Senior Full Stack Software Engineer

Job summary

The GRIP platform has a large user base, serving thousands of users across 250 public sector organisations. It is a full stack web application that helps government to manage and track its priorities and initiatives, and capture reporting on them, across all government departments, and for consumption by the most senior decision makers. The application has support and visibility at the very highest levels of the organisation. We also help to develop and maintain the government’s Evaluation Registry, which tracks planned and completed evaluations of government’s policies.

We are looking for a full-stack developer to join our small software engineering team, building and managing this critical part of Government’s tooling. You will have the opportunity to have genuine impact on how Government manages its work and to contribute to its overall effectiveness.

Job description

We are at an exciting stage, as we becoming a critical part of how government manages its most important areas of work. This will mean working on how the application scales, building new features, and maintaining a reliable, high-quality service.

Main Responsibilities:

You will work on both the front and back end of the application, mainly in JavaScript, working with a range of AWS services. Our core stack includes React, Node.js, and Postgres, so you will need to be comfortable working with these. Other parts of our work are in Python, and experience of Python web frameworks, e.g. Django, would also be helpful. Each engineer is involved across the full range of responsibilities. Your work will therefore include managing our infrastructure and responding to any performance issues, building server functionality and new microservices, database management and schema changes, prototyping and building new front-end features, and testing and deployment. There will also be opportunities to engage directly with users in a range of roles across government, and to help shape the overall direction of the product.

You can expect to have responsibility to:

• Build accessible and interactive interfaces, server functionality, and microservices, taking responsibility for the quality of your code.
• Decide and evolve how we structure and manage our data.
• Be a confident communicator, able to bridge the gap between the technical and non-technical team members to build the right product.

Person specification

Essential experience

• Experience of front-end development, with detailed knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• Experience of technologies used for web applications, e.g. HTTPS, JSON and CDNs, and of Unix-like operating systems, e.g. Linux and/or Mac OS.
• Experience of back-end data infrastructure, including SQL databases.
• Understanding of software design principles, including progressive enhancement.
• Experience in building robust and accessible interfaces that work for multiple users.
• An understanding of front-end web performance.
• Ability to quickly research and learn new programming tools and techniques.
• Experience of writing robust code using approaches such as TDD/BDD, unit testing, integration testing and feature testing
• Understanding of agile principles and working practices
• Experience of code reviewing workflows and version control.
• Experience of user-centred design principles and delivering to user needs.

Desirable experience

• Deeper experience in any of our technology choices, or in web application security

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

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

Technical skills

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

• Software engineering skills, in line with the person specification and job description.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £59,207, Cabinet Office contributes

£17,152 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Application process

We will assess applications against the Experience and Behaviours elements of the Civil Service Success Profiles:

• Behaviours - the actions and activities that people do which result in effective performance in a job:
• Experience - the knowledge or mastery of an activity or subject gained through involvement in or exposure to it.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement (500 words).

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

We will sift applications by considering your experience, career history and achievements, relevant to the job role, as described in your Personal Statement and CV.

At this stage we will also consider how you have demonstrated the experience and technical skills you will need for the role.

Please provide a personal statement of no more than 500 words. It should explain how your knowledge, skills and experience (using examples) meet the requirements for this role in line with the Success Profile element(s) being assessed (e.g. Behaviours, Experience etc). Using the job advert information, particularly the job description and person specification. Information is available on the application process (including what Civil Service Success Profiles is) and how to write your personal statement .

Selection process

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to complete a technical exercise and an Interview.

For the technical exercise , you will be asked to take part in a pair programming exercise with two of our developers. The exercise will cover challenges similar to ones that you would be likely to encounter in the role. You will be asked to talk through your thought process, draw on your previous experience and offer solutions to the problems in the exercise.

The successful candidate might not resolve all issues in the example, but the ability to communicate and problem solve in a collaborative way will be necessary to a successful interview.

In the interview we will ask a range of technical questions, and also ask you to provide examples of how you meet each of the assessed Behaviours:

• Managing a quality service (lead behaviour)
• Working together
• Changing and improving
• Delivering at pace

We will ask follow up questions as appropriate.

The interview also provides an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have regarding the role.

• Expected timeline (subject to change)
• Expected sift date - w/c 21st September
• Expected interview date/s - w/c 5th October

Interview location - Your interview will be conducted by video. We will provide you with a link for the video call when we invite you to interview.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs @cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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

Any move to Cabinet Office 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website .

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 UK residency in the past 5 years . This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website .

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appo