Principal Developer

NHS Business Services Authority

Information:

This job is now closed

Job summary

The NHS Business Services Authority has a growing Digital agenda and an opportunity has arisen for two Principal Developers to join the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Directorate.

As a Principal Developer you will provide professional leadership to Developers at the NHSBSA; defining our development standards, identifying and managing risks, governing development practices, organising the Developer Community of Practice and supporting the ongoing professional development of our people.

This is a perfect opportunity for someone who is highly technical and hands-on, capable in a range of software development practices. You will need to demonstrate expertise in a specific set of technical specialisms, coding languages and frameworks, including non-functional areas such as security or accessibility. You should have experience in leading a culture of continuous delivery and improvement.

You will have the opportunity to collaborate and deliver on exciting projects that will make a real difference to the public, wider NHS colleagues, and back-office staff here at the NHSBSA. You will work closely with stakeholders, forming a deep understanding of customer and organisational requirements, with the ability to present and rationalise complex technical information to make it understandable for all relevant stakeholders.

Main duties of the job

  • Take an active leadership role in your profession, keeping up to date with the latest technologies, standards and best practice.
  • Provide in-depth expertise in technical specialisms with experience in key areas including:
    • Languages and frameworks such as Java/Spring Boot or Node.js/Javascript/Typescript
    • Architectural tiers such as Frontend or Backend
    • Non-functional requirements such as quality, security or accessibility
    • Platforms such as AWS or Microsoft Azure
  • Support multiple development teams across a set of services to achieve efficient delivery of quality outcomes.
  • Lead on cross-cutting continuous improvement initiatives: Define, document and socialise improvements to software development standards, design patterns, methods and tools.
  • Identify and manage programme level risks relating to software development.
  • Review solution designs to ensure consistency, selection of appropriate technology and efficient use of resources.
  • Actively contribute to professional development within the Developer community, including career progression, performance management and mentoring.
  • Work autonomously to manage your workload, including delivering continuous improvement, project related deadlines, operational tasks, budget spending and resourcing estimates.
  • Participate in procurement processes forsoftware and outsourced capability.
  • Consult with wider UK Government departments and agencies, and industry to define and achieve strategic aims.

About us

Here at the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA), what we do matters.

We manage the NHS Pension scheme, process prescription payments and much more. Our services are used by NHS organisations, contractors and the public: we take pride in being part of something so meaningful, that touches millions of lives.

Just as we design our services around the needs of our customers, we place our people at the heart of our organisation. That's why when you join us, you'll be empowered and given the right support to help your career grow.

As one of the UK's Best Big Companies to work for, we're all connected to our values: Collaborative, Adventurous, Reliable and Energetic. We care about our people, our purpose, and your progress.

We strive to offer a fantastic colleague experience, where every voice is heard, and every colleague is supported and respected. Wellbeing, diversity and inclusion is at the centre of this, so when you join us, you can connect with our Lived Experience Networks who help us to bring our authentic selves to work.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and circumstances. We are committed and proud to be a flexible employer and will endeavour to offer a working pattern that suits you wherever possible, whether that be hybrid working, flexible hours, job sharing and more.

Ready to join us on our journey to be a catalyst for better health? Apply today and see where the NHSBSA can take you.

We are people connected to care.

Date posted

19 April 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£50,952 to £57,349 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

914-BSA4554

Job locations

Stella House

Goldcrest way, Newburn Riverside

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE15 8NY


Job description

Job responsibilities

In this role, you are accountable for:

Software development leadership

1. Provide in-depth expertise, for consultation across all areas of DDaT, in designated technical specialisms, and software development practices. See appendix I for details.

2. Support multiple development teams across a set of services to achieve efficient delivery of quality outcomes.

3. Define, document and socialise NHSBSA software development standards, design patterns, methods and tools. Ensure they are applied effectively and are iterated to provide continuous improvement.

4. Review specifications and solution designs, to ensure consistency, selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration with multiple systems and technologies. Provide feedback on functional and non-functional requirements to ensure the overall needs of the business are met within software delivery.

5. Act as an escalation point for technical issues arising across the project delivery lifecycle. Apply experience and collaboration skills to find appropriate solutions, coordinating with professionals from within and outside of the project team as necessary.

6. Identify programme level risks within software development across multiple services and raise through appropriate channels.

