Senior Software Engineer

Details ----------- Reference number 470186 Salary £59,877 - £66,869 (plus allowance up to £9,000 per annum depending on technical assessment) A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP Job grade Grade 7 Band 5### Contract type Permanent### Type of role Digital### Working pattern Full-time, Compressed hours### Number of jobs available 1 Contents ------------ * Location * About the job * Benefits * Things you need to know * Apply and further information Location ------------ Birmingham, Liverpool, Newport (Gwent), NorwichAbout the job ----------------- Job summary Insight into GCA - Webinar *Watch our Webinar on the above link and gain valuable insight into GCA and our recruitment processes.* Call to action *Are you ready to use your Software Engineering skills to untangle complex data bottlenecks and build the high-performance apps that powers our nation's most critical public services? Are you ready to look beyond ordinary code and engineer resilient systems that helps our nation’s digital infrastructure and improve the daily lives of millions?* Job description Job Summary In this role, you will join a cross-functional squad of four engineers working within a high-trust, ego-free engineering culture where we process over £2 Billion in annual procurement for critical public services. Operating with a continuous-deployment mindset, our mission is to build robust, intelligent platforms that optimize national spending and deliver tangible value to the nation. We favor "strong opinions, weakly held," peer code reviews, and an open environment where diverse perspectives and honest feedback are the foundation for delivering exceptional software. Key Accountabilities: * Feature Delivery: Own the design, build, and deployment of scalable features for our core procurement platform. * System Reliability: Take accountability for the performance and security of systems processing high-volume public sector data. * AI Tooling Adoption: Lead the practical integration of Agentic AI coding practices into our team's daily development workflow * Write and Review Code: Ship clean, secure, and well-tested code while participating in constructive peer reviews. * Coach and Mentor: Guide fellow team members, sharing technical knowledge and supporting their development through regular, honest feedback and pair programming. * Collaborate Across Functions: Work closely with product managers and UX designers to translate complex public sector needs into technical solutions. * Improve Practices: Champion high engineering standards, from refining our CI/CD pipelines to minimizing technical debt. Person specification Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage): * Python Expert: Extensive experience in backend software engineering with Python. * Claude Code Experience: Practical experience adopting and integrating Agentic AI coding practices (such as Claude Code) and LLM workflows into daily development to improve workflow efficiency while managing token consumption and API costs. * UML Modeling Experience: Proven capability in translating high-level architecture into detailed low-level designs using UML modeling techniques, such as sequence, class, or component diagrams, to align engineering squads and mitigate technical risk. * SOLID Craftsmanship: Deep understanding of clean code and SOLID principles, with a demonstrated ability to practically apply these standards during peer code reviews to spot design anti-patterns and improve system reliability. * Test-Driven Expert: Advanced expertise in Test-Driven Development (TDD) and structuring robust unit and integration tests to ensure that high-volume microservices can be safely and continuously deployed without risking production downtime. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: * Making Effective Decisions * Leadership * Delivering at Pace Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: * Information security * Modern development standards * Systems design (Lead Success Profile - to be assessed via test, during interview) Benefits ------------ Alongside your salary of £59,877, Government Commercial Agency contributes £17,346 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .Valuing our people: * Competitive salary * Generous pension scheme * A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus * Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location * Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6) * Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays Want to make a difference? Find out more about the rewarding work that we do in our candidate pack. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D\&I Strategy. We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk Working flexibly, delivering outcomes GCA operates a smarter working model that balances flexibility with collaboration. Successful candidates are expected to spend at least 26 days per quarter (approximately 2 days per week, pro-rata) at their contracted office, another GCA site, or off-site for meetings. For the remainder of the time, you may work from home or another suitable location that meets business needs. Things you need to know --------------------------- Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.### Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.Selection Process A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk. Please note that as part of this recruitment process, if you are unsuccessful at the interview stage but are close to the benchmark score you may be considered for and offered a role at a lower pay band within the same job family. The Lead Success profile is Systems design to be assessed via test, during interview. GCAIND ------------ 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 counter-terrorist check . See our vetting charter . People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.### Nationality requirements Open to UK nationals only.### Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles . The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.### Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .Apply and further information --------------------------------- This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.### Contact point for applicants Job contact : * Name : Recruitment team * Email : recruitment@gca.gov.uk Recruitment team * Email : recruitment@gca.gov.uk Further information Our recruitment processes are underpinned by the principle of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles details of which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk in the first instance. If you remain unsatisfied with the response you receive you can then contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk https://www.gca.gov.uk/careers-with-gca