Junior Developer

Term: 6 months initial fixed term contract - NO AGENCIES PLEASE 

Deadline: Friday 17^th May - 5pm

Salary : £23,088

Interviews to take place: Wednesday 5^th June 2024

Please apply with a covering letter explaining why you would be suitable for this role, including any examples of training, up-skilling or any technical  projects that you have worked on. 

Sunderland Software City (SSC) drives the sustainable growth of the technology sector by creating digital tech opportunities through a range of skills, innovation and business support programmes. It is our mission to make a difference by fostering talent and supporting industry to lead to greater opportunities and a stronger economy.

We are building our new tech team and are recruiting a team of 10 ambitious, solution-focused Junior Software Developers who are comfortable in the face of the unknown but have a real appetite to learn and find optimum solutions for whatever challenges are put in front of them. Within your role, you will independently lead on projects working with a range of startups, established businesses and VCSE organisations alike, both regionally and nationally, to understand the real-world challenges they face, to then explore and design digital solutions for them that truly make a difference.

This role is offered on an initial 6-month contract basis as we build out this new team and expand on our delivery offering. We support the wider tech sector to grow and this role will help both Software City and wider clients to grow and meet their ambitions. We are looking for great individuals who want their first job to lead to a great career in tech.

About the role

Whether you’re a recent graduate, have gained software development skills through a bootcamp programme, or you’re a self-taught developer, as long as you’re a keen aspiring software developer eager to break into the world of working in tech then we believe this could be the role for you. This is a junior role, so there will be an expectation that you approach all tasks with an open mind and supplement your day-to-day delivery with plenty of self-directed learning to really find your niche within the exciting field of software development.

As part of a team, you’ll be working on a range of projects; gaining experience across the full software development lifecycle and embedding agile working into everything you do. Due to the nature of our projects, our tech stack is ever changing and constantly being updated in line with new updates and best practice so your agile approach and understanding of development processes will be much more important than your specific tech stack.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Analysing the organisational challenges faced by clients and advising on what digital technologies may present solutions aligned with client requirements;
• Building an understanding of existing technology environments, including an understanding of what systems and software applications exist that might support existing and potential clients;
• Producing high-quality reports, specifications and documentation that will enable SMEs to engage in procurement or apply for funding;
• Collaborating with the rest of the Sunderland Software City and wider Digital Catapult team to deliver new products and services using digital technology on behalf of our clients;
• Forming working relationships with individuals and companies in the tech sector to understand their needs and support their growth;
• Collaborating with your peers where appropriate to ideate on solutions to bring about the best possible outcomes;
• Working closely with any assigned client(s) to ensure deliverables are met on-time and within their specifications.

Key Skills / Qualifications

The following key skills and qualifications are a guide and should not be seen as a list of requirements. Even if you are not sure about your existing skills but are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply. Please contact us if you would like to discuss your suitability for the role further.

Important for success:

• Excellent coding, analytical, and problem-solving abilities with a ‘can do’ attitude. Whether it be tracking down an obscure bug, or getting to the bottom of how best to translate business requirements into a fully implemented solution.
• An aptitude and openness to learning new skills and technologies - a key measure of success in this role will be your ability to develop new skills and build on your existing skills, so a self-motivated desire to learn and develop is critical.
• A background/some experience of software development (backend, full stack etc) – we’re technology agnostic and don’t mind which stack you’ve developed your skills in. We are looking for natural problem solvers who can find the best solutions that are most applicable to their clients' needs.
• Working knowledge of Git, Continuous Integration, and other supporting systems.
• An understanding of SCRUM/agile methodologies.
• An enthusiasm to work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplined team and to lead by example, with the ability to take ownership of the delivery of projects.
• Time management and organisational skills (you’ll be balancing client delivery with continuous professional development so an ability to adapt your priorities is a must).
• Ability or appetite to work with a wide range of organisations from different sectors and sizes with an ability to build rapport with clients and respond adequately to their needs and any feedback/input provided.
• Excellent spoken and written communication skills and presentation skills.

Nice to have

• Strong communication skills (you’ll be working on client projects so an ability to communicate well will be a real advantage).
• Familiarity with full software development lifecycle (you’ll be working on some projects for their full cycle and some for specific functions so a knowledge of the whole process will give you an advantage).
• Comfortable in creating documentation, educational resources, and presentations to explore design choices and present your rationale with colleagues and clients.
• Understanding and/or interest in the possibilities of advanced technologies such as Internet of Things, Immersive Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Distributed Ledger Technologies.