Software Engineer Foundation

Bristol City Council; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

LGPS pension

Annual leave

Job summary

Bristol City Council is seeking a Software Engineer (Foundation) to join the in-house Digital Operations Service in City Hall, Bristol. You will help expand the delivery team and contribute to digital transformation across the organisation.

We value creativity, a proactive learning mindset and collaboration in cross-functional teams. The role offers hybrid working, a 37-hour week, and a competitive salary of £42,839 to £46,142, with generous leave and pension benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience with generative AI technologies and modern software practices.
• Ability to learn new programming skills and technologies quickly.
• Strong collaboration in cross-functional teams.
• Willingness to contribute to innovative digital services.

Responsibilities

• Build, improve and support digital services in an agile environment.
• Collaborate with business users, architects and operations to design software.
• Work with senior engineers and external resources to grow team capability.
• Contribute to reliable and sustainable digital solutions across the organisation.

Skills

Generative AI

Agile development

Cross-functional teamwork

Self-motivated learner

Collaboration

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Job reference VAC008681 Date posted 07/08/2026 Application closing date 31/08/2026 Location City Hall College Green City Centre Bristol BS1 5TR Salary BG12: £42,839 - £46,142 Package Blank Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Job category/type Digital and ICT Attachments Job Description.pdf Person Specification.pdf

We are looking for a Software Engineer (Foundation) to expand our in-house delivery team and be involved in exciting digital transformation work across the organisation.

This is an excellent opportunity to join and help shape the growing in-house Digital Operations Service within our vibrant city’s local government.

Do you have a keen interest in software development, AI, automation, Microsoft Copilot and digital services? Would you like to join an organisation whose work affects the lives of an entire city’s population?

Would you like to grow your skills and experience with us? We are looking for enthusiastic Software Engineers to join our team and help us deliver modern, user-focused digital services.

Responsibilities include:

• Building, improving and supporting digital services.
• Working as part of an agile team with business users, architects, operations staff and other colleagues to design and build software systems that meet operational needs.
• Working with Practitioner Level Software Engineers and external developer resources to continuously build experience and effectiveness.
• Contributing to the development of reliable, effective and sustainable digital solutions that support services across the organisation.

Skills required:

• The ability to demonstrate creativity and innovation in developing solutions for the benefit of customers.
• A keen, self-starting approach to learning new programming skills and technologies.
• Enthusiasm for working in collaborative, cross-functional teams.
• A willingness to learn from others, share ideas and contribute to team outcomes.
• Experience with generative AI technologies, including advanced prompting, meta-prompting, Microsoft Copilot Studio, including new and classic versions, and Azure AI Foundry.
• Experience with AI-assisted software development using GitHub Copilot.
• An interest in exploring how AI and automation can improve services, support colleagues and deliver better outcomes for residents.

Why Bristol City Council?

At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high-profile organisation. For the majority of our roles hybrid working arrangements are available, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice - mixing both home and office working.

Join us and you’ll receive an excellent rewards package including flexible working and flexitime, membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future.

To be shortlisted for interview you’ll need to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria in the Person Specification within the Further Information section of your application. On occasion we will receive high numbers of applications, we may then shortlist against the desirable criteria along with the essential criteria, so if you can, please demonstrate how you meet this in your application.

For permanent Bristol City Council employees, this post will be a secondment.

For employees who are currently on a fixed term contract with Bristol City Council, the secondment must not extend beyond the end of the fixed term period to ensure there is a substantive post to return to.

If you are currently a casual worker or a member of an employment agency (currently working with Bristol City Council) this post will be a fixed term contract.

We're a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We'll make reasonable adjustments throughout the

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact [e-mail]

Thepersonal information section (including your name) you’ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers, but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.