At a Glance
- Tasks: Develop and maintain scalable Ruby on Rails applications that inspire creativity in music education.
- Company: Join iRock School of Music, a fun and supportive team making a real impact.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid work, health support, and 25 days holiday.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of music education software while working with modern tech.
- Qualifications: Experience in Ruby on Rails and strong problem-solving skills required.
We’re looking for a passionate and experienced Ruby on Rails Software Engineer to join our growing team at iRock School of Music. This role gives you the chance to shape and lead development across our suite of applications, with a focus on elegant, scalable code, a smooth user experience, and meaningful impact. If you thrive in a collaborative environment and love bringing ideas to life with modern tools like Heroku, RSpec, and Flutter, this might be the perfect role for you.
Why Join iRock School of Music?
Founded in 2016 by father and son team John and Josh Franklin, iRock School of Music is built on a belief in the power of music to unleash creativity, potential, and passion in every child. What started in a garden shed is now teaching thousands of children in hundreds of schools across the UK, making a real impact on students' confidence and teamwork skills through rock and pop band lessons.
At iRock, we don’t just teach music, we inspire and change lives. Our workplace culture reflects these values: fun, honest, supportive, and inspiring. You’ll be joining a company that encourages innovation, values diverse learning styles, and understands the importance of creative expression.
What We Offer:
- A competitive salary (£40,000.00 to £50,000.00 dependent on experience)
- Hybrid working for a healthy work-life balance
- Medicash cash plan to support your health and well-being
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
- A chance to work on meaningful software that supports music education and creativity
Tech Stack You’ll Be Working With:
- Ruby on Rails with Tailwind CSS (Flowbite), Hotwire, Stimulus.js
- Sidekiq
- PostgreSQL database
- GraphQL API supporting our Flutter-based iOS mobile app
- RSpec for testing
- Heroku for deployment and infrastructure
- Occasional use of Cloudflare for CDN and DNS management
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Develop, test, and maintain scalable, secure, and reliable Ruby on Rails applications
- Write clean, maintainable, well-documented code and automated tests (RSpec)
- Lead all stages of the development lifecycle—from concept through to deployment
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define and build out new features
- Optimise application performance and troubleshoot bugs
- Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices
- Work closely with our project manager to deliver code and releases on schedule
What We’re Looking For:
- Proven experience as a Ruby on Rails Developer
- Strong understanding of object-oriented programming and MVC architecture
- Comfortable with front-end technologies: JavaScript, HTML, CSS
- Familiarity with RESTful architecture and ORM concepts
- Experience with PostgreSQL or similar relational databases
- Comfortable using Git and GitHub
- Strong problem-solving skills and a sharp eye for detail
- Effective communication and collaboration abilities
Nice to Have:
- Experience with RSpec or similar automated testing frameworks
- Experience working with Flutter-based mobile applications
- Familiarity with Agile development methodologies
- Experience with APIs such as SmartDebit, Stripe, and SendGrid
- Degree in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent experience)
Sound like you? This is more than just a coding job, it’s an opportunity to help shape the future of music education software in a fast-growing, values-led company. If you're ready to bring your skills, energy, and creativity to a team that truly makes a difference, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now and help us rock the world of music education.
This role requires the applicant to be a UK national or be resident in the UK with a right to work visa already in place. iRock embraces diversity and equal opportunity. This advert is not intended to discriminate on the grounds of a person's gender, marital status, race, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation. We are committed to fair treatment; therefore, every candidate will be assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications, and ability to perform the duties of the job.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Due to the nature of the position, any offer of employment for this role will be subject to a satisfactory Enhanced DBS and other vetting checks and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from working in a regulated activity. Ex-offenders with spent conviction will be considered on an individual basis and the nature of their offence will be taken into account in the recruitment decision.
Throughout the recruitment process, iRock collects and processes a range of personal data relating to job applicants. We are transparent about how this data is collected, used, and stored and are committed to compliance with data protection obligations.
Locations
Ruby on Rails Software Engineer in Farnborough, Hampshire employer: iRock School of Music
At iRock School of Music, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that values creativity and passion in music education. Our vibrant work culture fosters collaboration and personal growth, offering extensive training opportunities and a supportive environment where you can truly make a difference in children's lives. With generous benefits including 11 weeks of paid holidays, mileage reimbursement, and a commitment to employee wellbeing, joining our team means being part of a mission-driven organisation that inspires the next generation of musicians.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Ruby on Rails Software Engineer in Farnborough, Hampshire
✨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 iRock School of Music 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 iRock School of Music.
✨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 iRock School of Music.
✨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 iRock School of Music 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 Ruby on Rails Software Engineer in Farnborough, Hampshire
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 iRock School of Music.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at iRock School of Music 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 iRock School of Music
✨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 iRock School of Music 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.
