Software Developer (Ruby Developer) Permanent

Job summary

IMPORTANT: Security Vetting Requirements

This role requires SC (Security Check) which will be conducted by NSV (National Security vetting). You need to have been resident in the UK within the past five years in order to apply.

Here is a short video why this is required.

As a Ruby Developer on the GovWifi team, you'll help build and maintain the UK's government-wide WiFi authentication service, used by millions of people every month across the public sector.

You'll write clean, well-tested Ruby and Ruby on Rails code, working alongside experienced developers and Site Reliability Engineers to deliver features that make WiFi access simple and secure for citizens and civil servants.

You'll get hands-on experience across the stack — from Rails-based front-end views to backend services — and have the opportunity to broaden your skills with languages like Python, JavaScript, Go, and C, which are used elsewhere in our estate. You'll work in a small, collaborative agile team, contributing to code reviews, pairing with colleagues, and turning user stories into working software.

We are currently looking for someone with solid Ruby and Rails experience who is keen to develop further and enjoys working as part of a supportive team.

The ideal candidate should take pride in writing quality, maintainable code, possess strong development fundamentals, and bring a good-natured, collaborative approach to the role.

Job description

As a Developer on the GovWifi team, you will contribute to the software components that form our mission-critical platform. You'll work closely with senior developers and Site Reliability Engineers (SREs), learning from the team while contributing your own ideas, to help maintain high service uptime and respond to incidents as part of a rota.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Software Delivery: Design, code, test, and document Ruby and Ruby on Rails features, working from agreed specifications to meet user needs across the public sector.
• Full-Stack Contribution: Build front-end views and interactions using Rails alongside backend logic, with opportunities to work in Python, JavaScript, Go, or C where relevant.
• Security & Standards: Write secure code that follows information security good practice, and apply modern development standards (TDD, CI/CD) as part of the team.
• Operational Support: Help operate the services you build — identifying issues, fixing bugs, and supporting maintenance of infrastructure, with guidance from experienced colleagues.
• User-Centric Development: Work with user researchers and product colleagues to translate user stories into technical tasks, distinguishing user "wants" from true "needs".
• Systems Integration: Help build and test interfaces between GovWifi and external systems, under guidance from senior developers where complexity is high.
• Prototyping: Take part in team prototyping sessions, helping test new features and approaches (including AI-based enhancements) before full-scale deployment.
  Continuous Improvement: Suggest improvements to development processes and practices, and take part in retrospectives to help the team get better over time.

Person specification

Technical Skills:

• Expert in Ruby development and Rails framework
• Experience with at least one other language such as Python, JavaScript, Go, or C
• Understanding of automated testing (unit/integration) and version control workflows
• Awareness of CI/CD pipelines and cloud deployment concepts (AWS desirable, not essential)
• Willingness to learn incident response and operational support practices as part of a team.

Behaviours:

• Collaborative, good-natured approach to working with others
• Focus on delivering good-quality code at a steady pace
• Clear communication when discussing technical work with the team.

Other:

• Ability and willingness to adapt and learn.
• Commitment to GovWifi mission and public sector values.

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Ruby and Ruby on Rails Proficiency — solid understanding of Ruby/Rails; experience writing automated tests. Monitoring and Logging
• Front-End Development within Rails — experience building and styling user-facing views within a Rails app.
• Exposure to Adjacent Languages — hands-on experience with Python, Docker, JavaScript, Go, or C and ability to discuss trade-offs vs Ruby/Rails.
• Testing and Code Quality Practices — familiarity with TDD, code review, and writing maintainable code.
• Version Control and CI/CD Awareness — comfortable with Git workflows; awareness of CI/CD pipelines.

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Ruby and Ruby on Rails Proficiency — solid understanding of Ruby/Rails; experience writing automated tests. Monitoring and Logging

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,204, Cabinet Office contributes £16,571 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Application process

During the application process, you will be asked to complete the following;

• Provide a CV
• Provide answers to Civl Service Behaviours
• Provide answers to Technical Skill questions.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

During sift, you will be assessed on behaviours and technical skill listed on this vacancy advertisement.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Delivering at Pace.
Selection process

During the selection process, you will be assessed on the following areas:

• Civil Service Behaviours
• Strengths
• Technical skills listed on this vacancy advertisement.
• Assessment (To be shared to successful candidates after sift)

The Interview

There will be one interview split into two parts as follows;

45 minutes for the technical scenario based exercise assessment45 minutes for behaviours, strengths and technical skills

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 10/08/2026

Expected interview date/s – w/c 24/08/2026

Interview location - Google Meet conferences

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put 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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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.

Further information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to Cabinet 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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 : CO Digital Recruitment Team
• Email : codigitalrecruitment@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and wish to make a complaint, then in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/.

Attachments

Cabinet Office Employee Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 302kB)Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External 2025-02-20 Opens in new window (docx, 83kB)