Software Developer

We're seeking a skilled and motivated Software Developer with a strong focus on front-end technologies to help us build and enhance digital products that make a real difference in improving financial wellbeing. You'll work with modern JavaScript technologies including React, Next.js, and TypeScript, while also leveraging Node.js and cloud services to deliver robust, user-focused solutions. The ideal candidate will be proactive and collaborative, with a passion for clean, maintainable code and modern development practices. You'll thrive in an agile environment, working closely with product, design, and delivery teams to create accessible, high-quality experiences that have a positive societal impact. Key Relationships:

• Other Engineers and Developers
• Delivery Managers/Scrum Masters
• Product Owners
• Business Analysts
• Test Engineers
• Security and Architecture, + Developing our digital products using React, Next.js and TypeScript with a focus on writing efficient, modular and maintainable code.
• Building and integrating with services in Azure (such as Cosmos DB).
• Following a component-driven development practice, working towards a common design system through development of our shared component libraries, promoting re-use of existing code where possible, and providing a clear and consistent user experience.
• Producing clean, testable code complete with unit/integration/e2e tests.
• Ability to leverage AI tools and services where appropriate, to boost productivity and quality.
• Following the government Service Manual to ensure we build compliant experiences for our customers (e.g. ensuring we build for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, compatibility with different devices, and utilising technology such as Server Side Rendering for performance and compatibility where JavaScript is disabled).
• Collaborating within an agile team, working closely with other developers, devops, designers, editors, product owners and testers to deliver the best possible digital experiences.
• Writing technical documentation.
• Participating in our agile planning, estimation and delivery processes.
• Peer reviewing code developed as part of our workflow.
• Able to self-manage including keeping technical knowledge up to date.
• Actively participating within communities of practice; contributing to our best practices and sharing your knowledge and experience with the team.
• Pairing with other developers where appropriate., + Availability and capacity management. You can manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Development process optimisation. You can explain the importance of developing process efficiency and the common ways in which processes are optimised. You can support specific activities to improve development processes. You can identify obvious deficiencies.
• Information security. You can design solutions and services with security controls included, specifically engineered to mitigate security threats.
• Modern development standards. You can apply modern development standards and support others in applying them.
• Programming and build (software engineering). You can collaborate with others when necessary to review specifications and use the agreed specifications to design, code, test and document programs or scripts of medium-to-high complexity, using the right standards and tools.
• Prototyping. You can approach prototyping as a team activity, actively soliciting prototypes and testing with others. You can establish design patterns and iterate them. You can use a variety of prototyping methods and choose the most appropriate.
• Service support. You can help fix service faults following agreed procedures and carry out maintenance tasks on service support infrastructure.
• Systems design. You can translate logical designs into physical designs. You can produce detailed designs. You can effectively document all work using required standards, methods and tools, including prototyping tools where appropriate. You can design systems characterised by managed levels of risk, manageable business and technical complexity, and meaningful impact. You can work with well understood technology and identify appropriate patterns.
• Systems integration. You can build and test simple interfaces between systems. You can work on more complex integration as part of a wider team.
• User focus. You can collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally. You can explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user. You can champion user research to focus on all users. You can prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story, guiding others in doing so. You can offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use., 3. Interview: If selected, you'll participate in a virtual interview. This single-stage process allows you to demonstrate your skills and experience through competency-based questions. This will also require you to deliver a short presentation. Career Development In MaPS, we take career development seriously. We actively encourage and support applications from our existing MaPS colleagues. However, we do follow the Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, which means that you will be required to participate in a full, open, and fair process. Reserve List If you are successful at interview, we operate a reserve list where your details will be held for up to 6 months. Should a vacancy come available in that time with the same essential criteria, reserve list candidates will be offered that position with no further assessment required. Application Process The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Money and Pensions Service via email: recruitment@maps.org.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

• Experience working in a junior-mid level development role.

• Demonstrable experience developing full stack applications, with knowledge of JavaScript, TypeScript, React and Next.js.

• Familiarity with Node.js.

• Experience writing unit, integration and e2e tests (e.g. Jest, React Testing Library, Cypress, Playwright).

• Experience integrating with third party services using REST or GraphQL.

• Awareness of security best practices such as OWASP and tooling such as SonarCloud.

• Experience producing mobile-first, responsive CSS and familiarity with CSS frameworks such as Tailwind.

• Experience with accessibility; semantic HTML and ARIA.

• Experience working in an environment with CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps Pipelines).

• Demonstrable commitment to high quality, robust engineering practices.

• Experience of productive collaboration with design, testing, product and other digital delivery colleagues. Desirable:

• Experience working with a cloud platform (e.g. AWS, Azure, GCP, Netlify)

• Familiarity with non-relational databases such as CosmosDB/MongoDB.

• Experience building and working within design systems and development tooling such as Storybook.

• Experience working with a Content Management System.

• Experience with monorepo architecture/tooling (e.g. Nx, Turborepo)

• Experience integrating Tag Management and Analytics tools such as GTM and Google Analytics.

• Experience with other languages such as C# or Python.

What We Offer

• Generous Annual Leave - 30 days plus Bank Holidays
• Pension scheme - contributions matched 2 to 1 (up to 10% of your salary)
• Interest-free loan for season tickets for buses and trains
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Subsidised eye tests & flu jabs
• Life assurance scheme
• Give as you earn scheme
• Employee assistance programme (EAP)
• PAM Assist and PAM Life scheme (Wellbeing)
• Enhanced family and sick pay
• Paid volunteering (2 days a year)
• Recognition Scheme
• Discounts portal to numerous retailers Flexible Working At MaPS, we take pride in our flexible approach to work. As standard, we work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in the office per week. Hybrid working is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and our headquarters in Bedford will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is based in Bedford, in a recently renovated modern office. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to become an integral part of a dynamic organisation, working to help people across the UK. At the heart of the Money and Pensions Service are our values - caring, connecting, and transforming, which are the foundation of our success. They permeate every area of our work and define all our business relationships and the way we work with each other. We're not only looking for the best people to come and work for us, but we need people who align themselves with our values: + Caring We care about our colleagues and the people whose lives we are here to transform. + Connecting We will transform lives through our ability to make positive connections. + Transforming We are committed to transforming lives and making a positive societal impact. Our Inclusive Working Environment By fostering our values, we are immensely proud of the inclusive working environment that we have created. The diversity of our people is a strength that we embrace and wish to build upon, so we are committed to attracting people of all backgrounds. We work hard to ensure that we have a progressive approach to inclusion, equity, and belonging. We really do want our colleagues to "bring their whole selves to work."