TECHNICAL SKILLS

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Development process optimisation – You can lead and develop a team of experts to deliver service improvements (Relevant skill level – practitioner)
• System Design - You can develop effective implementation and procurement strategies, consistent with business needs (Relevant skills level – expert)

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)
• 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

JOB ROLE:

This post is a mapped to the Principal Developer role in the DDaT Profession Capability Framework. Follow the link to understand the role and the required skills
The Principal Developer and their team will lead on establishing the development strategy and approach, choosing the right languages, frameworks, toolsets, and technologies for the organisation and helping to build out their use via guidance, encouragement, carrots and sticks. They will own the development and support of new solutions, exploring appropriate models including support from the wider marketplace. We want someone who sees developing digital services and applications as a team sport, and will work together with others to develop people and processes to make that the best that it can be.
Historically the capacity for software development has not been sufficient to keep up with demand, but with significant fresh investment and a new appreciation for the difference that a strong development capability can make, we are looking to review and refresh our approach to the development of internal and public-facing applications, and we want to build momentum with teams focussed on delivering that capability.
There are also, of course, legacy applications to be reviewed and then replatformed, rewritten or retired as appropriate. Existing teams of user researcher and business analysts are available to help understand the requirements, the needs of the users and the business value of each service.
As Principal Developer you will own the practice of software engineering and application solution development, including the delivery and support of applications.
You will establish standards and guidance for engineering teams to follow, including leading on the choice of appropriate development languages, frameworks and toolsets.
You will own the relationship with suppliers used for additional developer capacity and operational support when required, ensuring that they follow the same standards and that development and support processes are as seamless as possible.
You’ll report directly to the Chief Technology Officer and be part of their Senior Management Team, comprising the Principal Architect, the Head of IT Service and the Head of Business Support and Project Delivery.
You’ll be expected to understand the business and its challenges, working with them to identify where bespoke solutions are appropriate and leading on their delivery.
You will act as senior manager to teams of developers, delivery managers and business analysts, and be supported by user researchers, service designer, business change managers, project managers and technical architects outside of your direct management.