About the job

Job summary

GDS exists to help the government make brilliant public services that empower people in the UK. We work at the very centre of government to drive digital transformation, focused on users. We build and maintain common platforms, products and tools for others to use and create great public services that are accessible, inclusive and easy to use. We also work with departments to identify patterns, share learning and create change to make a government more efficient.

Our teams are organised around delivering on our priorities, these are:

• make it easier for people to find what they are looking for on GOV.UK
• build common service platforms to make it simpler and cheaper to build quality digital services
• promote agile, user-centred design practices both in the UK and across the world

Job description

As an Android senior software developer, you will work on solving complex problems to transform the way data is used and shared across government to help deliver joined-up, trusted public services. Specifically, your focus will be on supporting the development of products that we have identified as core components for our vision of a cross government data marketplace - including the government API Catalogue and helping to produce a solution which can be deployed across government departments to improve API use and data exchange across the public sector. 

You will work with a multidisciplinary team of policy experts, technology subject matter experts and user-centred design practitioners to understand and meet organisational and user needs. You will contribute to delivering high quality code in an open and collaborative development environment, using agile to meet project goals and delivery cycles. 

As a Senior Android Developer in GDS you'll:

• shape technical solutions for and lead the implementation of our work on API catalogues across government
• build accessible Android app, to serve a variety of citizen and government needs
• share knowledge of tools and techniques with your wider team, both developers and non-developers
• work in multi-disciplinary teams to ensure our software puts user needs first
• take responsibility for solving complex issues, and for the quality of the code produced
• build automated tests to support our continuous deployment environment
• support the live operation of the services we run, and participate in out-of-hours support rotas where necessary - you'll be paid an allowance, and a further hourly payment, for any duties you perform when on call
• be involved in helping recruit developers and, where appropriate, helping sift and interview
• provide technical leadership within team, advising and working with developers to identify the best solutions

You’ll share the responsibility for the digital transformation of the government. You’ll ensure high quality code is delivered in line with programme goals and delivery cycles. You’ll thrive using agile methods and enjoy working openly, collaboratively and as part of a multidisciplinary team focused on one or more services. Above all, you’ll want to make the government better, which may sometimes involve challenging the status quo.

To learn more about what Senior Developers do in government please review the DDaT Capability Framework

Person specification

We’re interested in people with experience of: 

• have experience of backend development, with detailed knowledge of Python, Ruby, JavaScript or equivalent
• have familiarity with Apple Human Interface Guidelines and App Store Review Guidelines
• have an understanding of software design principles, and an ability to apply them
• research and ability to learn new programming tools and techniques
• have proven experience of modern software development approaches including automated testing, test driven development, continuous integration, pair programming, code review and version control
• have a good understanding of common mobile security risks and corresponding mitigations
• have experience in management, helping colleagues with their career development and coaching more junior staff members
• have experience working in a collaborative environment, and an understanding of the benefits of agile and multi-disciplinary approaches

Benefits

The benefits of working at GDS

There are many benefits of working at GDS, including:

• flexible hybrid working with flexi-time and the option to work part-time or condensed hours
• a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• 25 days of annual leave, increasing by a day each year up to a maximum of 30 days
• an extra day off for The King’s birthday
• an in-year bonus scheme to recognise high performance
• career progression and coaching, including a training budget for personal development
• paid volunteering leave
• a focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• job satisfaction from making government services easier to use and more inclusive for people across the UK
• advances on pay, including for travel season tickets
• death in service benefits
• cycle to work scheme and facilities
• access to children's holiday play schemes across different locations in central London
• access to an employee discounts scheme
• 10 learning days per year
• volunteering opportunities (5 special leave days per year)
• access to a suite of learning activities through Civil Service learning

GDS offers hybrid working for all employees. This means that everyone does some working from home and also spends some time in their local office. You’ll agree to your hybrid working arrangement with your line manager in line with your preferences and business needs.

Any move to Government Digital Service 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

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The standard selection process for roles at GDS consists of:

• a simple application screening process - send a CV and Cover Letter (up to 750 words). Please make sure that your cover letter includes how you meet the skills and experience listed in the person specification section
• a 20 minute telephone interview (may not be required depending on the volume of applicants)
• a 45 minute pair programming technical exercise - you'll work with a GDS engineer to solve a self-contained programming problem given to you in writing. You'll be asked to discuss the problem with the GDS engineer, devise a plan for solving it, and then to write code to solve the problem. As well as your programming and unit testing skills we'll be evaluating how you communicate and collaborate, and how you break down the problem. You'll use your own development environment for this (conducted over video conferencing)
• a 1 hour face-to-face interview (conducted over video conferencing)

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles to evaluate your skills and ability. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, increases performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. We’ll be assessing your technical abilities, skills, experience and behaviours that are relevant to this role.

For this role we’ll be assessing you against the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• working together
• changing and improving
• making effective decisions

We’ll also be assessing your experience and specialist technical skills against the following skills defined in the Digital, Data and Technology Profession Capability Framework for the DDaT Senior Developer role: 

• programming and build (software engineering)
• modern standards approach
• systems design
• development process optimisation
• information security
• availability and capacity management
• service support
• systems integration

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

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

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.

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.