Senior Product Developer

Job summary

We’re looking for two Senior Product Developers to join our Product team and help shape the future of digital services at the Food Standards Agency (FSA). You’ll play a key role in designing, developing and improving digital products that support our mission to ensure food is safe, sustainable, and accurately described.

Working in multi-disciplinary teams, you’ll collaborate with stakeholders across the FSA and beyond, using agile methods and low-code platforms to deliver secure, user-focused solutions. This is a fantastic opportunity to lead on technical delivery, mentor colleagues, and contribute to meaningful change in a high-impact public sector environment.

Job description

As a Senior Product Developer, you’ll lead the design and development of digital services using low-code platforms such as Power Platform, O365, and our Case Management Digital Platform. You’ll work closely with stakeholders to translate business needs into secure, accessible and user-friendly solutions.

You’ll write clean, well-tested code, manage technical complexity, and establish reusable components and patterns. You’ll also support product lifecycle management, provide second-line support, and help resolve issues and trends.

Mentoring junior colleagues and contributing to a collaborative, agile working culture will be key to your role. You’ll also prototype solutions to visualise end-to-end processes and ensure services meet government standards.

This is a hands-on role with strategic influence, offering the chance to make a real difference in how the FSA delivers digital services.

Working pattern guidance

If applying as a job share partnership you should both complete separate application forms on Civil Service Jobs but should make it clear that you are applying as job sharers. Further details on job sharing can be found here JSF – What is the recruitment process for job sharers? , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Applicants who wish to work part time / compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Due to the nature of the role we are unable to consider requests for part time working of less than 30 hours per week.

Please read before applying

This recruitment campaign is for two posts - 1 x permanent and 1 x temporary Fixed Term or Loan appointment until 30 October 2026 (with the possibility, but no guarantee, of extension or permanency). Posts will be offered in merit order.

Candidates that are already established Civil Servants or from non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will come to the FSA on a Loan basis and will need to request permission from their Home Department for the Loan prior to applying for this vacancy.

Note for FSA employees

You must seek approval from your substantive manager before applying for any non-permanent vacancy - please refer to the ‘Temporary internal appointments framework’ on the FSA intranet for more details. Please note that if applying for a temporary post within the FSA or elsewhere on promotion, successful appointment will not automatically result in a permanent promotion - you will revert to your current substantive grade at the end of the Fixed Term or Loan period (unless funding has been approved to make the post permanent).

If you are applying for a vacancy on a Loan basis you MUST seek approval from your Director in line with our FSA Staff loans policy

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,596, Food Standards Agency contributes £12,340 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack.

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential and desirable criteria. (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).

Essential criteria

Experience

Lead criteria:Proven expertise in the development of Power Platform solutions, including building secure, high‑quality Power Apps (Model‑driven and Canvas), Power Automate flows, and Dataverse integrations, applying repeatable patterns using modern development standards.

If you hold any Power Platform Certifications, also make this clear.

• Strong track record of collaborating with stakeholders to understand user needs, propose effective digital solutions, gain buy-in, and ensure services are user-centred and aligned to organisational priorities
• Commitment to continuous improvement, using user feedback and data to iterate services, simplify processes, and enhance quality and performance over time.
• Experience delivering to challenging deadlines while maintaining high standards of security, accessibility, and service quality within a structured delivery environment

Desirable criteria (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).

Experience

• Knowledge/Exposure to CoPilot Studio

Lead Criteria: An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Experience requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours.

Behaviours

• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.

Experience

Proven expertise in the development of Power Platform solutions, including building secure, high‑quality Power Apps (Model‑driven and Canvas), Power Automate flows, and Dataverse integrations, applying repeatable patterns using modern development standards.

If you hold any Power Platform Certifications, also make this clear.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 9th March

Sift: Expected to take place from 10th March

Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 30th March

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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

Reserve List

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not offer visa sponsorship and cannot provide advice on visa applications

Making a complaint

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated fairly in accordance with the principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSA’s Director of People at jo.bushnell@food.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

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

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Junaid Kalang
• Email : Junaid.Kalang@food.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk

Further information

If you wish to raise a complaint then please email hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk in the first instance.

Attachments

Candidate Pack - Senior Product Developers x2 (SEO) 490317 Opens in new window (pdf, 1030kB)Terms and Conditions as at April 2020 Opens in new window (pdf, 42kB)