Software Engineer

About the role

We're expanding our technology team and looking for engineers who believe in the power of data and technology to drive real change.

As a product focused engineer, you'll work across our entire product range, from calculators to analytics services, helping thousands of people every day. You'll play a key role in scaling our tech, tackling new datasets, and reaching new markets, all while ensuring security and performance.

Our engineering team takes ownership of code quality, workflow efficiency, and service reliability, critical to delivering on our mission. You'll collaborate with colleagues at all levels across the organisation, working on a diverse range of projects, including:

Being an active part of the development team, and helping team members work well with each other and the rest of the company ​ Getting involved in a range of activities, including front-end, back-end, testing, continuous integration and deployment, infrastructure as code and security testing.

Investing in and improving team skills and practices through co-mentoring, pairing, code review and leading by example

Communication, stakeholder management and relationship building to craft a well-gelled engineering team that’s known as a trusted partner for marketing, sales and policy and operations and is an integral part of the business

Shaping the company’s thinking on software, technology, architecture and how to build systems that work for us, for our customers and our users over the long run

Attracting and helping to hire new team members as the business grows

Co-ordinating development through internal relationships with product management, compliance and operational staff

Managing external technical relationships with e.g. pentesters, infrastructure specialists, accessibility testers and contractors

Contributing to technical discussion and scoping of work internally and with clients

Ensuring the security of data entrusted to the organisation, minimising the risk of security breach, potential data loss or downtime, and engaging in post-mortems and follow-up when things do go wrong (or right)

Your work at [Employer hidden] will place you at the forefront of technology in the government space. We are creating new approaches to the formation and implementation of policy by putting the person first, using data.

To support this vision will require energy, enthusiasm, ability and ambition. You will be keen to develop the team’s skills across the full stack and excited by the potential for improving people’s lives.

Technical requirements

Whatever level of experience you have, we won’t expect you to know all of these technologies. Interest and aptitude for ongoing learning and development in these and related technologies is more important than what you know today:

www.policyinpractice.co.uk

Our benefits model uses:

JavaScript

TypeScript

Node.js (all backend applications, primarily Lambda)

Angular and React

Mocha, Chai and Cypress

AWS (S3, Cloudfront, Lambda, Fargate, DynamoDB, RDS MySQL)

Our data management workflow uses:

Node.js (batch calculations on the benefits model)

AWS (RDS PostgreSQL, Fargate, Lambda, S3)

Stata and Excel (used extensively by our policy and analysis teams)

Python (for pipeline Lambdas)

Tableau (used for visualisation of analysed data in dashboards)

Our development practices include:

Standard JS / TS / Python language coding styles Testing using Mocha, Chai, Jasmine and Cypress/Playwright Git version management (GitHub) Deployment automation (GitHub Actions) dependent on code review and automated quality checks Infrastructure as code with the AWS Cloud Development Kit (CDK) ● Working in sprints, with epics, tickets and roadmaps on Jira, and quarterly roadmap review

The more of our tech and practices you are familiar with, the better. Learning and growth is most important because tech doesn’t stand still and our products will continue to evolve. We like to incorporate new technology when it makes work flow better and helps us shift more energy towards outcomes. The more experience you have, the more we look for the ability to reason about, design and build systems in any technology, with an eye for simple, clean solutions and the pragmatism to deliver value to customers alongside the discipline to keep it sustainable.

About [Employer hidden]

[Employer hidden] believes data and technology can empower people and change lives. Our goal is to be the single point of access for all people on means tested benefits, and enable effective public services through citizen centred services.

We aim to reach as many households as possible across the UK. We will do this via growth of existing products in public and private sector organisations and through expansion into new markets.

[Employer hidden] is at a pivotal point as we continue to move from start-up to scale-up. We have invested in our capability, and development has moved from ideas to prototypes and, in some cases, to production.

[Employer hidden]’s vision and mission

Vision

We believe data and technology have the ability to empower people and change lives.

Mission

We empower people via proactive, integrated support. We will help more people live better lives using our expertise in social policy, data and technology.

We are transforming the way society supports low income families through citizen centred approaches. We focus on improving how all policy areas, sectors and journeys combined can have an impact on people and their outcomes.

Values

Purposeful and passionate

We push for opportunities to improve, not just for our clients or for ourselves, but also for the people who need our help.

www.policyinpractice.co.uk

We take responsibility. Details matter. We have a genuine passion to help people, with a willingness to take action.

Insightful and impactful

We go beyond straightforward analysis to get to the ‘So What?’, driving our policy insight and services to deliver impact.

We think deeply and communicate simply in a way that helps people make the right decisions.

Respectful and supportive

We are willing to discuss and debate openly, listening to both sides and relying on evidence and strong relationships to reach shared positions.

We have each other's back.

Why work here?

Working in a thought leading organisation where you can empower people and change lives.

Flexible working arrangements with hybrid and remote working available

Opportunities for quick career progression

[Employer hidden] colleagues say:

“Everyone is lovely and we do such impactful work. There is a very caring employee culture, and a drive to share expertise.”

“I appreciate how our work helps shape policies and the supportive team environment here encourages everyone to grow. Flexible working options make it easier to balance life and work and our inclusive culture makes this a welcoming place to be.”

“The work is extremely meaningful and translates directly into tangible benefits.”

How to apply

Please send your CV with a cover letter that clearly outlines your suitability and your interest in www.policyinpractice.co.uk

the post to [contact hidden] as soon as possible.

Interview process

After each stage of the process, we will let you know within two days whether we wish to continue to the next stage:

1.​ Initial sift: We will look at your CV and cover letter and decide whether your skills, experience, availability and expectations match to what we’re looking for

2.​ Initial interview: We will talk about the role, ask about your previous experience of working with technology and of managing or guiding development, ask a couple of technical questions to understand how you think through technical challenges, and answer any questions you might have. The interview should last around 30 minutes

3.​ Pair coding: This is intended to understand your technical skills, facility with code mentoring, and ability to establish rapport with the existing team. We will organise a one-hour remote pairing session, during each of which you will work through a technical challenge with one of the developers you will be managing using a screen share

4.​ Final interview: The CEO and/or MD will give feedback, ask any remaining questions and resolve any concerns arising on either side. The interview will last between 30 minutes and one hour

5.​ Offer: We let you know we would like to offer you the role, and would look to negotiate and send out a contract within one week at most.