Purple Systems Developer in Nottingham

Welcome to Purple. Purple is an innovative, data analytics platform developed by Think for the Future to transform how schools, multi-academy trusts (MATs) and organisations measure impact and make informed, data-driven decisions. It brings together cutting-edge technology and deep sector expertise to give educators clear, intuitive insights that drive meaningful improvement for pupils. The platform empowers schools and MATs to track and analyse key areas such as behaviour and attendance, explore whole-school trends, monitor the progress of specific groups and access detailed individual student profiles. Purple turns complex data into clear, aesthetic visuals that make analysis quick, simple and actionable. Purple is on an ambitious growth journey to become the leading solution for intelligent data analysis and impact measurement in education.

Our Mission: Empowering educators to make data-driven decisions which maximise student impact.

Role Overview:

• Contract Length: Permanent, full time
• Hours per week: 37.5 hours per week
• Hours of work: 8am-4pm or 9pm-5pm Monday to Friday (flexible as job requires)
• Holiday: 25 days per year + bank holidays
• Start Date: September 2026 (however can discuss earlier dates)
• Salary: £27,000-£35,000 (depending on experience)
• Location: Purple HQ (Lenton, Nottingham) - This role is office based and does not offer a working from home/hybrid option.

Benefits: Purple offers a number of employee perks including an on-site TFTF Tots Nursery which is subsidised as a salary sacrifice scheme, making for a very low-cost, high-quality childcare option for all staff.

We are looking for a talented Full Stack Developer to join our Purple team and help shape the future of data analytics in the education sector. In this role, you’ll be at the heart of our platform’s evolution—designing, building, and maintaining robust systems that empower educators and drive meaningful impact for young people. You’ll work across the full development lifecycle, collaborating with product managers, designers, and fellow developers to deliver scalable, secure, and innovative solutions. Your architectural expertise will help us future-proof our platform, while your hands-on coding skills will ensure our systems are reliable and high performing. You’ll take ownership of backend development, API management, and integration with Azure and Databricks, while also contributing to frontend enhancements using React. You’ll play a key role in managing agile workflows—triaging errors, supporting ADF pipelines, and driving continuous improvement through testing (including AI-driven approaches).

The main objectives and responsibilities of the role are to:

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable backend services and APIs to support platform growth and reliability.
• Support the leadership of architectural decisions, ensuring systems are robust, modular, and future proof.
• Integrate and optimise data pipelines, including Azure Data Factory, for efficient data processing and analytics.
• Enhance frontend user experience using React, ensuring interfaces are intuitive and accessible.
• Implement and manage AI agentic coding solutions, supporting automation and intelligent platform features.
• Collaborate with data scientists and analysts to deploy machine learning models and AI-driven insights within the platform.
• Ensure high standards of code quality, security, and compliance (including GDPR and safeguarding requirements).
• Monitor system performance, proactively identifying and resolving bottlenecks or vulnerabilities.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive technical documentation and version control practices.
• Participate in code reviews, mentoring junior developers and sharing best practices.
• Support deployment, CI/CD pipelines, and release management for new features and updates.
• Engage with stakeholders (internal and external) to gather requirements and translate them into technical solutions.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of development processes, tools, and team culture.
• Stay up-to-date with emerging technologies and trends, recommending innovations to keep Purple at the forefront of edtech.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

Safeguarding: Purple is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a rigorous Safer Recruitment Policy which is followed for every appointment. Therefore, successful appointment to this role will be subject to:

• Declaration of any convictions, cautions or reprimands which you have incurred
• An Enhanced DBS Check
• A minimum of Two Satisfactory References
• Proof of Eligibility to work in the UK
• A secure social media check

Diversity & Inclusion: At Purple, we value diversity and strive to create an inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to our mission.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS:

• Strong backend development experience, with working knowledge of frontend development (React).
• Experience developing and maintaining full stack applications using Django (DRF), React, and Azure.
• Proven experience architecting scalable, secure systems and managing APIs.
• Experience working on SaaS platforms in live production environments.
• Experience with error handling, triaging, and resolving issues in production systems.
• Experience supporting or working with data pipelines (e.g. ADF).
• Experience working in an agile development environment, contributing to epics, sprints, and story points.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a cross‑functional team (developers, data, product, operations).
• Strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with a proactive, solutions‑focused mindset.
• Ability to prioritise workload, manage competing deadlines, and work effectively at pace.
• Commitment to writing clean, maintainable, well‑documented code.
• Awareness of security, data protection, and reliability considerations when building systems.

DESIRABLE SKILLS:

• Experience as a full stack developer with Databricks or broader data pipeline experience.
• Experience using AI agentic coding tools and/or AI‑driven testing approaches.
• Experience implementing automated testing strategies and test frameworks.
• Experience contributing to technical design discussions and architectural decision‑making.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices such as CI/CD pipelines, release management, or infrastructure tooling.
• Experience working in a start‑up, scale‑up, or high‑growth SaaS environment.
• Experience working within education, public sector, or mission‑driven organisations.
• Understanding of GDPR and data protection requirements.
• Interest in using technology for social impact and improving outcomes for young people.

We’re looking for someone curious and ambitious, who enjoys learning new tools and techniques and is excited to help shape a growing product. Experience in education, public sector, or mission driven organisations is welcomed but not essential — what matters most is a commitment to building high-quality technology that delivers meaningful outcomes for schools and young people.

Additional Perks of Working at Purple & TFTF:

• On-Site Nursery: A huge employee perk that is offered is our on-site TFTF Tots Nursery which is subsidised as a salary sacrifice scheme, making for a very low-cost, high-quality childcare option for TFTF office staff.
• Comprehensive Induction Training: We provide a dynamic Induction Training for all new staff, during which we not only introduce you to your role and give you all the tricks and tools you’ll need to deliver it, but will also give you a wider insight into the organisation.
• Continued Professional Development: Our training doesn't just stop after your induction. You will have opportunity to develop your skillset, with access to a staff CPD budget as well as mentoring from other team members and external partner organisations.
• Vitality Health Insurance: Access top-quality healthcare with Vitality Health Insurance, made affordable through a salary sacrifice scheme.
• Wisdom EAP: Our partners at Wisdom offer 24/7 confidential support from experienced therapists and advisors for various issues.
• Positive & Supportive Team Culture: At Think for the Future, we pride ourselves on our positive and supportive team culture.