Developer - Application Development

Information Services (IS)

Reporting to: Application Development Team Lead

Salary:£28,695 - £37,394per annum (pro rata) depending on skills and experience.Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance

Job Family and level:4

Contract Status:Permanent

Hours of Work: Full time

Location:Kings Meadow Campus

You are atechnicalexpertand experienced software developer with a track record of designing and delivering solutions of high quality and to expected standards. You are used to working in a pressurised, complex environment and are adept at leading technical discussions to promote excellent software design and quality. You are delivery-focussed and will help to create the environment in which individuals and teams are encouraged to be innovative and agileto help secure success as we respond to the constantly evolving IT landscape.

The University

The University of Nottingham (UoN) is ranked in the UK’s top 10 and the world’s top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings, placing it in the top 1% of all universities worldwide. UoN has award-winning campuses in the UK, China and Malaysia and is committed to providing a truly inspiring and international education.

Described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’ – the University of Nottingham is uniquely enterprising and renowned for its production of world-leading research.

Information Services

Many of our services are typical of any business and offer similar challenges: Managed desktops and laptops, data storage, email, printing, web content management for the internet and intranet, data and voice networking, multimedia design and production, and the major applications underpinning finance, HR/payroll, marketing, facilities management, conferencing and a range of commercial enterprises, including incubator premises for new business ventures.

Other challenges are specific to higher education and to our University in particular. Nottingham has huge ambition to transform the experience it provides to students — to place them at the heart of its global, digital community. This will involve fundamental change to the business processes which underpin the student journey through the institution, major organisational change across professional services teams, and the implementation of a comprehensive, integrated suite of supporting IT systems. We in Information Services will play a pivotal role in this exciting and challenging change programme — known as Transform.

We also run specialist systems to underpin the life cycle of each research project as it moves from grant application through to publication and dissemination. Our researchers need information to help them target the next exciting and lucrative research opportunity. They need to be able to demonstrate the impact their research is having in the world.

As our mission says, “by bold innovation and excellence in all that we do, we make both knowledge and discoveries matter.” This depends on getting the right information to the right people within our community. Here, the creation, sharing, analysis and dissemination of information are defining activities. It’s what we exist to do. Both students and researchers are demanding, innovative users of technology and we aim to provide them an information environment in which they can be boundlessly creative and highly productive. We have campuses in Nottingham, China and Malaysia, and aim to support mobility, ease of communication and team work across this hugely diverse and geographically spread community.

In response to these specific challenges, we provide particular and differentiating services. These include a Virtual Learning Environment and other innovative technologies for learning, High Performance Computing services and a large range of specialist software. Our researchers produce vast amounts of data and need tools to manage, mine and generate information from it. Many of them collaborate with industrial partners and researchers in other institutions across disciplinary and organisational boundaries. Our students have grown up with internet technologies and expect to be constantly connected using their mobile devices. A technology-rich experience is what they expect from University life. We provide equipment in teaching rooms, PC suites, language laboratories, wireless everywhere, and internet services in the halls of residence. Our global nature also means that video conferencing is particularly important.

Context

Following the appointment of a new CIO, Information Services is undergoing a significant restructure and reinvigoration. The aim is to build an organisation which is systemically capable of being the reliable, trusted, innovative and agile IT partner that the University needs to deliver its ambitious 2020 Strategy across the UK, China and Malaysia campuses Following the appointment of the Director Global IT Programmes and Solutions the next step is to appoint the managers and teams who will provide support. The teams led by the Director Global IT Programmes and Solutions are;

  • Head of Application Development – acts as the technical design authority for the portfolio of applications and software which underpin and provide data for the University’s business processes; leads a team of deep technical experts and software developers in this area
  • Head of Portfolio Delivery – accountable for delivery of the global project portfolio; acts as the centre of excellence for portfolio and project management; leads a team of professional project and programme managers
  • Head of Infrastructure Solutions– acts as the technical design authority for the data centres, the network, storage and servers including High Performance Computing; leads a team of deep technical experts in this area
  • Head of User Experience – acts as the technical design authority for the systems and technologies which provide a workplace in which users can communicate and collaborate effectively, and the devices (laptops, desktops, smart phones, tablets, printers etc.) which enable users to access IT services and data; leads a team of deep technical experts in this area
  • Head of Testing-owns and maintain the Global IS Testing strategies, policies and processes, ensuring they remain fit for purpose to support the University/IS strategies

Your Role

Sitting within the Application Development team, the Developer, Application Development works closely with the Team Lead, Application Development and the Senior Developer, Application Development, to ensure that the portfolio of applications and software projects which underpin and provide data for the University’s business processes are developed and delivered to the high standards of the University of Nottingham.