7. Identify, prioritise and lead the strategic implementation of risk mitigations, improvements and efficiencies, ensuring that the organisation derives maximum value across multiple services.

8. Manage the assurance of software development activities across a range of project including internally developed, 3rd party partnerships and fully outsourced. Develop appropriate measures and processes to provide sufficient insight into project delivery health. Identify trends and anomalies, reporting at agreed frequency on development needs and deviations from standards.

9. Lead the Developer Community of Practice, being accountable for developers aligned to your designated technical specialisms.

Knowledge management

10. Take an active, lead role in your professional development. Keep up to date with the latest technologies and software development standards and best practice, through self-directed and NHSBSA organised learning activities.

11. Identify, investigate and champion the application of emerging technologies and approaches within software development.

12. Create workable prototypes using a variety of methods and tools to meet business and user needs.

13. Identify and support opportunities for teams to develop their skills to meet the changing needs of the business. Take ownership for decision making within your area, seeking support and feedback to develop well thought out solutions, processes and work as required, and in conjunction with agreed procedures.

Relationship management

14. Foster relationships and partnership, to identify and deliver value to the organisation.

15. Collaborate across multiple disciplines to achieve strategic aims, ensuring consistent approaches, methods, standards, and patterns are holistically applied:

a. User Centred Design

b. Architecture

c. Security

d. Data

e. Test

f. Platform

g. Support

h. Commercials

i. Finance

16. Work with Team Managers to identify, implement and support team and individual development, career progression, performance management, providing mentorship and guidance for other software developers.

17. Consult with wider UK Government departments and agencies, and industry to define and achieve strategic aims.

18. Deputise for the Head of Software Engineering as required.

Information management

19. Maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information systems through compliance with relevant legislation and regulations and that controls and management strategies are designed and implemented to support this.

Delivery management

20. Manage workload complete to a high quality and within agreed timelines. Deliver continuous improvements to enhance own and business areas; co-ordinate delivery of work across multiple strands such as continuous improvement, project related work, and operational tasks, escalating issues at appropriate times.

21. Prepare plans to enable the delivery and management of projects and programmes undertaken by the professional leadership team. Provide strategic and operational direction in the preparation of plans to deliver systems and services across DDaT and the organisation.

22. Manage and implement approaches strategies, standards, practices and policies across the software development profession, ensuring and monitoring the timely delivery of business objectives within budget.

23. Proactively identify warning signs of significant delivery challenges and provide a decisive response.

24. Contribute to and lead procurement processes for hardware, software and outsourced capability. Review functional and non-functional requirements to ensure the overall needs of the business are met from a DDaT perspective.

Financial management

25. Contribute to budget management processes in accordance with NHSBSAs policies, standing orders, financial regulations and legislative requirements.

26. Contribute to and prepare proposals for change, including producing necessary estimates, mandates and business cases.

27. Monitor budget spend and resource estimates against projects and change initiatives.

Staff management

28. The general management of activities and standards of staff within professional disciplines across multidisciplinary teams.

29. Enable the performance of others, including objectives setting fully aligned to departmental and organisational objectives and goals, and the development and motivation of staff to achieve them.

30. Mentor staff and advise on career paths to encourage pro-active development of skills and capabilities.

31. Conduct meaningful appraisals and 1-1s, identifying and meeting development needs, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the impact and success of training plans.

32. Receive and act upon and where possible resolve a range of escalations including staffing, disciplinary procedures, resourcing business and technical, to secure

satisfactory outcomes. Where unable to resolve, provide sufficient detail, escalate to the appropriate levels within the organisations, within agreed policies, procedures and processes to ensure appropriate resolution.

33. Undertake recruitment and selection in line with organisational processes. Participate in the implementation and delivery of initiatives to secure suitable resources, increase skill levels and develop talent pools to meet the changing needs of the business landscape.

34. Provide feedback to support and encourage teams and individuals to develop thinking and independently work through issues, to reach solutions-based outcomes. Lead by example by seeking, providing and implementing individual feedback to improve ways of working and own performance.

In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to

Undertake additional duties and responsibilities in line with the overall purpose of your role and as agreed by your line manager.

Demonstrate NHSBSA values and core capabilities in all aspects of your work.

Foster an environment where your own and colleagues safety and well-being is promoted.

Contribute to a culture which values diversity and inclusion.Comply with NHSBSA policies, procedures, and protocols as they apply to your role.

Working relationships

Responsible to: Head of Software Engineering

Responsible for: Lead Developers Developers Junior Developers Apprentice Developers

Key relationships and connections:

1. Heads of Professiona. Software Engineeringb. Architecturec. User Centred Design

2. Professional Leadershipa. Principal Developersb. Professional Lead for Testc. Professional Lead for Designd. Professional Lead for User Research

3. Team Managers

4. Delivery Managers

5. Architecture (Enterprise, Data, Solution, Technical)

6. Security (Information Security, Information Governance, Cyber Security)

7. Platform Engineering

8. Live Support & Operations

9. IT Service Management

10. Governance, Risk & Compliance

11. Commercials

12. Finance

What do we offer?

  • 27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus 8 bank holidays
  • Flexible working
  • Hybrid working model (we are currently working largely remotely)
  • Career development
  • Active wellbeing and inclusion networks
  • Excellent pension(20.6% employer contribution)
  • NHS Car lease scheme

Job description

Job responsibilities

In this role, you are accountable for:

Software development leadership

1. Provide in-depth expertise, for consultation across all areas of DDaT, in designated technical specialisms, and software development practices. See appendix I for details.

2. Support multiple development teams across a set of services to achieve efficient delivery of quality outcomes.

3. Define, document and socialise NHSBSA software development standards, design patterns, methods and tools. Ensure they are applied effectively and are iterated to provide continuous improvement.

4. Review specifications and solution designs, to ensure consistency, selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources and integration with multiple systems and technologies. Provide feedback on functional and non-functional requirements to ensure the overall needs of the business are met within software delivery.

5. Act as an escalation point for technical issues arising across the project delivery lifecycle. Apply experience and collaboration skills to find appropriate solutions, coordinating with professionals from within and outside of the project team as necessary.

6. Identify programme level risks within software development across multiple services and raise through appropriate channels.

7. Identify, prioritise and lead the strategic implementation of risk mitigations, improvements and efficiencies, ensuring that the organisation derives maximum value across multiple services.

8. Manage the assurance of software development activities across a range of project including internally developed, 3rd party partnerships and fully outsourced. Develop appropriate measures and processes to provide sufficient insight into project delivery health. Identify trends and anomalies, reporting at agreed frequency on development needs and deviations from standards.

9. Lead the Developer Community of Practice, being accountable for developers aligned to your designated technical specialisms.

Knowledge management

10. Take an active, lead role in your professional development. Keep up to date with the latest technologies and software development standards and best practice, through self-directed and NHSBSA organised learning activities.

11. Identify, investigate and champion the application of emerging technologies and approaches within software development.

12. Create workable prototypes using a variety of methods and tools to meet business and user needs.

13. Identify and support opportunities for teams to develop their skills to meet the changing needs of the business. Take ownership for decision making within your area, seeking support and feedback to develop well thought out solutions, processes and work as required, and in conjunction with agreed procedures.

Relationship management

14. Foster relationships and partnership, to identify and deliver value to the organisation.

15. Collaborate across multiple disciplines to achieve strategic aims, ensuring consistent approaches, methods, standards, and patterns are holistically applied:

a. User Centred Design

b. Architecture

c. Security

d. Data

e. Test

f. Platform

g. Support

h. Commercials

i. Finance

16. Work with Team Managers to identify, implement and support team and individual development, career progression, performance management, providing mentorship and guidance for other software developers.

17. Consult with wider UK Government departments and agencies, and industry to define and achieve strategic aims.

18. Deputise for the Head of Software Engineering as required.

Information management

19. Maintain the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information systems through compliance with relevant legislation and regulations and that controls and management strategies are designed and implemented to support this.

Delivery management

20. Manage workload complete to a high quality and within agreed timelines. Deliver continuous improvements to enhance own and business areas; co-ordinate delivery of work across multiple strands such as continuous improvement, project related work, and operational tasks, escalating issues at appropriate times.

21. Prepare plans to enable the delivery and management of projects and programmes undertaken by the professional leadership team. Provide strategic and operational direction in the preparation of plans to deliver systems and services across DDaT and the organisation.

22. Manage and implement approaches strategies, standards, practices and policies across the software development profession, ensuring and monitoring the timely delivery of business objectives within budget.

