Lead Developer

The Opportunity

This is work of national importance. Join the Parliamentary Digital Service as a Lead Developer and what you do will make UK democracy function better, more efficiently and more transparently. And this couldn't be more vital - the outputs you lead, oversee and deliver will allow the activities of the UK Parliament to be better scrutinised and understood by the public.

Acting as technical lead for a truly multidisciplinary team, you'll connect the Principal Developers in the Senior Management Team (SMT) to the rest of the delivery team, making sure the work planned and delivered aligns with our technical strategy, and adheres to the agreed tools, standards and approaches. You'll bring the perfect blend of strong technical and people skills allowing you to guide, coach and mentor others, review development work, and oversee quality to keep standards very high.

We'll look to you to lead on many complex issues, helping to refine the systems that allow Members to vote in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, improving the tabling systems that allow MPs to submit questions, and much more.

Using your technical experience and high-quality programming skills, you'll be ready to communicate clearly across different disciplines, with your digital colleagues, and to other stakeholders throughout Parliament. But your work won't stop there. Among your other responsibilities, you'll:

• appreciate the needs of users and keep them in mind when taking actions or making decisions
• understand the differences between needs and wants, and maintain a strong focus on benefits, outcomes and value for money in all the work we do
• ensure the skills of all the developers in our team are sufficient for the needs of the products and services being developed
• provide coaching, pairing and mentoring to your colleagues, or recommend learning and training areas
• oversee the adequate transfer of knowledge between Principal Developers and the Development and DevOps teams, in line with the overarching strategic direction and our departmental standards
• represent operational teams in decisions to evolve processes, structures and policies to ensure maximum effectiveness based on current organisational need.

  What You Need

  • If you're a strong leader with effective teambuilding skills and the ability to motivate and develop a multi-disciplinary team while adhering to wider technical direction in a complex environment, then we want to hear from you. You should also have: Experience across C#, .NET Core and .NET Framework, web frameworks including MVC and Web API, SQL / SQL Server with proven experience in designing database schemas to satisfy data storage and retrieval requirements, designing and creating RESTful APIs, performing profiling of applications and writing performant code, Git, abstracting code into core libraries and creating reusable components, debugging and systems analysis, HTML5, CSS
  • SASS & Javascript and TypeScript, familiarity with a frontend framework such as Angular / React / Vue (Angular preferred) a strong understanding and application of the most appropriate modern standards and practices, and the skills to advise and coach others on the correct way to apply these standards and methods
  • The ability to design systems characterised by medium levels of risk, impact and business or technical complexity, and a readiness to review the system designs of others to ensure the selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources, secure design and the integration of multiple systems and technology
  • A good understanding of information security and can build systems with information security included as a core part of the design
  • The ability to define the integration build, coordinate build activities across systems and understand how to undertake and support integration-testing activities
  • The skills to champion and represent users internally and build meaningful relationships with them to support high-quality development and delivery
  • A readiness to uphold the values of equality, diversity and inclusion
  • the ability to pass security clearance, backed by the right to work in the UK

    About The Team

    You'll be working in the Software Engineering function, which is one of three teams within the Product Directorate in the Parliamentary Digital Service. The Digital Service is a joint department of both Houses of Parliament, providing technology and services to all Parliamentary users. Software Engineering in a multi-disciplinary function, and is responsible for developing, supporting and enhancing approximately fifty bespoke digital products used by Parliament.

    About Us

    UK Parliament is steeped in history and tradition. It is an important part of UK life and we need to ensure as many people as possible can engage with its work. This is why we are at the start of a huge transformation programme powered by technology. The Parliamentary Digital Service (PDS) works with the House of Commons and the House of Lords with all their IT and digital needs. We are here to realise the digital ambitions of a modern Parliament and welcome you to join us in building a digital democracy.

    Our Package

    Please refer to our Candidate Information Pack for a full list of our benefits which include:

    • up to 35 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays
    • generous maternity pay policy up to 6 months full pay
    • great pension scheme options (contributory and non-contributory)
    • on-site subsidised gym, nursery, catering, post office, travel office and GP
    • flexible options including hybrid working and family friendly policies

      How To Apply

      Please make sure you're clear on the requirements of the role. These can be found in the Job Description and Candidate Information Pack. You will need to upload your CV to show how you meet up to the first five criterion. Our application process is anonymous, so please remove any personal information from it.

      Apply By:

      Interviews: - 6th & 7th March: Informal Intro Calls- 7th & 12th March: Take Home Code Tests- 25th & 26th March: Interviews / Pair Programming Exercise

      Format: Panel Interview (Remote)

      Our Culture

      For our people, we provide an amazing opportunity to bring their talents to an institution that sits right at the heart of society in the UK. We are helping to change UK Parliament and strengthen democracy. What matters here is your potential for growth and your commitment to playing your part in our ongoing success.

      We are passionate about providing an environment which promotes inclusion, diversity and equality. Regardless of your age, gender, ethnicity, beliefs or any of the other things that make you, you. We welcome applications from people who feel under-represented in the workforce. This includes those who may feel disadvantaged because of their socioeconomic circumstances.