Junior Developer - Application Services - IT Services - 107126 - Grade 5

The Junior Developer (Application Services) supports the delivery, enhancement, and maintenance of business-critical applications, integrations, and digital services across the University. The role contributes to the design, development, testing, deployment, and support of solutions that enable teaching, learning, research, and professional services.

Working within the Application Services team, the postholder collaborates with technical colleagues, business stakeholders, and external suppliers to deliver secure, reliable, and user-focused solutions that meet organisational needs. The role participates in the full software development lifecycle and provides third-line support for applications and services in live operation.

Main Duties

Application Development

• Develop, test, maintain, and support applications, integrations, workflows, and digital services in accordance with agreed standards and development practices.

• Produce high-quality, maintainable, and secure code that meets functional and non-functional requirements.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of new services, enhancements, and system integrations.
• Participate in code reviews and apply development best practice to ensure consistency and quality.
• Create and maintain technical documentation to support development, deployment, and support activities.

Systems Design and Integration

• Assist in the analysis of business requirements and contribute to the design of technical solutions.

• Support the development and maintenance of integrations between enterprise systems, cloud services, databases, and third-party platforms.
• Contribute to system design documentation, data flows, interface specifications, and process models.
• Ensure solutions align with university architecture, security, and governance standards.

Testing and Quality Assurance

• Develop and execute test plans, test cases, and test scripts to validate functionality and performance.

• Support unit, system, integration, regression, and user acceptance testing activities.
• Investigate, document, and resolve defects identified during development and testing.
• Maintain accurate records of testing activities, outcomes, risks, and issues.

Release and Deployment

• Support the deployment and configuration of applications and services across development, test, and production environments.

• Assist with release management activities, change control processes, and deployment planning.
• Contribute to the automation of deployment and operational processes where appropriate.
• Ensure deployments are completed in accordance with service management and governance requirements.

Application Support

• Provide third-line support for applications, integrations, and services managed by the Application Services team.

• Investigate incidents, identify root causes, and implement permanent solutions where appropriate.
• Support problem management activities and contribute to service stability and performance improvements.
• Monitor application performance and proactively identify opportunities for improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Work closely with colleagues across the University to understand business requirements and service needs.

• Contribute to workshops, requirement gathering sessions, and solution reviews.
• Communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Build effective working relationships with stakeholders, suppliers, and support teams.

Continuous Improvement

• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, development practices, and sector trends.

• Identify opportunities to improve systems, processes, automation, and service delivery.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives within the team.
• Support the adoption of modern development practices, tools, and technologies.

Technical Specialism

• Develop and maintain knowledge of relevant application platforms, development frameworks, integration technologies, cloud services, and software engineering practices.

• Apply specialist technical knowledge to support the delivery and operation of university services.
• Contribute to the evaluation and implementation of new technologies where appropriate.

Knowledge and Understanding

• Demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and professional development, with an interest in software development, enterprise applications, and emerging technologies.

• Understanding of software development principles, including the software development lifecycle, coding standards, testing practices, and version control.
• Knowledge of programming concepts, data structures, databases, and object-oriented development principles.
• Understanding of information security, data protection, and secure development practices.
• Ability to analyse technical issues, identify root causes, and contribute to effective solutions.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to develop, test, support, and maintain software applications and integrations to meet business requirements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a structured and methodical approach to technical challenges.
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to gather, understand, and interpret business requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and contribute to collaborative delivery activities.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities while maintaining quality and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to produce clear and accurate technical documentation., * Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience of developing software applications through academic study, work experience, personal projects, placements, apprenticeships, or professional employment.

• Experience of using programming languages, development frameworks, or low-code platforms.
• Experience of using source control systems such as Git.
• Experience of working with databases and data management concepts.

Desirable Criteria

• Basic exposure to modern development frameworks (e.g., modern JavaScript/TypeScript libraries, Python, .NET, or Microsoft ecosystems).
• Knowledge of writing automated unit or integration tests.Understanding of user-centric design principles or web accessibility guidelines (WCAG).

The role of IT Services is to ensure that the University of Birmingham community has access to responsive, resilient, secure and accessible systems and support. Our technologies enable our students, staff, researchers, visitors, and partners to confidently and creatively use digital services, technology, and data for the benefit of their learning, teaching, research, or work. IT Services are building a culture of innovation, collaboration, openness, and inclusivity, and we apply the principles of customer focus and continuous improvement to everything we do. We want to attract outstanding, inspirational, and talented people, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success. Our IT Services division has an active People and Culture network and Women in IT group, bi-annual making IT happen awards recognition programme, and Social Committee which arranges regular activities and events for colleagues. With a new Digital Strategy, this is an exciting opportunity to join the team making IT happen at the University of Birmingham.