* Please note, you will need to merge your personal statement and CV into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and personal statement. If you experience any technical issues, please contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk.

Job summary

Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives. 

Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we’re all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if you’re thinking of joining us, there’s never been a more exciting time. 

We have over 3,500 staff who are based in 20 offices across the UK. 

Are you passionate about using your programming skills to improve policy outcomes across housing and local government? The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is seeking a proficient front end software Developer to join our innovative team.

As a Software Developer, you will be part of a diverse team creating interactive data visualisation dashboards using Python and Plotly Dash. Collaborating closely with our dynamic team, you will engage in pair programming sessions within an Agile environment, ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality data solutions to policy problems.

Your expertise will contribute directly to enhancing transparency and efficiency in our housing and local government centred projects. Your work will make a difference to Department outcomes in these key areas and for people across the United Kingdom.

We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work. 

Find out more about what it's like to work in a digital, data and technology role at MHCLG including our culture, ways of working, career progression and staff benefits. You can also read the MHCLG Digital blog to learn about the work we're doing. 

Job description

As a Lead Front End Developer, you'll:

• develop and maintain interactive data visualisation dashboards using Python Plotly Dash, adhering to best practices for scalability and performance

• work collaboratively with other front-end developers to integrate React-based components into Plotly Dash applications

• utilise GitHub and Azure DevOps for version control, issue tracking, and continuous integration/deployment workflows

• lead on quality standards for development identifying, prioritising and communicating requirements. Such as testing, performance, security, debugging and refactoring

• lead and engage in pair programming sessions to foster knowledge sharing and ensure code quality

• utilise test driven development. Implement tests to validate the functionality and reliability of developed features, including unit and visual

• conduct code reviews and participate in continuous refactoring efforts to maintain code cleanliness and extensibility

• ensure compliance with accessibility standards and optimise dashboards for various screen sizes and devices

• dedicate time to continuous learning and improvement for self and team, with a proactive approach to adopting new technologies and best practice and sharing knowledge

Person specification

We will use the essential criteria below to evaluate you during the recruitment process. Make sure your CV and cover letter details how you meet the criteria.

We are looking for individuals with a passion for Digital but particularly around data and making data stories more accessible to non-experts. We are looking for someone who thrives leading a collaborative team, mentoring others and championing continuous development. You will enjoy solving problems and championing important website design concepts such as accessibility and performance. You will use Scrum based agile delivery methodology and deliver software in short iterations with frequent releases without compromising code quality and providing technical direction on full-stack software development best practice.

You will foster a collaborative team culture, with an emphasis on industry best practice and growing talent. You will be an effective problem solver, balancing business needs and timescales with the trade offs of maintaining standards.

As a Lead Front End Developer, you'll be:

• understanding of how to communicate risks and complexity to influence stakeholders

• ability to lead a team and foster a collaborative culture, flexing your communication style and messaging proactively and reactively as required

• proficiency in Python programming language, with experience in developing web applications using Plotly Dash framework or similar

• proficiency with HTML, CSS, and React, JavaScript or similar

• proficiency with collaborative version control systems such as GitHub, as well as issue tracking and CI/CD pipelines using Azure DevOps or similar

• experience using monitoring and logging to track website performance and mitigating security risks in software set ups

• experience of Agile methodologies and experience with pair programming practices

• ability to write a range of tests, such as unit, integration and visual tests

• excellent problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing

• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,748, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £15,321 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

MHCLG want to bring in a diverse workforce at all levels.

Our application system is designed to remove as much bias as possible from the recruitment system – this means that a hiring manager does not know your name, your details, see your whole application in one go (or have your CV at review stage unless stated otherwise).

Your answers are randomised and chunked up. This means that each assessor views sets of responses to questions for example all candidates’ responses to ‘Seeing the Big Picture’ rather than seeing a candidate’s full application. The science behind this is that recruitment can be subject to ordering and fatigue effects and we want to reduce this as much as possible.

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

When writing your application, remember:

• The assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially.

• Do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers.

• If talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)

CV and Cover Letter Declaration

We recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - this is called name blind recruitment.

Please remove references to your:

• name/title

• educational institutions

• age

• gender

• email address

• postal address

• phone number

• nationality/immigration status

You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter.

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors.

At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing:

• Experience

• Technical

Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the person specification and show how your skills and experience make you a great candidate for this role. 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of the following success profiles elements:  

• Experience

• Technical

• Behaviour: Leadership, Communicating and Influencing

The Vacancy Manager has also requested that candidates undergo a technical test at interview. More details on this will be revealed in the invitations to interviews.

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements:

Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the person specification

Technical: Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the person specification

Behaviours: Leadership, Communicating and Influencing

We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs:

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.

Group 1 Digital and Data roles

MHCLG has implemented the Digital and Data capability framework for Group 1 roles. Applicants that are successful at the sift stage will be required to complete a capability assessment at interview.

MHCLG will honour completed capability assessments for this role from other Government Departments for existing Civil Servants. Please provide a copy of your capability assessment to the Hiring Manager when applying. If you have any queries on pay, please contact the Hiring Manager.

Salary is determined by performance at interview, within the range advertised. Each experience or technical skill is assessed between 1-3, representing working towards, at or above the job level requirements. You are awarded a proficiency level accordingly, and you will be given opportunities at least once a year to re assess your capability and progress through the pay scale within your grade. An additional digital allowance may be payable depending on level of assessed capability.

Candidates moving from another government department have the option to retain their current salary where the principle for implementation is there is no detriment where existing pay exceeds the indicative level. Where individuals are at a lower salary than their assessed level, they will receive an upward adjustment.

Grade 7 Group 1 Digital and Data salary

• The salary for this role will between £61,884 - £66,667 (London), £56,748 - £61,562 (National) depending on the proficiency level assessment.

• An additional digital allowance may be payable depending on the level of assessed capability up to £9,000

• For applicants in receipt of existing allowances, we will assess each case individually and aim to match the digital allowance implemented with no detriment.

• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable.

Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions. 

Benefits

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:

Any move to MHCLG from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

For further information about the benefits available to MHCLG employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack.

Geographical Location:

• London

• Wolverhampton

• Darlington*

• Bristol

• Leeds

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.  This role is based at MHCLG and we will be joined on the campus by:

• HM Treasury

• Department for International Trade

• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

• Office for National Statistics

• Department for Education

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack.

Sift and Interview dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place from Monday 05/08/2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.

Reserve List

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.

Candidate Pack Information

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information.

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the MHCLG candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules

Internal Fraud Database

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to MHCLG as a participating government organisations. MHCLG then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals

• nationals of the Republic of Ireland

• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)

• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).

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.

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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).