Liaising with the Team Lead, Application Development, the Senior Developer, Application Development works closely with Developer, Application Development you will be involved in technical discussions, help drive new innovative ideas of designing software systems, and help to advise on what is feasible and what is not.

Thefundamental purpose of the team is for the delivery of authorised projects from the global portfolio of new applications and software which supports the University’s business processes. The University recognises that digitalisation is going to fundamentally impact the way it maintains its identity and fulfils its purpose. It has ambitious plans in every area and expects IT to be at the heart of its global, digitally connected community.

You will support the Team Lead, Application Development and the Senior Developer, Application Development to make this vision possible. You will help to support and contribute to an environment in which individuals are encouraged to be creative, innovative and agile in responding to new opportunities and the changing IT landscape.

You will be supported by the following team:

  • Team Lead, Application Development – leads teams in the development of the portfolio of applications and software to support the University of Nottingham digital initiatives. Coordination of multiple streams of software development this role is a technical leader, promoting, defining, customising and deploying best Agile practices
  • Senior Developer, Application Development – acts as the technical design authority for the portfolio of applications and software managed by the team leader, a deeply technical expert and software developer. This role drives the technical design and approach for all projects within the team. The Senior Developer, Application Development is a keen advocate of Agile practices
  • Junior Developer, Application Development– working in a small team this role is responsible for the supporting the technical design and approach as defined by the Team Lead and Senior Developer for the University of Nottingham’s project portfolio

Principal Accountabilities:

Application Development

1. Delivering and supporting theapplication development and software delivery within the Global IT Programmes and Solutions team. Primarily responsible for:

  • Liaising with the Team Leads and Senior Developers to promote excellent software design and quality
  • Write and deliver software as per specification to agreed timescales
  • Engage with other developers, front-end designers, product managers and performance engineers to ensure quality software is delivered
  • Liaise with the technical leads and architects to promote excellent software design and quality
  • You will be involved in technical discussions, help drive new innovative ideas of designing software systems, and help to advise on what is feasible and what is not

2. Following the processes by which the Application Development team ensures that solutions are designed to fit within a coherent technical architecture and are fit for purpose. Including:

  • Utilisation of a software development methodology based on an Agile philosophy.
  • Supporting the Team Lead, Application Development to ensure that processes and policies that are in place are adhered to so that development projects follow the correct;
  • Version Control
  • Quality Management
  • Development Standards
  • Support the implementation of new technologies which improve our ability to build high quality products

General

3. Assist Senior Developer, Application Development with updating the application development project status reporting

4. Acts as an internal and external consultant, advising on the development and management of the Universities applications and systems

5. Develop own skills and professional capability in line with the needs of the service

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

Essential / Desirable
Qualifications/ Education /
  • Minimum HNC or equivalent, plus substantial work experience in a relevant role
OR
  • Proven track record with extensive work experience in a relevant technical or scientific role

Skills/Training /
  • Extensive background in full-stack development, SOA architectures, API and protocol design, networking, internet topology, virtualisation
  • Understanding of web applications.
  • Knowledge in the standard front end technologies; JavaScript, REST, JASON, JQuery
  • Familiarity with Web services API
  • Excellent understanding of object orientated development practices and languages. Experience of working on products built in those languages
  • Excellent understanding writing, reporting and communicating with database technologies
  • Highly adaptable and flexible. Able to adjust quickly to new situations and changing priorities
  • A clear understanding of the Software Development Lifecycle and Agile practices
  • Creative and innovative problem-solving skills
  • Requirement to understand, conceptualise and interpret the technical requirements of projects
/
  • Ability to identify new opportunities, provide creative solutions and promote change

Experience /
  • Experience of real-world Agile development
  • Experience with teams delivering software every day to high-scale, always-on, production environments.
/
  • Familiar with the HE context and environment

University of Nottingham123 September 2018