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Job summary

ob description

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) administers pensions for Scottish Teachers, Police, Firefighters' and National Health Service employees on behalf of the Scottish Government.
We're responsible for protecting the financial futures of over half a million people , that’s around 1 in 10 people in Scotland.
If you’re looking for meaningful work, a supportive environment and a career with purpose, you’ll find it at the SPPA.
Our office is based in Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders, the train station is a short two minute walk away and offers regular services to and from Edinburgh Waverley, making it a convenient and well connected location for commuters.
The surrounding area offers access to green space, walking routes and a strong sense of local community, supporting wellbeing both in and outside of work.
Our modern office building is designed to support flexible and collaborative working, with spaces for teamwork, quiet focus and hybrid working. Colleagues benefit from a comfortable, welcoming environment that reflects our commitment to wellbeing and inclusion.

As a Software Engineer at SPPA, you’ll maintain and enhance the agency's Python-based Standalone Pension Calculator which is central to the McCloud Remedy Programme, helping ensure fair pension choices for public sector workers - while building secure, scalable solutions using modern technologies in a collaborative, user-focused environment. This role will form part of the SPPA Development Team, a sub-team of SPPA Information Technology.

Job description

• Develop, test, and maintain Python-based software solutions - including the standalone pension calculator- using modern frameworks and tools.
• Design secure, scalable systems and components following established architectural patterns and development standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure solutions meet user needs and strategic goals.
• Contribute to cloud-based deployments and support ongoing maintenance and fault resolution.
• Participate in code reviews, prototyping, and knowledge sharing to uphold quality and support team development.
• Translate user stories and specifications into detailed technical designs and implementations.
• Embed security controls and ensure compliance with information security standards throughout the development lifecycle.
• Continuously improve development processes by identifying deficiencies and supporting optimisation initiatives.

Person specification

Success profileSuccess profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.
Technical / Professional Skills:

This role is aligned to the Software Developer job role within the Software Engineering/Development job family within the Digital, Data and Technology Profession. These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will be not be assessed at application stage. Please review the following to understand the skill expectations: Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework here.

Experience

1. Lead Criteria: Experience writing programs and scripts using Python, object-oriented programming (OOP), Python back-end framework such as Flask, SQL, JavaScript (Next.js) for front end, and version control tools like Git allows you to use agreed specifications to independently design, code, test and document programs or scripts of medium-to-high complexity, using the right standards and tools.
2. Experience developing and deploying cloud-based services, particularly those built with modern frameworks and databases, using containerisation tools such as Docker, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud infrastructure (Azure, including App Services and Virtual Machines, help identify and fix faults following agreed procedures and carry out agreed maintenance tasks).
3. Experience of the technologies and patterns used by established architectural patterns and engineering practices, such as SOLID principles, modular design, secure data structures, and cloud-native patterns like micro services and event-driven architectures enables you to produce detailed designs of components and data structures using well understood technology, appropriate patterns, and security controls embedded.
4. Experience participating in team development processes to identify process deficiencies and support specific activities to improve them.

Behaviours:

1. Communicating & Influencing - Level 3
2. Delivering at Pace - Level 3

Find out more about .

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• This role is aligned to the Software Developer job role within the Software Engineering/Development job family.Please review the following to understand the skill expectations: Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework here.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,767, Scottish Government contributes £11,520 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 with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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, Experience and Technical skills.Apply using link provided.

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.

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

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 : Mubashir Ahmad
• Email : mubashir.ahmad@gov.scot

Recruitment team

• Email : scottishgovernmentrecruitment@gov.scot