet business needs cost-effectively, including managing the capability, functionality and sustainability of service components (such as hardware, software, network resources, and software or infrastructure as a service).

Development process optimisation (management)

• You can create strategies for optimising the development process. You can influence and build consensus with stakeholders to ensure that the required technical improvements are aligned with business objectives. You can iterate on the development of standards and policies, working with delivery teams to ensure that these policies are producing the required outcome and continue to be attainable, applicable and fit for purpose.

Information security

• You can maintain the security, confidentiality and integrity of information systems through compliance with relevant legislation and regulations. You can design, implement and operate controls and management strategies to allow this.

Modern standards approach

• You can apply a modern standards approach throughout automation and testing

Programming and build (software engineering)

• You can use agreed security standards and specifications to design, create, test and document new or amended software.

Prototyping

• You can apply technical knowledge and experience to create or design workable prototypes, both programs and physical outputs. You can understand parameters, restrictions and synergies.

Service support

• You can maintain and support services.

Systems design

• You can create the specification and design of systems to meet defined business needs. You can work with business and technology stakeholders to translate business problems into technical designs. You can visualise the ideal user service and come up with design ideas and possible design approaches. You can effectively explore different approaches to solving problems.

Systems integration

• You can identify integration points between systems and processes, designing data contracts and communication between the components. You can make use of modern design patterns that reduce risk and complexity where possible. You can perform integration tests as part of the development process, drawing on suitable testing frameworks and methodologies.

User focus

• You can understand users and identify who they are and what their needs are, based on evidence. You can translate user stories and propose design approaches or services to meet these needs. You can engage in meaningful interactions and relationships with users. You can show that you put users first and can manage competing priorities.

Application process:

The following areas of Success Profile Framework will be used to assess and score your application during the sift, and interview.

• Experience - As demonstrated in your application form
• Technical - As demonstrated in your application form and interview. Successful sift candidates will be invited to a pre-interview technical on-line test. If successful you will move on to the interview stage, which will consist of a coding challenge that you will have time to prepare for
• Behaviours – You will be required to provide evidence of the following key behaviours at Level 4

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

 

• DDaT Assessment – During the interview, you will be assessed against the DDaT framework
• Level of Clearance - To apply for this role, you will be required to successfully complete Security Clearance (SC) level as a condition of appointment.

Person specification

Please refer to job description.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £54,358, HM Courts and Tribunals Service contributes £15,165 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.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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.