44417 - Senior Developer

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity

Salary: From £59,432 to £66,939 (National) £64,600 - £72,760 (London) depending on skills & experience
Contract type: Permanent
Grade: MoJ Band Ab
Number of open roles: 5
Locations: London/ Birmingham/ Nottingham/ Sheffield/ Glasgow
Hours: 37 hours/week (42 hours incl. lunch)
Working pattern: flexible working, full time, part time

Closing date for applications: 23:55 PM on 16/06/2021
Interview location: Remote

Senior Developer

LAA Digital, part of the Ministry of Justice, is looking for Senior Software Developers who want to make a difference by working on public services that really matter.

Take a look at DDaT Capability Framework to understand the different levels of software developers in government.

What you would be doing

You will be a member of a multidisciplinary team, writing code and operating software in either our Crime Applications or Get Paid team. You will be a skilled practitioner for most of our tech stack and be comfortable learning new technologies and systems.

You will work with user researchers, product managers, designers, business analysts, delivery managers and content specialists who share a vision for making better government through smarter use of technology. You will challenge the status quo.

How we do things

We subscribe to the manifesto for agile software development. We foster multidisciplinary teams that are collaborative, inclusive, diverse and respectful. We welcome continuous improvement in code, architecture, processes and ways of working. We default to doing things in the open. We value mending and maintaining as much as building and modernising. We believe everyone should be involved in user research and you should be comfortable working with a cross functional approach, regularly working directly with other professions.

Our engineering community

LAA Digital currently has over 40 Developers, split over four skill levels. MoJ Digital & Technology has over 160 people in the wider engineering community, made up of Developers, Technical Architects and people who build and operate platforms and infrastructure.

We have various community meetups and informal support networks. You will be encouraged to play an active role in the engineering community and culture.

Take a look at our developer blog.

Our tech stack

We rely heavily on:

• Java, Ruby and Python to write our application code
• Circle CI for deployment
• Sentry for application monitoring
• Kubernetes and Docker to schedule and run our services (read about our Cloud Platform)
• AWS for most of our infrastructure
• GOV.UK Design System for our web interfaces
• Macs to do all of the above

The majority of our production systems are built on top of legacy Oracle enterprise technology (PL/SQL) which is continually being chipped away at, either by in-place modernisation or evolutionary architecture patterns.

Key Responsibilities

As  a Senior Developer at MoJ you will have technical and people responsibilities.

Technical

• Working on pre-existing codebases
• Improving the resilience and stability of software
• Securely designing, building and maintaining APIs, services and systems
• Applying the practices to enable continuous delivery

People

• Developing and influencing people via line management duties, informal and formal coaching, and mentoring
• Supporting lead developers in building high performing teams
• Help to build and maintain a diverse, inclusive culture across the development community, growing awareness, inclusivity, and balance

Your experience and values

You will:

• have experience of building server-side applications and detailed knowledge of at least one programming language
• have experience of modern development and deployment techniques, including continuous integration and continuous delivery
• have experience working in agile environments
• have a working knowledge of unix-like operating systems such as Linux or Mac OS X
• have a knowledge of software maintenance, clean code and practices that make change easier
• have enthusiasm for learning and sharing knowledge,working in a multi-disciplinary team
• have the ability to quickly learn new languages and frameworks and willingness to pick the right tool for the job
• have the ability to manage technical debt appropriately and proportionately
• have experience of mentoring and supporting your colleagues, whether one-to-one or in groups

You’ll value:

• continuous learning and development
• being inclusive, supportive, inquisitive and responsible (MoJ D&T core values)
• working with integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality (Civil Service core values)

About LAA Digital

LAA Digital is a part of MOJ Digital and Technology. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is rapidly transforming and LAA Digital’s mission is to help people get the legal support they need by building world-class services that put the user first, overhauling the legacy technology that underpins our systems and making better use of data to improve our services.

LAA Digital has a diverse portfolio of products and services to suit a wide range of developer skills. We have a mature, in-house software development team, building services with both public and professional user interfaces, built on top of our APIs and Cloud Platform. The product team you are placed on will be agreed closer to your start date but examples of products include:

• Facades (strangler pattern) on legacy systems, like MAAT Court Data API 
• software to help LAA caseworkers, like Not On Libra Auto-Search Application
• Proxies between different parts of the justice system, like LAA Court Data Adaptor
• software for legal aid providers, like Apply for Legal Aid

A lot of our legacy code remains private but we’re always trying to open it up.

About MoJ Digital and Technology

MOJ Digital and Technology have a clear vision - to develop a digitally-enabled justice system that works more simply for users - and we’re looking for talented people to help us achieve it.

We’re making things better by building adaptable, effective services and making systems that are simple to use for staff and citizens. It can be challenging but it’s also important and rewarding.

