Registers of Scotland are hiring a Senior Software Developer

Grade: Senior Executive Officer    
Total remuneration: £60,291 -£ £70,987 
Pay Supplement: The base salary for this role is £50,243-£59,156. This job qualifies for Digital, Data and Technology Annual Pay supplement 20% is included in the total remuneration above.    
Pension: 28.97% of base salary (RoS contribution)
Annual leave: 38 days annual holiday, increasing to 42 days with length of service.  
Duration: Permanent
Working Pattern: 35 hours per week. We are a flexible employer and will consider a variety of working patterns on a case-by-case basis. For example, compressed hours, term-time working or part-time working
Location: Hybrid working model. Contractual base either at Meadowbank House, Edinburgh (EH8 7AU), or St Vincent Plaza, Glasgow (G2 5LD). You will be expected to attend one of these locations as required by the role
Department: IT Development  
Directorate: Digital, Data and Technology  
Role Reports to: IT Development Manager  
Closing date: 20 August at 11.59pm 
Number of vacancies: 2 (Please Note: If this campaign establishes a reserve list, we may make an offer at a lower grade (HEO). Any offer will be discussed with you before it is confirmed)

About Registers of Scotland (RoS) 
Join an award-winning organisation recognised for its technology and innovation. Registers of Scotland is a world-leading pioneer in land and property registration. Our full-stack teams design, architect, and build all our registration products in-house. We work to create digital solutions for the people of Scotland. You will get an opportunity to nurture your creativity and develop with us through access to the latest data, software engineering and product delivery techniques. 

Our Tech stack  
Backend: Java, Python and related frameworks Spring Boot, Flask 
Frontend: JavaScript, TypeScript and related frameworks React, Next.js 
DevOps: AWS, OpenShift, GitLab CI/CD 
Data: PostgreSQL, PostGIS, MongoDB, Informix 

The Role 
Join our innovative tech team as a Senior Software Developer and help shape the future of RoS! We’re looking for a passionate and experienced developer to lead exciting projects, solve complex challenges, and create top-tier software. You’ll have the opportunity to work with a talented, collaborative team where your ideas and contributions will truly make a difference. You will work on cutting-edge projects that leverage the latest technologies and methodologies and have clear pathways for career progression and opportunities to take on leadership roles.  

 On a typical day you will… 

• Design, build, and maintain high-quality, scalable software systems 
• Lead the development of new features, from concept to production, ensuring quality and performance standards 
• Troubleshoot and resolve software defects, ensuring minimal disruption to users 
• Review and improve code written by team members, fostering a culture of continuous learning 
• Actively contribute to technical discussions and decisions regarding architecture and design 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Product, Design, and DevOps to create seamless, impactful software experiences 
• Stay ahead of industry trends and actively contribute to the improvement of our development practices 
• Mentor junior developers and help them grow through code reviews, pair programming, and sharing knowledge 
• Participate in community events, department meetups run by the developers, software developers led communities of practice, and contribute to shared projects 
• Provide line management for software developers, including regular 1:1s and performance reviews 
• Set clear objectives and expectations for direct reports 
  
  
  This job is for you if you want…

·       Work with purpose: working for the people of Scotland to set the bar for land and property registration worldwide.

·       Flexible and hybrid working: depending on the role and team requirements, work when and where it’s best for you and your stakeholders.

·       Benefits: enjoy pay progression, pension contributions of up to 28.97%, up to a year’s parental leave, and 38 days annual holiday, increasing to 42 days with length of service.  

·       Investment in professional development: we invest in all our people so that they have the right skills to be productive and confident in their job. 

·       Diversity and Inclusion: We are an ‘Investor in People’ and a ‘Disability Confident’ employer. We are inclusive, stronger together, and committed to putting our people first. 

·       Positive work culture: RoS is an agile, digital organisation using leading-edge technology. Colleagues understand their role in achieving our strategy and have the autonomy to deliver.

