At a Glance
- Tasks: Join us to design and deliver secure, scalable digital services for millions.
- Company: Be part of DWP, the UK's largest government department with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous pension contributions, and flexible working hours.
- Other info: Join a diverse and inclusive culture with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by solving meaningful problems with cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in software design and leading agile teams is essential.
The predicted salary is between 57946 - 80664 £ per year.
Pay up to £80,664 plus 28.97% employer pension contributions, hybrid working, flexible hours, and great work life balance.
DWP. Digital with Purpose.
Do you want to work on code that counts?
We're looking for talented Senior Software Engineers to help shape the future of digital services within the UK's largest government department.
You'll work in collaborative, multidisciplinary teams to design and deliver secure, resilient and scalable solutions.
Working with technologies including AWS, Kubernetes, Java, microservices and CI/CD, you'll help build and improve platforms that support critical public services at scale.
We champion engineering excellence, clean code, automation and continuous improvement.
Whether you're influencing technical direction, mentoring others or driving best practice, you'll have the opportunity to help deliver services that work for millions people and transform how government works.
Build great software. Solve meaningful problems. Make a difference at scale.
What skills, knowledge and experience will you need?
- Proven experience designing and assuring scalable, resilient and secure technology solutions, ensuring architectural decisions align with organisational strategy, standards and business outcomes.
- Demonstrated ability to lead within multidisciplinary agile teams, collaborating with engineers, product managers, delivery professionals and senior stakeholders to shape technical direction and delivery.
- Strong knowledge of cloud-native architectures, including AWS, containerisation technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes, and infrastructure-as-code approaches using Terraform or Cloud Formation.
- Experience designing complex distributed systems, defining architectural patterns, and ensuring solutions are maintainable, interoperable and fit for long-term organisational needs.
- Understanding of modern software development lifecycles, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing and Dev Ops principles, ensuring architecture enables efficient and reliable delivery.
- Proven ability to embed security, accessibility, performance and operational resilience into architectural designs, ensuring services meet governance, compliance and user needs.
- You and your role
Our Senior Software Engineers provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, and champion engineering best practice across DWP Digital.
Working in multi-disciplinary agile teams alongside architects, designers, researchers, analysts and testers, you'll design, build and support secure, reliable digital services used by millions of people.
You'll help modernise large-scale systems, transforming legacy platforms into resilient, scalable cloud-based architectures.
With the freedom to influence technical decisions, you'll play a key role in shaping the future of engineering across one of the UK's largest government departments.
Alongside hands-on engineering, you'll share expertise, grow capability and support the development of others across our engineering community.
You'll also work with modern cloud technologies, including AWS, Kubernetes and infrastructure-as-code tooling, helping to build and operate cloud-based services that are scalable, resilient and designed for the future.
This is an opportunity to solve complex technical challenges, influence technical strategy, and build services that help people access support more quickly and easily.
We'll support your development through coaching, mentoring, professional learning and a thriving engineering community.
Details. Wages. Perks.
Location: You'll join us in one of our brilliant digital hubs in Blackpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle or Sheffield whichever is most convenient for you.
Hybrid Working: We work a hybrid model - you'll spend some time working at home and 60% collaborating face to face in a hub.
The maximum salary for the grade is £68,205 plus a Digital Allowance of up to £12,459 per annum for exceptional candidates, subject to our assessment of capability at interview.
Pension: You'll get a brilliant civil service pension with employer contributions worth 28.97%, worth up to £16,786 per year.
- We have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
- Time off volunteering and charitable giving
- Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'
- Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more
- Interest-free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket, so it's even easier for you to get to work and start making a difference
- Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.
And we have an award-winning environment and culture
- DWP have been recognised as 2024 Diversity Employer of the Year at the Computing Women in Tech Excellence awards
- Diverse and Inclusive Leadership at Digital Leaders Awards 2024
- Commended as Best Place to Work in Digital category in the Computing Digital Technology Leaders awards 2025
- Recognised as one of the Best Public Sector Employers at 2025 Women In Tech Employer Awards
Process:
We know your time is valuable, so our application and selection process is just two stages:
- Apply: complete your application on Civil Service Jobs.
- Interview: A single stage interview online.
- CLICK APPLY for more information and to start your application
Senior Software Engineer in Bristol employer: DWP Digital
DWP is an exceptional employer that champions innovation and collaboration within its digital teams. With a strong focus on employee growth, we offer extensive training opportunities and a supportive work culture that values fresh ideas and cutting-edge technology. Working from home allows for a flexible work-life balance, making it an ideal environment for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the realm of data solutions.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer in Bristol
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at DWP Digital or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to DWP Digital.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like DWP Digital.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like DWP Digital that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer in Bristol
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at DWP Digital.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at DWP Digital and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at DWP Digital
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If DWP Digital uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
