Senior Developer

Senior Developer – Home Office | £62,732 Salary | Permanent UK Civil Service Job

UK BASED APPLICANTS ONLY

Senior Developer – Home Office Digital

Salary: £62,732 per year
Potential capability allowance: Up to £17,668
Grade: Grade 7
Location: Salford or Sheffield
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, part-time, compressed hours and shift working
Reference: 476099
Closing date: Tuesday 1 September 2026 at 11:55 pm

Senior Developer Job Opportunity

The Home Office is recruiting a Senior Developer to join its Shared Applications Service (SAS) within Home Office Digital.

This is an opportunity for an experienced software developer to work within agile, multidisciplinary teams in a modern cloud environment alongside more than 200 engineers.

The successful candidate will help bring technical expertise in-house across more than 600 Home Office applications, contributing to the development, maintenance and improvement of secure, reliable and scalable digital services.

Job Overview

As a Senior Developer, you will play an important role in product delivery, developing core components of solutions and helping teams select appropriate technologies.

You will use your technical expertise to work with a high level of autonomy, make technical decisions, produce clean and secure code and contribute to test-driven development.

The role also involves mentoring other engineers, providing technical leadership and supporting recruitment and assessment activities.

Technologies and Tools

Backend Development

• Java
• Node.js
• C#
• Python
• PHP
• Scala
• Power Platform

Frontend Development

• React
• JavaScript
• TypeScript
• Angular

Data Technologies

• PostgreSQL
• Microsoft SQL Server
• MongoDB
• Apache Cassandra

DevOps and Cloud

• AWS
• Kubernetes
• Azure
• Jenkins
• Docker
• Ansible
• Terraform

Artificial Intelligence

• Azure ML Studio
• Python
• GitHub Copilot
• OpenAI

Essential Skills

Applicants should carefully review the essential requirements before applying.

• Designing, reviewing and maintaining complex software applications, components, modules and documentation.
• Collaborating in software design, coding, testing, documentation, amendments and refactoring.
• Designing test cases and scripts and reporting testing outcomes.
• Providing technical expertise for system integration and testing.
• Managing and updating data systems.
• Maintaining application support processes and investigating technical issues.

SFIA Technical Skills

Main Responsibilities

• Deliver secure, reliable and scalable software.
• Support colleagues with technical development tasks.
• Evaluate and advise on software design choices.
• Ensure software meets appropriate quality standards.
• Define and document test cases.
• Maintain live systems.
• Develop new technical approaches and solutions.
• Contribute to development and deployment activities.
• Help prioritise technical tasks.
• Balance new development with live-service maintenance.
• Mentor other engineers.
• Support recruitment and technical assessment activities.

Location and Working Arrangements

The position is available in:

• Salford
• Sheffield

Where business needs allow, some roles may support hybrid working.

Employees working under a hybrid arrangement are expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office.

Part-time working is available, subject to a minimum requirement of 3 days per week because of business requirements.

Salary and Allowances

Base salary: £62,732 per year

The advertised national pay range is £62,732 to £69,006.

Successful candidates may also be eligible for a non-pensionable capability-based allowance of up to £17,668, subject to completing the required Capability and Skills Assessment.

New Civil Service entrants will normally start at the minimum of the salary range.

Civil Service Pension

The role includes membership of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

The Home Office states an employer contribution rate of 28.97%.

Benefits

Benefits include:

• Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension.
• Employer pension contribution of at least 28.97%.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment.
• Annual leave increasing with service.
• 8 public holidays.
• 1 additional privilege day.
• In-year reward scheme.
• Potential capability-based allowance.
• Flexible working where business needs permit.
• Part-time working options.
• Compressed hours options.

Application Requirements

Applicants will need to submit a CV and 1,000-word personal statement.

Your CV should include:

• Employment history.
• Organisation.
• Job title.
• Dates in each position.
• Key responsibilities.
• Achievements.
• Explanation of recent employment gaps where applicable.
• Relevant skills and experience.

