About the job

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our team of Software Engineering Team Managers, providing leadership across our Software & Test community supporting and enabling our development teams in their delivery of the UKHO digital vision.

The role does not include any coding or task management of software delivery. The Engineers work within Agile Software delivery teams and this role sits outside of the day-to-day delivery. Much of the focus is on developing our people and working with colleagues on growing the software and test community.

We pride ourselves in delivering quality enterprise-scale software, as a Software Development Team Manager you will be responsible for ensuring that the capabilities of the software engineering teams meet the needs of the wider organisation now and in the future. We are currently undergoing a period of growth in our teams, and you will be key in helping to grow the team of software and test engineers.

The candidate would benefit from a prior understanding of managing the challenges faced by software engineering, through either a previous technical or delivery role in an agile environment.

Here is insight of what a week in the life of a Software Engineering Team Manager can look like. 

Hybrid Working:

The contractual base location for the roles will be our office in Taunton, those individuals who live beyond a reasonable travelling distance from Taunton, they will be able to work from home.

For those individuals who live within a reasonable commuting distance of the office, how often individuals attend the office will be agreed on a case by case basis.

Please note there may be occasions when staff are required to travel into the office in Taunton for meetings, however this will be agreed on an individual basis. On these rare occasions the travel and any accommodation would need to be at their own expense.

Please note our Policy on informal hybrid working (arrangements available as agreed with the line manager) applies within the UK, and does not extend to working overseas. 

Job description

• Hiring developing, and retaining high quality software engineers for our software delivery teams 
• Grow the team of software and test engineers to meet the future needs of the business
• Line management of a number of software and test engineers (Approx. 12), with responsibility for attendance/performance management and ongoing development of engineer’s skills. This will include coaching, mentoring, and fostering potential.
• Leadership of the software and test engineering communities of practice. Facilitating community events and ongoing development of the community. 
• Development of new ways of working, processes, and tools 
• Attending a range of meetings representing software engineering

A typical day could include:

• Interviewing a number of people for software and test engineering roles
• Carrying out one-to-one meetings with a number of engineers
• Working with other development managers on skills planning for the year
• Working on implementing a new process across delivery teams (such as safety assurance)
• Attending a sprint review to understand current challenges faced and successes celebrated
• Facilitating a bi-weekly meeting of Lead Engineers
• Working with the marketing team and HR teams on hiring campaigns

Person specification

Please note that we will only score against the sift and interview criteria and not the essential and desirable information below. 

• Strong communication skills
• Significant experience of managing people, including coaching, mentoring, performance management  and fostering potential.
• Experience of driving and implementing new ways of working, new tools, policies within a development environment.
• Experience of modern software development principles, practices, and processes

Additional Information: 

Whilst we welcome applications from those seeking part time work, please note, that there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to work a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Benefits

At the UK Hydrographic Office, it's very important to us that our people feel valued.  

We offer a huge range of benefits such as training and development, well-being support, flexible/ homeworking, a fantastic state of the art building, high spec equipment, and so much more.  

See our attached Candidate Information Pack for more details. 

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.

How to Apply:  

When you click "apply now" you will be asked to attach your anonymised CV along with a statement of suitability of up to 500 words showing how you meet the person specification in the advert.

Timeline:  

• Advert Closes for applications: 24/03/2024
• Shortlisting: week commencing 25/03/2024
• Interviews: week commencing  01/04/2024

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. 

Sift/Shortlist Criteria:  

All applications are processed anonymously. Should we receive a high volume of applications they will first be assessed against the lead criteria as shown below.  Only those that score highly enough against that criteria will have their applications considered against the other criteria listed.

You will be short-listed against the following criteria: 

Experience/Technical: 

• Significant experience of managing people, including coaching, mentoring, performance management and fostering potential. (Lead Criteria)

• Experience of driving and implementing new ways of working, new tools, and policies within a development environment/software engineering team. 

If the panel receive a large volume of applications, an initial sift will be completed on the lead criteria. 

Interview Criteria:  

You will be interviewed against the following criteria: 

Civil Service Behaviours (Level 3): 

• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Experience/Technical: 

• Experience of modern software development principles, practices, and processes 

• Experience of driving and implementing new ways of working, new tools, policies within a development environment.  

You will be asked to present a presentation to the panel, followed by a question and answer session. For this section of the interview, you will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Strong communication skills

• Significant experience of managing people, including coaching, mentoring, performance management and fostering potential.

See here for further information: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk) 

Process:   

• Single Stage Interview via MS TEAMS. You will be contacted to book a suitable slot if you are shortlisted (see our Candidate Pack for further information) 
• Interview will be with a panel of approx. 3 people and will last approx. 60 mins 

Onboarding Checks:  

In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks. You will also need to apply for SC (Security Clearance), but you may be able to start your role before gaining this. Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms. 

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Residency Requirements

SC – non reserved: This is a Ministry of Defence non-reserved post and although open to UK, British Commonwealth and European Economic Area nationals, successful applicants will require a security clearance (SC) and therefore need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 12 consecutive months within the last 5 years 

Eligibility 

Due to the secure nature of our work, there may be eligibility restrictions if you hold dual nationality or are not a British Citizen. We will consider each application on a case-by-case basis. We will ask you in our application form to confirm your place of birth and details of any dual or previous nationalities. 

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.