Digital Development Assistant (Junior Software Engineer)

Kent Wildlife Trust; Maidstone; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading conservation charity in Maidstone is seeking a Junior Software Engineer to join their Digital Development team. This hybrid role involves implementing web applications that support data-driven decision making and improving efficiency through IT systems. Ideal candidates will demonstrate a passion for software development, possess skills in technologies like ReactJS and SQL, and fit into a collaborative team culture. Comprehensive benefits and professional development opportunities are offered.

Benefits

Flexible work options

Wellbeing initiatives

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Entry level passion for software development.
• Aptitude for problem solving and understanding data management principles.
• Ability to tackle tasks independently and collaborate with a team.

Responsibilities

• Implement web applications for data-driven decision making.
• Work on projects like GIS land records portal and MyWilderKent app.
• Contribute to digital development strategies focused on automation.

Skills

ReactJS

R Shiny

SQL

Git

Job description

The Trust offers hybrid working, with staff splitting their time between offices, reserves, visitor centres and some remote work, depending on their role. Remote/hybrid. The successful applicant should expect to work from Kent Wildlife Trust’s head office (Tyland Barn, Maidstone) at least once a month, with dates agreed well in advance.

About us

Kent Wildlife Trust is the county’s leading conservation charity with more than 31,000 members and over 1,000 registered volunteers. We manage and protect over 9,000 acres of land across more than 90 different sites and nature reserves, alongside 2 visitor centres. But we can’t save nature alone. So, we work closely with local communities, businesses, organisations and individuals to protect and restore wildlife and wild spaces and create a wilder Kent for the benefit of people and the planet.

What you'll be doing

This role sits in the Digital Development department of Kent Wildlife Trust Group (KWTG), a team of 7 working to integrate data‑driven decision making and spatial planning across all aspects of the charity, Wilder Carbon, Adonis Blue Environmental Services and Rebuilding Nature. The Digital Development team also work to improve the efficiency of KWTG through IT and digital systems.

The job title internally will be Digital Development Assistant, and this equates to a Junior Software Engineer role. We welcome applications from candidates at an early stage of their software development career. This could include recent graduates, career changers, or self‑taught developers. You do not need to meet all the criteria to apply.

This role will work closely with the Digital Development Lead and Deputy Director of Digital Development to implement a number of web applications to better enable data driven decision making and impact tracking. In the first year these will include:

• a portal to keep up-to-date records of third party land that KWTG influence, involving linking GIS parcels stored in a PostgreSQL database with landowner information kept in our CRM system;
• a system to report on income generated at each reserve, and;
• our innovative MyWilderKentapp - which aims to remove barriers to taking nature positive actions in the users’ home, garden and community.

Long term the role would play an integral part in the continued digital development of Kent Wildlife Trust, focusing on automating manual tasks, allowing live impact reporting and spatial planning and creating attractive engagement tools for our audience and the general public, facilitating the Trust in achieving the goals of Wilder Kent 2030 – our organisational strategy.

What we need you to bring

We are looking for entry level candidates with a passion for software development. Your drive and initiative are more important to us than your experience, this is a role where you can commit time to learning and improving while delivering outputs.

The ideal candidate will have experience with some of the technologies we use, such as ReactJS, R Shiny, SQL and git. The ability to tackle a task independently with guidance from the team and using documentation (both internal and online) and a keen aptitude for problem solving will be vital, as will an understanding of data management principles and a keen eye for aesthetic design and a smooth user journey.

You will also need to fit into a social, hybrid group who regularly meet for digital coffee catchups, days out at a reserve and team office days. The desire to work collaboratively, share your achievements and your issues, and build relationships with your colleagues is key.

What we will offer in return

We offer exceptional enhanced benefits. Recognising the wellbeing pressures related to the climate and nature crises we face as a society, we provide flexible work options, wellbeing initiatives, and professional development opportunities. Whatever stage of your career you’re at, our comprehensive benefits package at Kent Wildlife Trust can be a key factor in your choice to join us.

Next steps

If you’re ready to join our team and help us create a Wilder Kent, simply click “Apply now” to apply via our website. Here you can find out more about the role and complete the online application form. Be sure to include your personal statement in the space provided and upload your CV, and take a moment to review the guidance notes for helpful tips.

Successful candidates will be invited to a remote interview in the week commencing 2nd February.

We will not review any applications before the closing date, so please take your time and submit the best application that you can. The interview questions will be sent in advance and it will contain a short task for you to demonstrate your programming skills. Our emphasis is on a fair and inclusive application process, so please get in touch with us if you have any questions about each stage.

Eligibility

We are unable to recruit anyone who does not have a right to work in the UK.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Kent Wildlife Trust believes that everyone has a responsibility to safeguard children, young people, and adults at risk; we are committed to ensuring their safety and wellbeing is at the heart of our engagement with people. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to references, Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks as appropriate to the role.

The Kent Wildlife Trust Group is Wild About Inclusion. To us, this means inspiring, empowering and engaging people from all backgrounds, cultures, identities and abilities, to change the natural world for the better. It also means cultivating inclusive workspaces that are free from discrimination, where differences are celebrated, everyone can be themselves and flourish, just like nature!