1,000-Word Personal Statement

Your personal statement should clearly explain:

• Why you are applying.
• What you would bring to the role.
• How your experience meets the essential criteria.
• Relevant technical experience.
• Evidence of your achievements and impact.

Use strong examples from your own professional experience.

Important: Anonymised Application

Applicants are required to anonymise their applications.

Remove personal identifiers such as:

• Name
• Age
• Place of education

You do not need to remove employment history, job titles or information about your professional experience.

Selection Process

The vacancy uses the Civil Service Success Profiles recruitment framework.

Candidates will be assessed on:

• Experience
• Technical skills

Sift Stage

The sift will be based on the:

• CV
• Personal statement

The sift is expected to commence on 2 September 2026.

If a high number of applications are received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV.

Interview Stage

Candidates who meet the required standard will be invited to interview.

The interview will assess the advertised SFIA technical skills through technical-based questions.

Candidates will also answer an additional scenario-based question assessing their skills, experience and approach to workplace situations.

Expected interviews: From 22 September 2026

Interview format: Remote via Microsoft Teams

Security Clearance

Successful candidates must meet the required security and pre-employment checks.

This role requires Security Check (SC) clearance.

The normal requirement is 5 years of UK residency within the past 5 years.

In exceptional circumstances, candidates who have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years may be considered.

Failure to meet the applicable residency requirement may result in the security clearance application being rejected.

Visa Sponsorship – Important

This vacancy does NOT offer Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.

The Home Office states that it is unable to sponsor individuals through:

• Skilled Worker Sponsorship
• Tier 2 (General) work visas

because it does not hold a UKVI Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence for this purpose.

Applicants requiring new Skilled Worker sponsorship should therefore not rely on this vacancy for sponsorship.

Nationality Requirements

The vacancy is broadly open to eligible:

• UK nationals.
• Republic of Ireland nationals.
• Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK.
• Eligible EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein nationals.
• Eligible individuals with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
• Individuals with eligible limited or indefinite leave to remain.
• Eligible Turkish nationals and certain family members with the right to work in the Civil Service.

Applicants must meet the relevant Civil Service nationality and right-to-work requirements.

Artificial Intelligence and Applications

AI may be used to support an application, but all examples and statements must be:

• Truthful.
• Factually accurate.
• Based on your own experience.

Applicants should not present AI-generated content or another person’s experience as their own.

Reserve List

A reserve list of successful candidates may be maintained for 12 months.

If another suitable position becomes available during this period, candidates may be offered an opportunity to be appointed.

Who Should Apply?

This position may be suitable for experienced software developers with backgrounds in:

• Software engineering.
• Application development.
• Software architecture and design.
• Cloud technologies.
• DevOps.
• Data systems.
• Application support.
• Software testing.
• Systems integration.
• Secure software development.
• Technical leadership.

Job Summary

Job Title: Senior Developer
Employer: Home Office
Business Area: Home Office Digital
Grade: Grade 7
Reference: 476099
Salary: £62,732
Potential Capability Allowance: Up to £17,668
Salary Range: £62,732–£69,006
Contract: Permanent
Locations: Salford and Sheffield
Working Pattern: Full-time, part-time, compressed hours and shift working
Vacancies: 1
Closing Date: 1 September 2026 at 11:55 pm
Sift: From 2 September 2026
Interviews: Expected from 22 September 2026
Visa Sponsorship: Not available
Security Clearance: SC required

How to Apply

If you meet the essential requirements and have relevant software development experience, apply through the official Civil Service Jobs vacancy.

Application deadline: 11:55 pm, Tuesday 1 September 2026

Apply early and ensure your CV and personal statement directly address the six essential technical skills.

Final Reminder

Before submitting your application, carefully demonstrate evidence against:

• Software Design – Level 4
• Programming/Software Development – Level 3
• Testing – Level 3
• Systems Integration and Build – Level 4
• Data Management – Level 4
• Application Support – Level 4

Important: This position does not provide Skilled Worker visa sponsorship and requires the relevant security clearance and UK residency history.