About the job

Job summary

Job Title – Software Developer

Profession- Digital Data & Technology

Directorate – Data Operations

Full Time equivalent - 37.5 hours

No of Roles – 1

Contract Type – Permanent

Location – Hybrid

UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata,(averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

Working Pattern – Full Time /Part Time / Flexible Working/ Hybrid Working / Job Share

Grade & Salary – Grade SEO. National banding- £38,724  - £44,393 Inner London –£42,716- £48,068 Outer London - £40,721- £46,231

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 role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/.

Closing Date – 11/02/2024. 23:55pm. Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered

Interview Date – W/C 26/02/2024 Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Job description

We are looking for a Developer to work as part of the Surveillance Systems and Bioinformatics Division of the Data Operations Directorate, UKHSA. You will be part of a team responsible for developing and supporting systems that support the organisation’s clinical and scientific teams in the delivery of our Health Protection capabilities.

UKHSA is building on the legacy of the COVID-19 response to ensure resilient and scalable infrastructure to secure the UK in the strongest position to protect the public from future threats to health.

 

The UKHSA mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight. To achieve our objectives effectively and fairly, we commit to representing modern Britain and all its diversity. UKHSA recognises that diversity of background and life experience brings different insights, creates challenge and encourages change and innovation. This in turn produces more accountable and trusted public services and better decisions; better because they are more attuned to the needs and interests of all our communities. Differences of thought and outlook are not only respected but expected. We want all of our employees to feel that they can be themselves at work and that they are valued.

 

Data Operations

 

The UKHSA Data Operations Directorate provides strategic leadership and oversight for developing and managing a common and bespoke suite of performant, modern, secure, data and analytical tools, services, platforms and applications, ensuring access to high quality data and analytics services, internally and externally.

 

Surveillance Systems and Bioinformatics

 

Based within the Data Operations Directorate, the Surveillance Systems and Bioinformatics Division works across the organisation and with external partners to lead the design, development, maintenance and delivery of system which are accessible, interoperable and which improving health security outcomes. The Division supports the UKHSAs laboratory workflow and surveillance functions and is responsible it’s central bioinformatics service which delivers whole genome sequencing for pathogens of concern.

 

Job Overview

The appointee will be required to:

• Develop & manage technical aspects of the software systems and services to meet user needs and integrate with databases and other repositories.
• Be aware of the importance of developing process efficiency and the common ways in which processes are optimised
• Design solutions and services with security controls embedded, specifically engineered with mitigation of security threats as a core feature. Demonstrate a clear understanding of information security and cyber considerations and share this with members of their team.
• Ensure that software is flexibly developed so that it can be variably hosted on a range of computational environments including UKHSA’s servers, high performance computer infrastructure, and commercial cloud providers such as Amazon or Azure.
• Identify, diagnose and investigate technical problems, methodically applying appropriate tests and gathering sufficient information to enable a solution. Applying local and organisational methodologies for managing and documenting issues.
• Use the agreed specifications to design, code, test and document programs or scripts of medium-to-high complexity, using the right standards and tools. Ensure clean, secure and well-tested code
• Collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally. Prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so. Offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use.
• Write database code to modern standards including the advanced SQL and Oracle PL/SQL scripts that enable optimised complex processing of data within and between information systems and for egress of data from these systems for onward use
• Build and test simple interfaces between systems. Work on more complex integration as part of a wider team.
• Write and support software and database code hosted on multiple platforms that is used to ensure quality of data collected, stored and extracted and to contribute to the wider quality assurance work of the team.
• Support the creation of quality metrics for software development and the creation of test plans for applications prior to submitting for testing.
• Ensure software code which is created, developed and maintained by the team is managed appropriately through the implementation of an appropriate source code repository which is aligned to the UKHSA technology strategy of UKHSA.
• Ensure that all live services deployed into production have an appropriate level of operational support. Manage service components with colleagues to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets
• Competently apply a modern standards approach in all aspects of design and development, producing detailed designs and effectively documenting all work using required standards, methods and tools, including prototyping tools where appropriate.
• Coach and mentor more junior colleagues.

 

Communication and key working relationships

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal, and external to UKHSA. This will include:

Internal

 

• Other members of the Information & Surveillance Systems Division, specifically those working in Scientific Computing, Surveillance Data and the Core Bioinformatics teams.
• Data Operations teams leading on Data Engineering
• Data Operations teams leading on Data Design and Architecture
• DA&S Data Acquisition and Release Team
• Technology teams leading on principles of DevOps in UKHSA
• Technology teams leading on Enterprise Architecture
• Members of other divisions within the wider DA&S Group with whom you may collaborate on local and national work programmes.
• UKHSA Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Operations Manager and Deputy LIMS Operations Managers and other key stakeholders in Science Group

 

External

 

 

• Public health colleagues working in local authorities, particularly those working in health protection roles.
• Colleagues working in NHS England and local Clinical Commissioning Groups
• Colleagues in Office for National Statistics (ONS) and other external data providers.
• Other external partners relevant to the work of UKHSA.

