JOB SUMMARY

If you would like to find out more about the role, the Software Developer Team and what it’s like to work at DBT, we are holding a Hiring Manager Q&A session for this role where you can virtually ‘meet the team’ on Wednesday 11th June at 12:30pm. Please click here to book your spot.

ABOUT US

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has a clear mission - to grow the economy. Our role is to help businesses invest, grow and export to create jobs and opportunities right across the country. We do this in three ways.
Firstly, we help to build a strong, competitive business environment, where consumers are protected and companies rewarded for treating their employees properly.
Secondly, we open international markets and ensure resilient supply chains. This can be through Free Trade Agreements, trade facilitation and multilateral agreements.
Finally, we work in partnership with businesses every day, providing advance, finance and deal-making support to those looking to start up, invest, export and grow.
The Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) directorate develops and operates tools and services to support us in this mission.

JOB DESCRIPTION

You will be an experienced software developer who can:

• Deliver high quality user-centred features and services within an agile environment.
• Support the community of practice within DDaT, fostering code ownership and quality.
• Support the transformation of DDaT into a modern centre for agile development.
• Mentor and coach colleagues to deliver to our standards, guided by industry best practices.
• Support developer hiring, shape our in-house team, and help make it more diverse and inclusive.
• Line-manage developers to deliver results, learn and grow, and progress their careers.
• Ensure runbooks enable your Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) colleagues to support applications and/or services.
• In office hours support, and sometimes out of hours (for which you’ll be paid an allowance).

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

You will need to have demonstrable skills and experience of:

• Python as your primary programming language, and have experience in development and maintenance of Python web applications and services, using frameworks such as Django, FastAPI, Flask, or serverless architectures
• Delivering code quality by utilising Test-Driven Development (TDD) practices as part of your code development work
• Fluency in SQL querying, and diagnosing database related issues, preferable in Postgres or MySQL
• Exposure of using monitoring and alerting tools, such as Sentry, Datadog, Grafana, and/or AWS CloudWatch
• Delivering user-centred features and services within an agile environment using practices such as Scrum or Kanban
• Experienced in communicating technical and non-technical information to diverse stakeholders
• Experience of direct/indirect line management, coaching and mentoring junior colleagues

These aren’t necessary but it would be ideal if you had experience of the following.

• Developed applications or platforms using Python Django framework
• Frontend development using JavaScript, preferably React framework

MORE ABOUT US

This role can only be worked from within the UK, not overseas. If you are based in London, you will receive London weighting. DBT employees work in a hybrid pattern, spending 2-3 days a week (pro rata) in the office on average. Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DBT, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.
You can find out more about our office locations, how we calculate salaries, our diversity statement and reasonable adjustments, the Recruitment Principles, the Civil Service code and our complaints procedure on our website.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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

TYPE OF ROLE

Administration / Corporate Support
Digital
Information Technology
Other

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Senior Software Developer in the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) function in Department for Business and Trade (DBT), you will build and maintain software to deliver a complete service for users. By understanding the whole system, you will plan and lead development on sets of related user stories. In addition, you will be expected to coach and mentor more junior colleagues and find ways to improve the stability and resilience of the systems you work on. Collaborating with colleagues in other disciplines to understand what needs to be built, you’ll deliver individually and as a team using agile methodologies and be focused on rapid delivery of high-quality digital services.
You’ll be influential in shaping the Software Development community of practice in DDaT as a champion of modern standards, test-driven development, pair programming, prototyping, and continuous delivery. You’ll operate the production services you build and be able to maintain and support a live service for users.