Junior Software Engineer

Project Freelance; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Project Freelance, a Birmingham-based web and app development agency, invites a Junior Software Engineer to join a collaborative team on client projects. You will work across front-end, back-end and database layers from early on, with guidance from experienced engineers and a focus on producing tested, documented code for production.

The role is permanent and full-time with hybrid in-office and remote work.

Qualifications

• Strong software portfolio showing project work and ability to build features end-to-end.
• Commercial experience with PHP/Laravel and a modern frontend framework such as React/React Native.
• Good working knowledge of SQL and relational database design with MVC and RESTful APIs.
• Familiarity with Git-based workflows, code review, automated testing and CI/CD.
• Clear written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Curious, practical approach to new tools and AI-assisted development.

Responsibilities

• Build features within the agreed technical approach and verify changes before review.
• Ask for guidance early and bring findings to discussion.
• Raise problems promptly and identify who needs to help.
• Apply code-review feedback and learn from it.
• Learn technologies, tools, and client domains for projects.
• Keep lead and project manager informed on progress and blockers.
• Maintain accurate ticket statuses, estimates, and PRs.
• Write clear tickets, commit messages and PR descriptions.
• Record technical decisions and setup instructions for others.
• Explain trade-offs and uncertainties when handing work over for review.
• Collaborate with designers, PMs and engineers; help colleagues where possible.
• Participate in scrums, masterclasses and retrospectives.

Skills

Portfolio

PHP/Laravel

React/React Native

TypeScript

SQL

Git workflows

CI/CD

Communication

AI-assisted development

Education

Computer Science degree or equivalent

Tools

Git

CI/CD

Job description

Job Title: Junior Software Engineer

Location: Birmingham / Hybrid

Salary: £28,000 - £35,000 per annum

Position: Permanent, full-time

About The Company:

The Company is a long-established web and app development agency based in the Jewellery Quarter, specialising in AI integration, SaaS products, apps and portals.

We build high-quality web and mobile solutions for a wide range of clients, from innovative start-ups to established enterprises. We embrace modern technologies, and have frontier adoption of AI. We take pride in a team culture that values high control, continuous learning, and delivering work we can stand behind.

All roles are 'hybrid', meaning we expect our teams to be able to come into the office in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham while working effectively from home.

Job Role:

We are looking for a Junior Software Engineer with a strong software portfolio who wants to build web and mobile applications and develop their engineering skills.

You will work across the front end, back end and database on real client projects from early on. An Engineer or Lead Engineer will review your work closely and help you build software that is tested, documented and ready to run in production.

You will follow the agreed architecture and check your approach before starting work. As you demonstrate stronger skills and judgement, you will take on larger tasks with less supervision. This role has no people-management responsibilities.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Building features within the agreed technical approach and checking that your changes work before submitting them for review.
• Asking for guidance early when you are unsure, bringing your findings and possible approaches to the discussion.
• Raising problems promptly, explaining what is affected and either resolving them or making clear who needs to help.
• Applying code-review feedback and understanding the reasoning behind it.
• Learning our technologies, tools, delivery practices and clients' businesses, including unfamiliar technologies when projects require them.
• Keeping your lead and project manager informed about completed work, progress, blockers and support you need.
• Keeping ticket statuses, estimates, time records and pull requests accurate and up to date.
• Writing clear tickets, commit messages and pull request descriptions that explain what changed and why.
• Recording technical decisions, setup instructions and operational details so others can pick up your work.
• Explaining trade-offs and areas of uncertainty when handing work over for review.
• Working with designers, project managers and other engineers, and helping colleagues where you can.
• Taking part in scrums, masterclasses and retrospectives, applying what you learn and making practical improvements such as clearer notes, checklists or tests.

Your success will depend on the quality and reliability of your work, clear communication and how well you apply what you learn. We expect working, tested features, early reporting of problems and clear handovers.

Skills and experience:

• A strong software portfolio showing substantial project work and your ability to build features or complete projects from start to finish. Commercial programming experience is advantageous.
• Solid capability with an object-oriented back-end language, preferably PHP/Laravel, and a modern front-end framework such as React or React Native. TypeScript is desirable.
• Good working knowledge of SQL and relational database design, with an understanding of MVC and RESTful API principles.
• Familiarity with Git-based team workflows, code review, automated testing and CI/CD.
• Care for clean, well-structured code and the judgement to recognise when a problem needs a second opinion.
• Clear written and verbal communication with technical and non-technical colleagues.
• The ability to take responsibility for agreed tasks, work within guidance and ask for support when needed.
• A curious, practical approach to new tools and AI-assisted development, with a willingness to experiment and assess their value through evidence and measurable results.

Additional Information:

We value a diverse workforce and believe that people from different backgrounds can bring fresh ideas, thinking and approaches to the way we work. We welcome everyone from everywhere to come and join our team.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

The job title and salary offered will be dependent on the candidate's experience and demonstrated capability.

Candidates with experience of the following may also be suitable to apply for this role;

Software Engineer, Software Developer, Full Stack Developer, Web Developer, App Developer, Frontend Developer, Backend Developer, Junior Software Engineer, Junior Developer, Graduate Developer, Trainee Developer, SaaS Developer, Portal Developer, Mobile App Developer, AI-Assisted Development, AI Pair Programming, Agentic Coding, AI Coding Agents, Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, OpenAI Codex, ChatGPT