 

 

Main Duties of the Job

You will:

• Develop & support databases and software applications used to support data collection, analysis and dissemination. This will include a drive towards automation and more resilient, reliable infrastructure.

 

• Coordinate with colleagues in the development of code using appropriate languages, established modern software engineering principles and design patterns, including the development of prototypes. You will select and implement modern RAD (rapid application development) tools for prototyping and where appropriate, for implementation of minimal viable products. You will contribute to the creation of standards and policies relating to these.

 

• Be responsible for ensuring that system availability, performance and data flow is monitored and to seek ways to make continuous improvements to improve resilience, data quality and to shape improvements in service delivery including improvements to development processes.

 

• Use software engineering practices that ensure compliance with information security and quality policies and procedures, designing solutions and services with security controls embedded, specifically engineered with mitigation of security threats as a core feature

 

• Work with Technology group colleagues to coordinate and implement multidisciplinary approaches to data pipeline production and application/database hosting on various platforms, where necessary migrating current software solutions to new architectures. You will select appropriate system designs characterised by medium levels of risk, impact, and business or technical complexity.

 

• Collaborate with colleagues to ensure that current best practice for software specification, development, testing and implementation is followed across the software development activities of the Division.

 

• Manage testing of software applications and databases to ensure that development is to agreed specifications, uses appropriate tools and adheres to commercial and UKHSA standards.

 

• Identify, locate and fix faults in systems both during development and after deployment to production environments including working with infrastructure colleagues to resolve issues that could cause loss of service. You will prioritise your work in order to ensure that organisation key services are kept available.

 

• Undertake training as required by UKHSA or for the specific requirements of projects and undertake any other duties commensurate with your grade

 

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Degree in an appropriate discipline or equivalent professional experience
• Experience of designing, developing and delivering large and complex software solutions
• Proven ability to write high quality software documentation and implementation of quality standards for coding among a team.
• Expert knowledge/experience of Microsoft development technologies including, Visual Studio .Net.
• Experience of implementing a containerised approach to code deployment across development teams and a moving from on premise to cloud native development.
• Experience of SQL, the MS SQL Server suite, Transact-SQL
• Proven skills in at least one object-oriented programming language, such as C#, and intermediate knowledge of Python
• Knowledge of deploying code to enterprise architectures and the cloud, including the use of containers. Experience of OpenShift and/or Kubernetes
• Experience of Internet Information Services (IIS), web application deployment, administration and security
• Experience of the use of Git, GitHub actions and associated tools for version control, integration, deployment or another industry standard version control and CI/CD tools.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
• An understanding of software Change Control practices

 

Desirable Criteria:

• Knowledge of Agile software development methodologies
• Previous work with Azure AD
• Experience of JIRA and Confluence
• Oracle PL/SQL development
• Experience of software used for pipeline development
• Proven skills in developing and modifying code used for data analysis and the production of reports in SQL Server Reporting Services, Power BI and other reporting tools
• Experience of PowerShell
• Experience of working in healthcare or biomedical sciences
• Experience in industry or academia of delivering multi-disciplinary projects within deadlines
• Experience of working on large software projects
• Knowledge of PostgreSQL/MSSQL/MariaDB would be a distinct advantage as well as the ability to work across a range of technologies
• Knowledge of NoSQL DBs, e.g., MongoDB, Cosmos DB and Elastic

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,724, UK Health Security Agency contributes £10,455 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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

This vacancy is advertised using Success Profiles and will assess your Experience, Behaviours and Strengths.

 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability using no more than 1000 words. This should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential and desirable criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history, education, and learning. This will be used in the sift process but will not be scored

 

If you are successful in the sift, you will be invited to interview where you will be asked a mixture of questions based on your experience, the behaviours listed in the advert and some strength-based questions.

Stage 2: Panel Interview

All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on behaviours / experience / technical / ability through Success Profiles.

When assessing strengths, we want to find out whether you and the job role are a good fit. We will look at what you enjoy doing and what you do well and often. By ensuring that the role is the right fit for you, you are more likely to enjoy it and perform well.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

 

You will be required to prepare a presentation for the interview

 

Reserve List:

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.

If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

Benefits

 

• Civil Service Pension Contribution of 27%
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Range of health and wellbeing support

 

Any move to UKHSA 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.

 

 

DBS - People working with government systems must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which includes a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed for this role is BPSS however there may be a requirement for this role to be SC cleared and you should familiarise yourself with the criteria of security clearance.

 

This role is Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants. Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

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

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Government baseline personnel security standard

It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:

• life sentences
• arson
• sexual offences
• hate and terror offences

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role

 

Complaint process:

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

 

Contact Details – Sophie.Rigney@reed.com

 

 

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.