As well as doing great work, we’re creating a place that’s great to do work in. We offer tip-top kit, brilliant training opportunities and support from expert colleagues. On top of that, you’ll find flexible working, an inclusive culture and a place where your opinion is valued.

In the Civil Service, we use Success Profiles, a flexible framework, to assess candidates against a range of elements using a variety of selection methods, therefore giving you the opportunity to demonstrate the various elements required to be successful in the role.
At the interview we will be assessing your technical/specialist skills and experience, testing your ability through relevant assessments and asking you questions around the behaviours we require to be successful in this role.

The behaviours we are assessing for this role are:

• Working together
• Developing self and others
• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace

Throughout the process we will assess your technical specialist skills and experience on the above requirements.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.

Selection process details

Please submit:

• a current and relevant CV (mandatory);
• a cover letter (1 page max) setting out why you are interested in the role and how you meet the essential skills and experience required.

The job advert lists the essential, specialist skills and experience as well as key Civil Service competencies required for the role.

At the CV review/sift stage we will use the technical/specialist skills and experience to determine your suitability for the role. At the interview we ask you questions based on the specialist/technical skills and experience as well as behaviours outlined.

At the Interview you will be required to complete a technical test followed by the panel asking open-ended questions to which they are seeking answers/evidence of essential, previous skills, experience and behaviours in order to guide their hiring decision.

Note: due to the volume of applications we receive we are unable to provide feedback after the CV review (sift) stage.

Salary and working arrangements

If successful, the salary we offer you will be within the advertised range and will depend on the skills and experience you demonstrate at the interview. Therefore in your cover letter it would be helpful to the hiring teams if you can indicate your salary expectations and if possible your notice period.

As well as doing great work, we’re creating a place that’s great to do work in. We offer a tip-top kit, brilliant training opportunities and support from expert colleagues. On top of that, you’ll find flexible working, inclusive culture and a place where your opinion is valued.

We have a great culture and use modern tools (like Macbooks, Slack and Google apps).
We have a “10% time” policy which will give you time to develop yourself and your colleagues. This time, equivalent to 1/2 day in a 5-day working week, can be spent on training courses, and the communities of practice you’ll belong to, which will allow you to keep up to date with the latest technologies and trends. Each developer has a £1000 budget for learning and development. We understand the importance of investing in people’s potential and we have the ambition to be the best in government at this and have published a learning and development prospectus.

Benefits:

• 37 hours/week and flexible working options - working from home or remotely, working part-time, job sharing, or working compressed hours.
• Lots of training and development opportunities with learning platforms such as: Linux Academy, O’Reilly, Pluralsight, Microsoft Learning, Civil Service Learning, GDS Academy, etc.
• 10% dedicated time to learning and development with a budget of £1000 a year per person
• Generous civil service pension based on defined benefit scheme, with employer contributions of 26-30% depending on salary.
• 25 days leave (plus bank holidays) and 1 privilege day usually taken around the Queens’ birthday. 5 additional days of leave once you have reached 5 years of service.
• Great maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!
• Bike loans up to £2500 and secure bike parking (subject to availability and location)
• Season ticket loans, childcare vouchers and eye-care vouchers.
• 5 days volunteering paid leave.
• Free membership to BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
• Some offices may have a subsidised onsite Gym.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status.

Things you need to know

Security and Immigration checks

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules.

If you're applying for a role requiring security clearance please be aware that foreign or dual nationality is not an automatic bar. However certain posts may have restrictions which could affect those who do not have sole British nationality or who have personal connections with certain countries outside the UK.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) and certain non EEA nationals. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Eligibility

Candidates in their probationary period are not eligible to apply for vacancies within this department.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (GIS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Contact point for applicants- for further information regarding this role please contact MoJ D&T Recruitment.

Further information

All Civil Servants will adhere to the 'Civil Service code’, which outlines the Civil Service's core values, and the standards of behaviour expected of all civil servants in upholding these values.

Note for current Civil Servants: If successful, the salary offered would normally be determined by applying the MoJ salary progression rules. If the appointment is on level transfer your substantive salary (excluding any allowances) will remain unchanged, unless it exceeds the maximum stated within the MoJ pay band, and unless your current salary is below the relevant MoJ grade minimum. If the appointment is on temporary or substantive promotion the salary will be increased by the appropriate promotion percentage or moved to the minimum of the relevant MoJ grade minimum, whichever is the greater.

Note for non Civil servant applicants: This post is open to UK Nationals, Commonwealth Citizens, EEA Nationals of other member states and certain non-EEA family members. There must be no employment restrictions or time limit on your permitted stay in the UK. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for at least 3 years and in some cases 5 or even 10 years preceding your application due to the requirement to have a checkable history for security vetting purposes. If you answer 'No' to the questions regarding nationality then it is unlikely your application will be pursued. If you are unsure as to your eligibility on any of these points, please contact the recruitment team for clarification or advice.