To learn more about RoS and what we offer visit our careers pages or watch this short video  

Essential Criteria – Skills and Attributes for Success 

We will assess you against the following Experience and Technical skills during the application and the assessment process: 

• Significant experience as a software engineer 
• Proven ability to take ownership of complex development projects and deliver quality solutions on time 
• Comfortable working in agile environments, collaborating with diverse teams, and adapting to change 
• You can demonstrate commitment to producing high-quality, efficient, and maintainable code 
• You have a curious mindset and are eager to tackle complex problems and find creative solutions 
• You enjoy collaborating with others, whether it’s pairing with teammates or brainstorming with cross-functional groups 
• Experience of line management, including supporting the professional development of direct reports 
• Experience in managing performance and resource allocation within a technical team 
• You value growth, both personally and professionally, and enjoy mentoring others 
• You want to make an impact; your work directly contributes to the organisation’s success and provides a service to the people of Scotland 

Technical: 

• Strong experience with programming languages (Java, Python, TypeScript) and related frameworks (Spring Boot, Flask, React) 
• Experience with container platforms (Docker, OpenShift) 
• Proficiency with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and modern DevOps tools 
• Experience with version control tools (GitLab) and building CI/CD pipelines 
• Familiarity with database technologies (SQL, NoSQL) 
• Solid understanding of designing and developing RESTful APIs or microservices

Behaviours/Competencies 

At assessment stage, you will be assessed against the all Behaviours below: 

·       Changing and Improving

·       Making Effective Decisions

·       Managing a Quality Service

Stage one - Application Process 
To apply, click on 'Apply now' and complete the online application form.  
You will need to submit: 

1. A CV outlining your career history and how you meet the technical and the general experience criteria (max 4 pages). 

2. A Statement of suitability (400 – 500 words in the space provided) based on scenario outline din the application workflow.

3. As part of the application process you will receive an online assessment invitation via Hackerrank and you will have 3 days to complete it.  

 Please note: 

·       If we receive a high volume of applications, we may complete an initial sift on Technical/ Experience criteria. 

·       We reserve the right to invite candidates to participate in a telephone interview prior to being further assessed.

·       We reserve the right to invite candidates to participate in a telephone interview prior to being further assessed.

·       Applications that are not accompanied by CVs will not be scored or statements over 500 words will not be considered.

·       We would strongly recommend that your statement is written in the STAR format (Situation, Task, Action & Result) and suggest preparing your answers using software such as MS Word or Google Docs, and then uploading the file.

·     We strongly advise you review our policy on responsible use of AI in the application process. RoS may contact you for a pre-screening call to verify your responses.

·       Applications and appointments are subject to a strict merit-based assessment process, in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.  

Stage two – assessment 

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to an in-person interview which will include the following: 

·       Behaviour based interview

·       Technical exercise and case study scenario (no prior preparation required)  

Behaviour-based interview questions will be shared with candidates 15 minutes before the assessment begins. This will allow you time to review them and think about the examples you want to use, and how to position them.
You are permitted to bring brief notes from your preparation into the interview to support your responses.

  Information on Success Profiles 

For further information on success profiles, visit our Success Profiles. 

 Recruitment timeline 

Feedback  
Feedback will only be provided if you progress to interview stage.

Reserve List 
  In the event that further posts are required, a reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for up to 12 months. 

Nationality and immigration status 

 In general, only nationals from the following countries (and associations of countries) are eligible for employment in the Civil Service: the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and the Commonwealth. EU nationals (with settled or pre-settled status), certain EEA nationals, Swiss and Turkish nationals are also eligible for employment. Detailed provisions on determining eligibility on the grounds of nationality and, where relevant, immigration status can be reviewed here. 

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a Basic Level 1 Disclosure check.  
Individuals working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks. 

DDaT supplement  

This post is part of the Digital, Data and Technology profession (DDAT) and attracts a pay supplement.  This is a tool which RoS uses to benchmark our salaries against current market rates. A review of the benchmark is undertaken every two years, this means that the supplement may go up or down depending on market activity. Advance notice will be given of any changes. 

Diversity and inclusion 

As a proud member of the Disability Confident Scheme, we welcome applications from disabled candidates. We’re not as diverse as we’d like yet, and we’re working on it. We especially welcome applications from underrepresented groups – people who are disabled, minoritised ethnic groups, and younger people (16-24 years of age). To learn more, please see our EDI strategy.  

As part of the application process, we would like to invite you to please complete our diversity monitoring form. This information is not shared with recruitment panels but will allow us to further improve our processes to increase diversity.  

Reasonable adjustments 

We want everyone to have the chance to perform at their best. If you need any adjustments (for example, extra time, a hearing loop, materials in large font) in any part of our recruitment process, please get in touch via talent@ros.gov.uk. We will discuss adjustments individually with any candidates who request these.  

Find out more about reasonable adjustments on this page  

 Further information 
For further information relating to RoS, including: 

·       Additional details on pay & benefits

·       The Civil Service Code

·       Complaints process 

·       Use of AI in the application/recruitment process, 

Please view our additional information page online 

 If you have any questions, please contact talent@ros.gov.uk