Software Developer

UK Ministry of Defence; Blackpool; On-site; GBP 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department in the UK is seeking a Software Developer to develop and maintain public-facing services on GOV.UK. You'll work with modern tools, including JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js, while ensuring adherence to secure coding practices. The ideal candidate is experienced in Agile environments and has a strong commitment to quality code and professional development. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to meaningful public services.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension with employer contribution of 28.97%

Qualifications

• Proven experience in JavaScript development.
• Experience developing backend services using Node.js.
• Ability to write secure, clean, and maintainable code.
• Ability to document, test, and support software components.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain live public-facing services on GOV.UK.
• Write clean, secure, and test-driven code.
• Integrate APIs such as GOV.UK One Login and GOV.UK Notify.
• Support live services by investigating incidents and resolving issues.

Skills

JavaScript development

Node.js

Version control using Git

Clean code practices

Agile methodologies

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

TypeScript

Postgres

Job description

Salary

£36,530

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Location

Norcross - Tomlinson House

Bristol - Abbey Wood North

Glasgow - Kentigern House

Job description

As a software developer in the Defence Business Services (DBS) Automation Garage you will be responsible for developing and maintaining live public-facing services on GOV.UK. In this role, you will write clean, secure, and test-driven code that adheres to modern standards and design patterns. You will create open solutions that are easy for others to reuse and extend. You will integrate APIs such as GOV.UK One Login and GOV.UK Notify ensuring services align with the Government Digital Service Standard. You will test and document code releases and support the team at GDS Service Assessments.

• Work with JavaScript, TypeScript, TypeORM, Postgres, Nunjucks.
• Develop backend services using Node.js with frameworks like Express and NestJS.
• Maintain and support open GitHub repositories, following robust branching and commit strategies to ensure clarity and traceability.
• Support DevOps activities in a Kubernetes environment on OpenShift, leveraging Docker for containerisation.
• Support live services by investigating incidents and resolving issues to minimise downtime.
• You can design, code, test, and document using modern standards and tools, working closely with users and stakeholders to gather requirements.
• Collaborate with others (service manager, technical architects, design team) to understand and review software requirements.
• Work in an Agile environment ensuring service and project managers are informed of the status of development and service support.
• Proactively learn and develop skills on the job while delivering software components.

Find ways to improve system robustness, resilience and stability

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience in JavaScript development.
• Experience developing backend services using Node.js.
• Ability to write secure, clean, and maintainable code aligned with modern development standards and practices.
• Ability to document, test, and support software components.
• Demonstrable commitment to professional development through proactive learning.
• Practical experience using Git for version control (preferably GitHub).

Desirable Criteria

• Experience with NestJS or other backend frameworks.
• Experience working with TypeScript.
• Familiarity with Agile delivery environments.
• Understanding of the Government Digital Service (GDS) Standard, Ways of Working, and Secure by Design principles.
• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines as part of modern DevOps practices.
• Experience using Docker for containerisation.
• Awareness of accessibility and usability standards in digital services.
• Knowledge of Information Security principles in web-based software development.