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About the job
Job summary
Do you want to be responsible for technical teams building automations, workflows and integrations using the latest tools?
We have ambitious targets to reduce reliance on manual business processes and transition to digital delivery of many of our services. As a Principal Engineer you will be key to the Home Office delivering on this vision.
You will build teams of engineers, recruiting people with the right skills to align to you Lo-Code engineering capability and importantly, growing the skills of our Civil Servants to meet this challenge.
You will set standards for engineers in line with industry and organisational best practice. Where standards do you not exist, you will close this gap and lead on definition of best practice.
The engineering teams that you have built will be responsible for delivering Lo-Code case management and business applications of various scale. Your teams will work on workflow automations and integration solutions, again using Lo-Code tech.
You will form part of the centralised Shared Application Services engineering capability within Home Office and as such will have opportunities to automate across the entire department.
Its important that we build a diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve and provide an inclusive environment for all. We value everyone’s skills and provide a creative and supportive workplace to help you do your best work and develop your career.
Great work life balance! We offer a lot of autonomy and flexible working patterns that can be agreed based on your personal needs. We currently offer a hybrid working model from home with an expectation to be in the office from time to time for team activities which is agreed locally (around 40% in the office).
Job description
Your main day to day responsibilities will be:
- supporting implementation against strategy; leading multiple engineering teams in line with our architecture and professions
- planning our workforce and recruiting civil servants, building a strong technical talent pool; coaching and mentoring as necessary
- ensuring the engineering activities undertaken in teams under your supervision are following suitable standards
- supporting technical decision making, feeding into roadmaps and overall strategy for the Engineering function in your area. Presenting decisions up and down the organisation clearly
- coordinating with other engineering leads to form an overall community, acting as the central point of contact in your area and leading collaborative efforts
Other day to day activities:
All our engineers will be expected to embody an open and positive approach, supporting the Home Office in:
- Progressing the DDaT Profession, understanding all roles and helping to build our community
- Working and assessing to appropriate standards: for instance, accessibility, the GDS service standard and our own community practices
- Improving our skills and approaches as well as keeping up to speed with the technology landscape
Person specification
Essential Skills
Youll have a demonstrable passion for managing and building Lo-Code Automation Teams, with the following skills or proven experience in:
- Setting engineering standards for deliveries and planning the allocation of people associated with deliveries.
- Oversight of technical designs produced by engineers and architects, ensuring that these are scalable, secure and fit for purpose.
- Lo-Code or Code driven development in both Waterfall and Agile delivery approaches.
- Line Management, Task Management, and the setting of targets for people and groups of people.
- Formally defining the need for and/or implementing training plans for engineers to meet the strategic goals of the organisational unit or service.
- Formally defining the need for, and initiating improvements to, processes and/or working practices, which have an impact to the organisational unit or service. Ensuring that change has sufficient stakeholder buy-in to stick.
How to apply
When applying your application must:
1. Demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria set out in the job advert. Don’t just do a list of languages / platforms – provide context
2. You should include enough information and examples that demonstrate your skills and experience, without sufficient detail we cannot fairly assess your capability.
3. You should give yourself plenty of time. You can start an application and come back to complete it before the job advert closes.
4. Your application will be assessed against the essential skills. Please include as much detail as possible in your application that relates to the essential skills above.
SFia Framework
The Technical skills listed below are reflective of the Home Office DDaT Profession Skills and Competency Model (based on the industry standard SFIA framework), please review the attached Role Description which highlights the expected technical skills and required levels for this role.
Technical skills
We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Systems Development Management (DLMG) – Level 6
- Software Design (SWDN) – Level 5
- Programming/software development (PROG) – Level 4
- Performance Management (PEMT) – Level 5
- Professional Development (PDSV) – Level 6
- Quality Management (QUMG) – Level 6
Benefits
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- 25 days annual leave on appointment, plus 8 days public holidays and 1 day for the Kings Birthday, rising further with service
- Flexible working options to enable you to achieve the work life balance that right for you including part-time, flexi time and job sharing
- Training and development opportunities tailored to your role
- An in-year bonus scheme
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
This link is to a short guide on YouTube to employee benefits – Click here for the video
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement (Max Limit: 500 words).
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Your CV should include all relevant experience that relates to our Essential Criteria as listed in the advert and role description.
Please note your Personal Statement should be aligned to explain why you are a good fit for the advertised role and be aligned to the Essential Criteria as set out in the job advertisement.
Candidate applications will be sifted according to their experience detailed on their CV and the evidence contained within their Personal Statement.
(Do NOT include any links or e-mail addresses to online profiles, resumés, or prior work, either personal or business. Active links or e-mail addresses will result in your application being rejected)
More guidance can be found here completing you application
Sift Stage
The sift will be held on the CV and the Personal Statement. Please read the Essential skills for this position carefully. We will only consider those who meet the listed requirement.
Candidates who pass the sift will be provided with a programming exercise / coding exercise to complete, details will be provided prior to the interview.
Technical Exercise
This coding test will assess your ability to effectively perform in the advertised role. You will be sent detailed instructions along with an invitation to take the test. Please make us aware if you require any reasonable adjustments in order to participate in the test.
A technical test is a great opportunity for you to show us your technical capability in a structured and transparent way. We have an assortment of tests to assess different skills depending on the role.
If you complete the test, meeting our expectations at this level, you will be invited to a video interview in the following few weeks.
Interview Stage
Candidates reaching the required standard will then be invited to attend a final interview. The interview will assess your Technical Skills (SFIA Framework) and experience using technical and experience-based oral questions.
Sift and interview dates
Sift will be conducted week commencing 21st August 2023.
Interviews will be held week commencing 11th September 2023. (Subject to panels operational requirements/priorities)
Interviews will be conducted remotely via MS Teams.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
Further information
Please read the essential skills for this position carefully. We will only consider those who meet the listed requirement.
If you have previously made an unsuccessful application for a role with the same essential skills and are not able to demonstrate how you have developed these skills since your last application please reconsider applying as your application is unlikely to be successful.
For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.
UK residency and security requirements
- You need to have lived in the UK for the past 5 years. This is because this post requires the successful candidate to have Security Check (SC) clearance, and you need to have been a resident in the UK long enough for sufficient checks to take place. These checks will only take place after the job offer has been accepted.
- Visa sponsorship –we are unable to sponsor any individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas as we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License.
A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.
We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need to go through a further selection process providing the role has the same competencies and essential skills.
Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.
We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are Stonewall top 100 Workplace Equality Employer and a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.
Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidates responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.
Transfer Terms: Voluntary.
If you are invited to an interview you will be required to bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.
Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.
Any move to the Home Office 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 here
Reasonable Adjustments
If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
Complete the Assistance Required section in the Additional Requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a language service professional
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the Contact point for applicants section.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : George Hill
- Email : OptimusACRecruitment@homeoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
HORecruitment.GRS@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
