Junior Software Engineer 2023

Would you like to progress your software career in an organisation that invests in the development of every colleague?

We are looking for a Junior Software Engineer to come and join our expanding community here at The Office for National Statistics within the Digital Service and Technology directorate. The role is based within the Common ONS Repository for Data (CORD) team, it offers a great opportunity to work on the CORD database, both front and backend.

Now is the time to come onboard and join our forward-thinking teams, during this period of expansion we are continuing to develop and invest in all of our software engineering teams and are recruiting a number of engineers to join our existing innovative teams across the business.

Digital Data and Technology Career Benefits

This role is part of the cross-government Digital, Data & Technology (DDaT) profession framework. As a role within DDaT at the ONS, we also offer benefits such as: 

• Protected Learning Time to spend on your personal development and side-projects.
• A supportive and active Community of Practice which you will be expected to contribute to, helping ensure you and your colleagues get the training, development and opportunities you need to progress your careers.

We are committed to supporting our people’s wellbeing by offering flexible ways of working that support a healthy life balance, and we are happy to have conversations around flexibility in line with our hybrid working policies.

Job Description

The Common ONS Repository for Data (CORD) team provides BAU DevOps support to the largest database within the ONS. CORD is a time series processing system used to produce the national accounts/ Economical stats for England and Wales/ Critical Factors/ GDP/ Inflation & Trade.

You will work alongside a team of junior and senior engineers; the team works in an agile environment and is a incredibly supportive and helpful environment where you can develop your skills.

You will experience some great learning opportunities and be encouraged to develop your own skills and the wider teams. There are fantastic opportunities for career progression. Developing and in some instances creating new Python and Java applications.

We have a vibrant community of 170 software engineers, come and work with our highly skilled workforce in an open and collaborative development environment.

As part of the Software Engineer community, you will enjoy working openly and collaboratively alongside other Software Engineers, User Researchers, Product Managers, Architects and Analysts.

Responsibilities

As a junior developer you will learn on the job by delivering discrete simple software components. Your responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Develop skills whilst working under supervision to deliver software solutions for stories in a multidisciplinary team
• Understand and are proficient in different types of testing
• Aware of but not responsible for security
• Run and manage appropriate tests

The Systems

We work across multiple business areas, software tools and systems and using a range of programming languages and the team utilise these technologies:

• Javascript, Java, Python, Git, Oracle SQL/PLSQL, Flask, Jinja, Design and execute test cases, fix faults, design and test code, R

We expect that you will have experience of using some of these technologies and be keen to learn others. You would be given full support and development with technologies you are unfamiliar with.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• Understands key principles of modern standards approach and how they apply to the work they are undertaking, and will apply under guidance. Designs, codes, tests, corrects and documents programs of suitable complexity or scripts under the direction of others initially using the right standards and tools.
• Contributes to code reviews Able to help fix faults following agreed procedures. Carries out agreed infrastructure maintenance tasks.
• Able to remedy common, documented issues and to able to process simple service requests.
• Assists as part of a team on design of components of larger systems.
• Aware of how to integrate components into systems and the challenges of designing, building and testing interfaces between systems.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical Skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• IKM Assesment : Procedural Ability and Pseudocode

Benefits

The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our 5400 valued colleagues across the business.

Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that the benefits pack attached will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues, and our fantastic working culture.

We are an organisation that takes well-being seriously and lives and breathes the desire to modernise the workplace of the future. Everyone, from our office-based colleagues across our UK sites, to our field interviewers and airports and ports passenger survey teams, are part of a diverse and inclusive family.

Inclusion & Accessibility

At ONS we are always looking to attract the very best people from the widest possible talent pool, and we are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a member of the Business Disability Forum and a Disability Confident Leader we’re committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.

As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance.

If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist.

Security Clearance 

Individuals appointed to the Office for National Statistics or UK Statistics Authority will be subject to National Security Vetting at “SC Cleared” level for this post. To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out applicants will normally need to have lived in the UK for the 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying. 

A lack of UK residency in itself is not always a bar to Security Clearance but the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis. You will be asked to provide information regarding your UK residency during your application, and failure to provide this will result in your application being rejected 

If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please contact the recruitment email on the advert before applying to discuss. The ONS regularly run webinars and support sessions for candidates. 

Sift Assessment

Sift stage will be based on your work history, skill and experience and response to personal statement

Assessment at application stage will be based on your work history, skill and experience and personal statement. Your application should be tailored to demonstrate any skills, knowledge and experience that are relevant to the content of the role.

Your personal statement should be no longer than 1250 words. You should use this space to provide evidence for each essential criteria within the person specification. As the criteria are scored, we would recommend that you give clear examples for each including the impact of your actions. As the criteria are scored, we would recommend that you give clear examples for each including the impact of your actions and set them out using the STAR acronym (Situation, Task, Action, Result).  

In cases where there is a high number of applications the sift pass mark may be adjusted and candidates will be invited to interview in merit order, i.e. those scoring the highest. Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage.

IKM Assessment 

Upon submission of Part 1 your application form and once the vacancy has closed you will be sent an invitation to complete an IKM assessment online .

On Monday 15th May all candidates that have submitted an application will be invited to complete an IKM assessment. This test uses the IKM Linear Testing Platform which provides the same questions in the same order to every test taker. It will contain 53 questions and will require a typical time of 75 minutes.

There will be full instructions on how to complete assessment including an opportunity to practice before undertaking the actual test. These tests are not time limited. 

If you pass assessment for this vacancy, your application will be sent the final stage of your application, this is where a panel will review the information you have provided such as your work history, Skills and experience and Personal Statement. 

If you fail the assessment your application will not proceed to the next stage and your work history, Skills and experience and Personal Statement will not be assessed. 

Candidates  will have until Friday 19th May at 5pm to complete the assessment, Failure to complete the assessment will stop the application progressing to sifting stage.

Interview

Should you be invited to interview, you will be assessed using various assessment techniques aligned to the Civil Service Success Profiles, where you'll be assessed against all the behaviours and technical criteria outlined in the advert.

A presentation may be required at interview. Further information will be provided to successful candidates prior to interview. In the current circumstances, interviews will be conducted by Video.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. Interview dates from w/c 05/06/2023. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Nationality Requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) 
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

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.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.