23. Proactively identify warning signs of significant delivery challenges and provide a decisive response.

24. Contribute to and lead procurement processes for hardware, software and outsourced capability. Review functional and non-functional requirements to ensure the overall needs of the business are met from a DDaT perspective.

Financial management

25. Contribute to budget management processes in accordance with NHSBSAs policies, standing orders, financial regulations and legislative requirements.

26. Contribute to and prepare proposals for change, including producing necessary estimates, mandates and business cases.

27. Monitor budget spend and resource estimates against projects and change initiatives.

Staff management

28. The general management of activities and standards of staff within professional disciplines across multidisciplinary teams.

29. Enable the performance of others, including objectives setting fully aligned to departmental and organisational objectives and goals, and the development and motivation of staff to achieve them.

30. Mentor staff and advise on career paths to encourage pro-active development of skills and capabilities.

31. Conduct meaningful appraisals and 1-1s, identifying and meeting development needs, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the impact and success of training plans.

32. Receive and act upon and where possible resolve a range of escalations including staffing, disciplinary procedures, resourcing business and technical, to secure

satisfactory outcomes. Where unable to resolve, provide sufficient detail, escalate to the appropriate levels within the organisations, within agreed policies, procedures and processes to ensure appropriate resolution.

33. Undertake recruitment and selection in line with organisational processes. Participate in the implementation and delivery of initiatives to secure suitable resources, increase skill levels and develop talent pools to meet the changing needs of the business landscape.

34. Provide feedback to support and encourage teams and individuals to develop thinking and independently work through issues, to reach solutions-based outcomes. Lead by example by seeking, providing and implementing individual feedback to improve ways of working and own performance.

In addition to the above accountabilities, as post holder you are expected to

Undertake additional duties and responsibilities in line with the overall purpose of your role and as agreed by your line manager.

Demonstrate NHSBSA values and core capabilities in all aspects of your work.

Foster an environment where your own and colleagues safety and well-being is promoted.

Contribute to a culture which values diversity and inclusion.Comply with NHSBSA policies, procedures, and protocols as they apply to your role.

Working relationships

Responsible to: Head of Software Engineering

Responsible for: Lead Developers Developers Junior Developers Apprentice Developers

Key relationships and connections:

1. Heads of Professiona. Software Engineeringb. Architecturec. User Centred Design

2. Professional Leadershipa. Principal Developersb. Professional Lead for Testc. Professional Lead for Designd. Professional Lead for User Research

3. Team Managers

4. Delivery Managers

5. Architecture (Enterprise, Data, Solution, Technical)

6. Security (Information Security, Information Governance, Cyber Security)

7. Platform Engineering

8. Live Support & Operations

9. IT Service Management

10. Governance, Risk & Compliance

11. Commercials

12. Finance

What do we offer?

  • 27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus 8 bank holidays
  • Flexible working
  • Hybrid working model (we are currently working largely remotely)
  • Career development
  • Active wellbeing and inclusion networks
  • Excellent pension(20.6% employer contribution)
  • NHS Car lease scheme

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Level 6 equivalent qualification in IT (e.g. BSc Computing OR
  • Relevant experience of the subject matter

Desirable

  • Level 7 equivalent qualification in IT (e.g. MSc Computing)

Experience

Essential

  • Ongoing Continuous Professional Development.
  • Leadership of a technical community of practice.
  • Development lead of large-scale, cloud hosted, web-based solutions.
  • Work in agile development teams, with experience of scrum lifecycle, ceremonies and concepts such as user stories
  • Open source and cloud technologies.
  • Use a strategic approach to optimise software development practices.
  • Identify functional and non-functional requirements and ensure they are analysed and implemented as part of a project.
  • Author of software development standards, policies and supporting guidance
  • Stakeholder engagement across a wide range of professions and business functions, building relationships to support delivery of user and business needs.
  • Present to large audiences with effective communication techniques.
  • Oversight of development activities across multiple delivery teams.
  • Applying technical knowledge and experience to create or design workable prototypes.
  • Creating and implementing a quality assurance process across the software development discipline.
  • Mentoring and leading a community of practice of developers.

