Software Developer (£40,808 - £57,400)

We recognise the challenges that people with protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.
Are you an experienced Software Developer with experience in Python and Rust?
Have you used software development to solve complex analytical problems?
If so, we’d love to hear from you!, This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing, friendly and capable team of data scientists as a Software Developer within a high-profile area in the Department of Transport (DfT).
This role is embedded with the department’s central Data Science team and will support the development of data focused software services to provide innovative analytical solutions.
The role involves both front and back-end development. The front-end aspect requires development of accessible, user-friendly interfaces that will allow users to explore and analyse the data that forms the focus of the tools. The back-end aspect will require programmatic manipulation of the underlying data to unlock insights. This will often require stages such as pipelining, and the application of data science techniques (e.g. a classification or forecasting algorithm). The role will also involve deployment of tools on the department’s cloud platform.
You will play an essential role in putting data and data science at the heart of decision making, increasing the impact of data science in DfT.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Technical design and build
+ Lead the technical, full-stack design and development of digital services that support the analysis function within DfT (with a focus on data science products).
+ Collaborate with user researchers to ensure that service design meets user needs.
Continual improvement / DevOps
+ Leading by example in the application of development techniques, such as agile, DevOps, test driven development and continuous integration.
+ Advising on the use of standards, methods and tools for software development within DfT, ensuring their application, including SDLCM (Software development life-cycle.
+ Deploying on a cloud-first basis to ensure services are performant, reliable and easily maintained.
Testing
+ Implement appropriate testing, validation and QA for digital code prior to deployment.
+ Continually monitor and validate services once live.
For further information, please see the attached Role Profile., A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.
There may be occasions where you will be required to travel to other DfT offices and attend meetings and visits around the UK.
Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement, for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 30 hours per week.
Please note – at time of publication of this advert there are currently no vacant positions. However, due to the business-critical nature of this role and the expectation of vacancies opening shortly we will create an active working merit list in order to fulfil demand as it arises.
Government Digital and Data / Government Security Profession Pay Framework
This role is part of the Government Digital and Data profession / Government Security Profession and utilises an enhanced Capability–Based Pay Framework which provides access to a Digital and Data allowance.
The base pay is £40,808. In addition to this, the role includes a Digital and Data allowance of up to £16,592.
The value of allowance awarded will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated through the selection process.
Here are more details on the pay framework.

Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ Government Digital and Data Profession - Senior Developer - Development process optimisation (Level: working)
+ Government Digital and Data Profession - Senior Developer - Modern Standards Approach (Level: practitioner)
+ Government Digital and Data Profession - Senior Developer - Programming and build (Software Engineering) (Level: practitioner), This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and 500 word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
When considering applying please look at how your experience relates to the role, and within your CV and Personal Statement please provide detailed evidence of your experience of the following:
Provide an example of how you have used software development to solve a complex analytical problem, using a selection of the technologies listed in the Person Specification section:
+ Back-end: Python, Rust.
+ Front-End: Svelte.
+ GCP: Serverless VPC access connectors, Cloud Run, App Engine, Compute Engine.
+ Geographic Data Applications: PMtiles and MapLibre.
Please fully utilise the 500 words when completing your personal statement.
The sift is due to take place from week commencing 28th November 2024
Interviews are likely to be held from week commencing 11th December 2024.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:
+ An Interview.
+ Software exercise.
This interview will be conducted online via MS Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
The assessment process will include a technical exercise that will test your knowledge of the coding languages and associated principals mentioned in the Experience section above.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., 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.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
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.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

+ Independent delivery of development projects using appropriate coding languages
+ Experience with back-end technologies - Python and Rust.
+ Experience with front end technologies - Svelte.
+ Experience with cloud deployment of services on GCP - Serverless VPC access connectors, Cloud Run, App Engine, Compute Engine.
+ Specific experience working geographic data applications, including Experience with PMtiles and MapLibre.

Alongside your salary of £40,808, Department for Transport contributes £11,822 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Please note, the above example is based on the National minimum salary. The employer pension contribution will be 28.97% of your specific salary.
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.
Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport https://careers.dft.gov.uk/dftc/.