Web Developer

Grade and Salary: Grade 7 - £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

Contract Type: Full Time, Open Ended

Organisation Name: Global Information Services Directorate

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 closed days.

About our Directorate and Team: The Global Information Services directorate provides a range of services to support, promote and supply information, information skills and infrastructure to support a modern research‑intensive university in a global setting. This straddles academic library provision alongside a range of technical services and systems such as IT and AV services, systems and support for learning & teaching, research & enterprise, and operational effectiveness. It is an integrated global service, providing services to students, staff, applicants, alumni, and external users across all five campuses.

Purpose of Role: Reporting to the Web Systems Manager, the Web Developer will work with colleagues within the Applications and Data Team, within the Global Information Services and across the University to help support and develop a range of web systems. We are looking for a skilled React Web Developer to join our digital team and work on a modern headless CMS frontend powered by Contensis. You will play a key role in developing and maintaining user‑focused web experiences using the Contensis React framework, building scalable front‑end solutions, and delivering custom integrations with a range of internal and external systems. This role is ideal for a developer who enjoys working with modern JavaScript frameworks, structured content APIs, and complex integrations in an agile delivery environment. A helpful, friendly manner when working with end‑users is essential. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop your software skills as part of a small, dynamic team.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain frontend web applications using React and the Contensis React framework on the www.hw.ac.uk websites.
• Build and manage headless CMS‑driven interfaces using Contensis.
• Work extensively with Node.js, TypeScript, JSON, and RESTful APIs.
• Implement custom integrations between the website and external systems, including programme management and research systems.
• Collaborate with designers and content teams to deliver well‑structured, accessible, and performant user interfaces.
• Manage source code using GitLab, following best practices for branching, code reviews etc.
• Contribute to agile delivery using Jira, participating in sprint planning, stand‑ups, and retrospectives.
• Ensure high standards of code quality, performance, security, and accessibility.
• Keep up to date with and investigate relevant technologies and approaches that could enhance the University’s software or working practices.
• Enhance product quality through activities such as pairing, mentoring, coaching, code‑review, and identifying development needs and opportunities.
• Liaise with third‑party developers where a decision has been made to out‑source particular development tasks, to ensure code quality is maintained and technical guidelines followed.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

Education, Qualifications & Experience:

These are the criteria on which the short‑listing and recruitment selection will be made.

Essential:

• A degree in Computer Science (or related discipline) or equivalent practical experience in the workplace.
• Proven relevant experience of working as a web developer on complex software systems, which will have been acquired over a number of years, with a basic understanding of the relevant theory i.e. experience of Agile development, experience of the full development lifecycle, from requirements gathering through testing to deployment.
• Strong commercial experience with React and developing frontend applications using Visual Studio.
• Strong knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and solid experience with Node.js, TypeScript, JSON, and API‑driven architectures.
• Experience working with CMS platforms, ideally Headless.
• Proficiency with Git‑based workflows, ideally using GitLab.
• Experience working within agile project management frameworks (Scrum/Kanban) using tools such as Jira.
• Experience of working closely with stakeholders across all levels of the organisation.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team, ability to understand wider business context, willingness and ability to help end users.

Desirable:

• Experience of working in Higher Education.
• Experience of reviewing others' code and making constructive suggestions for improvement.
• Experience of mentoring other developers.
• Knowledge of web accessibility standards (WCAG).
• Experience integrating with research, data, or enterprise systems.
• Familiarity with cloud‑hosted front‑end architectures.

Heriot‑Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. Heriot‑Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups.