Senior Frontend & Node.js Developer

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Job summary

Changes are happening at UK Home Office we are not just about entry gates at Airports or issuing passports. We have over 30 different agencies and public bodies, including Policing and Counter Terrorism and with everyone using digital device's technology is changing massively, we are bringing services in house, and it’s a big challenge.

You could be designing and building solutions to help people prove their identity or apply for visas or working on the critical IT systems that support policing and counter terrorism and help protect UK borders. Our success in this role depends on our ability to exploit the latest technologies to create leading-edge, world class solutions whilst ensuring they are secure and resilient.

Our work is guided by these fundamental principles:

• Put user needs first

• Delivery and outcomes over process

• Make the most of openness: open standards, open source, open data and open markets

It’s important that we build a diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve and provide an inclusive environment for all. We value everyone's skills and provide a creative and supportive workplace to help you do your best work and develop your career.

Job description

We’re passionate about building software that solves problems. We’re home to some of the most important public services in the United Kingdom and are transforming how we use data and technology to improve these. Our software has been used to stop terrorist attacks, ensure applications and delivery of passports is efficient and developing and supporting a wide variety of GOV.UK services such as getting married or forming a civil partnership or applying for a visa.

As a Senior Developer you will be working with modern technologies in cloud -based environments with other skilled people, collaborating and making things work for our end users, in some cases that’s the public and in others our own people who work at the Borders, Immigration or protecting the public.

We develop over 560 services which have millions of users worldwide.

Person specification

The Senior Developer is key for our product delivery, you will develop core components of our solutions and help select appropriate technologies. Your subject matter expertise will enable you to operate with greater levels of autonomy and decision making.

You will work to our technical standards writing clean, secure code following a test-driven approach, ensuring the code is open as far as possible and can be re-used.

The Senior Developer will be expected to mentor and lead other engineers in technical tasks, as well as support recruitment and assessment activities.

Main Responsibilities 

Your main day to day responsibilities will be: 

• Delivering secure, reliable and scalable software, and supporting your team with technical tasks when needed

• Evaluating and advising on design choices and ensuring that software is high quality and balances technical and business considerations

• Defining and documenting test cases for new systems and maintaining live systems to ensure ongoing performance

• Evolving new approaches/solutions with other professions through discoveries, maintaining a focus on development and deployment

• Helping prioritise and direct technical tasks across your team, to balance new and live services

Other day to day activities 

All our engineers will be expected to embody an open and positive approach, supporting the Home Office in

• Progressing the DDaT Profession, understanding all roles and helping to build our community

• Working and assessing to appropriate standards: for instance, accessibility, the GDS service standard and our own community practices

• Improving our skills and approaches as well as keeping up to speed with the technology landscape

Essential Skills

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for Software Development with the following skills or experience with:

• NodeJS as a server for web applications 

• HTML and CSS, including CSS pre-processors and responsive web app layout

• One or more frontend Frameworks (e.g. React, Angular, Vue.js)

• JavaScript including DOM manipulation

• Package managers (npm, yarn)

• Unit testing and TDD, and automated frontend (unit/component) testing

• Leading and mentoring others in frontend architecture, technology choices, code quality, security, CI/CD

• Creating and consuming APIs

Desirable Skills

• Experience working with and working with design teams and contributing to design systems like Home Office, Gov.uk and other common component sets

• Experience leading and driving teamwork for design and delivery of frontend features to meet user needs

• Understanding and experience of making Accessible websites

The skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office DDaT Profession Skills and Competency Model (based on the industry standard SFIA framework). Please see below for the relevant skills for your role.

Technical skills

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

• Data Management (DATM) - Level 5

• Software Design (SWDN) - Level 5

• Programming/Software Development (PROG) - Level 4

• Testing (TEST) - Level 4

• Systems Integration and Build (SINT) - Level 5

• Application Support (ASUP) - Level 5

Benefits

• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

• 25 days annual leave on appointment, plus 8 days public holidays and 1 day for the King’s Birthday, rising further with service

• Flexible working options to enable you to achieve the work life balance that right for you including part-time, flexi time and job sharing

• Training and development opportunities tailored to your role

• An in-year bonus scheme

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity