Principal Developer
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
This role sits in the Shared Applications Service department, with over 650 engineers. This is the engineering capability, developing in all areas including policing, Homeland Security, Border Force, and migration.
Our work spans Home Office mission-critical operations, such as enhancing Counter-Terrorism capabilities, transforming Border Security and immigration processes, to revolutionising asylum case management and enhancing Counter-Terrorism capabilities. Imagine developing technology that helps reunite families, creates safer communities, protects vulnerable people, and ensures smoother journeys for the millions travelling to and from the UK.
Where business needs allow some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. Where this is the case, employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office.
Watch this short video to hear from members of Home Office Digital talking about the projects they work on and their experience of working here: Working for Home Office Digital., The Principal Developer works on challenging technical problems, which require broad thinking while remaining hands-on developing software. You will be expected to actively deliver but will have more of a focus on ensuring delivery quality and overall service value. You will be working on large scale problems on critical services setting strategy and standards for the wider team to follow
You will be working on the National Communications Data Service (NCDS) a critical capability within UK law enforcement, providing secure, reliable, and scalable services for the acquisition and analysis of communications data to support investigations and protect the public. Operating at the heart of national security and policing, NCDS ensures compliance with legal frameworks while delivering innovative technology solutions that enable rapid, accurate, and ethical data handling.
You may be called upon to take part in planning with senior stakeholders to make sure that technical designs match strategy. In this you will be expected to help ensure that all engineers, architects and other professions are working together. You will also identify, test and advocate for new tools or approaches.
You will support the assurance of our solutions and help resolve any discrepancy between approach and organisational strategy.
As a Principal Developer, you will be expected to mentor other senior engineers in technical tasks, as well as support recruitment and assessment activities.
You will be expected to understand and use the latest AWS technology as well as applying Secure by Design Principals., * Carrying out challenging implementation tasks, whilst maintaining strong stakeholder engagement and keeping the relevant documentation up to date.
- Delivering new designs and implementations, working with architects/security and other stakeholders.
- Pioneering new software architectural and build/integration approaches, ensuring they adhere to organisational strategy.
- Implementing effective test and QA across a number of individuals/systems.
- Being the technical authority in your area, providing arbitration for complex technical decisions.
Like many organisations we need to maintain our services 24/7, therefore, on occasions there may be a requirement to work out of hours, for which you will be paid an additional allowance.
Essential skills
- Selecting appropriate tooling, and specifying, designing, refactoring, and documenting complex scripts, frameworks, and infrastructure-as-code definitions, to automate build and deployment activities. (PROG - Programming/software development)
- Specify and lead the implementation of master data management processes and standards, ensuring data integrity, transformation, availability and searchability through formal methods and protection measures. (DATM Data management)
- Specifying and setting standards for automated testing, scanning and code analysis in collaboration with testers, architects, service owners and developers. (TEST - Testing)
- Specifying, guiding, and leading the adoption of automation frameworks for CI/CD and ETL data pipelines. (SINT - Systems integration and build)
- Specifying and ensuring good use of processes, procedures and tooling for application or database monitoring, maintenance, and incident response. (ASUP - Application support)
- Design, specification, development of large and complex cloud data platforms. Intergrading data presentation, analysis and GIS leading the development strategy and peer reviewing code changes (Role 1), or Support and development of a complex intelligence platform incorporating data ingest, analytics and matching. Peer reviewing code changes (Role 2) (SWDN Software Design), The allowance values are set by the Home Office, subject to remaining in a qualifying role and are non-pensionable. This allowance is non-contractual, subject to an annual review and could be withdrawn at any time.
For both new entrants and existing civil servants, the total compensation offer is a combination of base salary and, if applicable, a capability-based allowance. The pay ranges for this role are National: £76,117- £83,729 and £80,237- £88,261. New entrants to the Civil Service will start on the pay range minimum. For existing civil servants, our policies on level transfer and promotion will apply.
Working at the Home Office
Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people can bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.
We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.
Existing civil servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidates responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.
Transfer Terms: Voluntary.
You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up.
Any move to the Home Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including tax free childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.
If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Reasonable adjustments
If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the Assistance Required section in the Additional Requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you are deaf, a language service professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the Contact point for applicants section.
Feedback Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check .
See our vetting charter . People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks., * 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)
- 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
Requirements
Do you have experience in Weblogic?, * Java (Current Versions), Spring, Spring Boot, Gradle, JavaScript
- Languages and Frameworks: React, Vue, Node.js
- Other Languages used across the service include: Python, PHP, Drupal, Databases, PostgreSQL and/or MySQL, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, Terraform
Role 2:
- Databases: Oracle RDBMS Enterprise Edition 11gR1, Oracle WebLogic 11gR1
- Java (Java v8), Oracle PL/SQL, JavaScript
- Elastic, Skills for the Information Age (SFIA) is the technical framework that sets the standard capability and development of all levels in the Home Office. This is a link to the capability framework: All skills A - Z English (sfia-online.org).
We use set SFIA technical skills to form our interview questions and we will assess you against these technical skills during the selection process.
The essential skills listed above are reflective of the Home Office Government Digital and Data Profession Career Framework (based on the industry standard SFIA framework). Use the SFIA levels of responsibility to understand what would be expected for each technical skills listed below.
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Software design (SWDN) - Level 5
- Programming/software development (PROG) - Level 4
- Testing (TEST) - Level 4
- Systems integration and build (SINT) - Level 5
- Data management (DATM) - Level 4
- Application support (ASUP) - Level 4, For meaningful security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers.
Please note that this role requires Security Check (SC) clearance, which would normally need 5 years UK residency in the past 5 years. Candidates must also hold or be prepared to undergo NPPV3 clearance.
However, in exceptional circumstances security clearance applications for candidates who have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years may be considered. Failure to meet this residency requirement will result in your security clearance application being rejected., We are unable to sponsor any individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas as we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License.
Benefits & conditions
£76,117 National: £76,117 London: £80,237
You may be eligible for an additional non-pensionable allowance, pending a Capability and Skills Assessment, with a value of up to £19,483. A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP, Alongside your salary of £76,117, Home Office contributes £22,051 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Why work for us...
Find out more information at: benefits - Home Office careers, but some of the primary ones are:
- A competitive starting salary.
- A civil service pension with employer contribution rates of at least 28.97%.
- In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
- The ability to potentially adopt flexible working options that suit your work/life balance, plus the opportunity in future to take a career break.
- 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service.
- Eight days public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
- 26 weeks maternity, adoption or shared parental leave at full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, after qualifying service.
- Maternity and adoption support leave (also known as paternity leave) of two weeks full pay, after qualifying service.
- Paid leave for fostering approval processes, support when a child is substantively placed with you plus a foster to adopt policy.
- Support for guardians and kinship carers.
- Corporate membership of Employers for Carers providing additional information and advice for carers, plus a Carers Passport to discuss workplace needs and underpin supportive conversations.
- Time off to deal with emergencies and certain other unplanned special circumstances., If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.