Desirable

  • Applying Government and/or NHS Service Standards to deliver solutions to meet user needs, with particular emphasis on: a. protecting users' confidentiality and privacy, b. choosing the right tools and technology, c. coding in the open, d. using/contributing to open standards, common components and patterns, e. operating a reliable service, f. ensuring clinical safety, g. focus on interoperability.
  • Business change, rationalisation and transformation
  • System administration and configuration management skills.
  • Interaction with a range of external, third-party suppliers
  • Use of common agile supportive tooling such as Jira, Confluence, Miro

Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Expert in writing clean and maintainable, tested, production ready code in one of the NHSBSA core languages and frameworks.
  • Expert in developing for at least one architectural tie.
  • Expert in at least one key NHSBSA non-functional requirement.
  • Expert in at least one NHSBSA cloud platform.
  • Expert in version control (Git), CI/CD build and release strategies.
  • Expert in 3rd line application support covering problem diagnosis within complex systems, and appraising remediation options and determining the most appropriate action.
  • Practitioner in Agile software delivery.
  • Working knowledge of change management.
  • Working knowledge of requirements capture and analysis.

Desirable

  • Practitioner in assurance of software development projects.
  • Practitioner in risk management covering identify, define, assess and treat stages.
  • Working knowledge of requirements capture and product selection.
  • Awareness of commercial procurement processes and frameworks.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Level 6 equivalent qualification in IT (e.g. BSc Computing OR
  • Relevant experience of the subject matter

Desirable

  • Level 7 equivalent qualification in IT (e.g. MSc Computing)

Experience

Essential

  • Ongoing Continuous Professional Development.
  • Leadership of a technical community of practice.
  • Development lead of large-scale, cloud hosted, web-based solutions.
  • Work in agile development teams, with experience of scrum lifecycle, ceremonies and concepts such as user stories
  • Open source and cloud technologies.
  • Use a strategic approach to optimise software development practices.
  • Identify functional and non-functional requirements and ensure they are analysed and implemented as part of a project.
  • Author of software development standards, policies and supporting guidance
  • Stakeholder engagement across a wide range of professions and business functions, building relationships to support delivery of user and business needs.
  • Present to large audiences with effective communication techniques.
  • Oversight of development activities across multiple delivery teams.
  • Applying technical knowledge and experience to create or design workable prototypes.
  • Creating and implementing a quality assurance process across the software development discipline.
  • Mentoring and leading a community of practice of developers.

Desirable

  • Applying Government and/or NHS Service Standards to deliver solutions to meet user needs, with particular emphasis on: a. protecting users' confidentiality and privacy, b. choosing the right tools and technology, c. coding in the open, d. using/contributing to open standards, common components and patterns, e. operating a reliable service, f. ensuring clinical safety, g. focus on interoperability.
  • Business change, rationalisation and transformation
  • System administration and configuration management skills.
  • Interaction with a range of external, third-party suppliers
  • Use of common agile supportive tooling such as Jira, Confluence, Miro

Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills

Essential

  • Expert in writing clean and maintainable, tested, production ready code in one of the NHSBSA core languages and frameworks.
  • Expert in developing for at least one architectural tie.
  • Expert in at least one key NHSBSA non-functional requirement.
  • Expert in at least one NHSBSA cloud platform.
  • Expert in version control (Git), CI/CD build and release strategies.
  • Expert in 3rd line application support covering problem diagnosis within complex systems, and appraising remediation options and determining the most appropriate action.
  • Practitioner in Agile software delivery.
  • Working knowledge of change management.
  • Working knowledge of requirements capture and analysis.

Desirable

  • Practitioner in assurance of software development projects.
  • Practitioner in risk management covering identify, define, assess and treat stages.
  • Working knowledge of requirements capture and product selection.
  • Awareness of commercial procurement processes and frameworks.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Business Services Authority

Address

Stella House

Goldcrest way, Newburn Riverside

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE15 8NY


Employer's website

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/what-we-do/work-us (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

NHS Business Services Authority

Address

Stella House

Goldcrest way, Newburn Riverside

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE15 8NY


Employer's website

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/what-we-do/work-us (Opens in a new tab)

For questions about the job, contact:

Head of Software Engineering

Pat Turner

Pat.Turner@nhsbsa.nhs.uk

01912293676

Date posted

19 April 2024

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£50,952 to £57,349 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

914-BSA4554

Job locations

Stella House

Goldcrest way, Newburn Riverside

Newcastle Upon Tyne

NE15 8NY


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

NHS Business Services Authority's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)