At a Glance
- Tasks: Join our agile team to enhance user experiences for over one million students.
- Company: UCAS, the leading shared admissions service for higher education in the UK.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, 30 days leave, hybrid working, and wellness support.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with internal training and excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in connecting people to education and opportunities.
- Qualifications: Experience with PHP, Drupal, and web development standards required.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 55000 £ per year.
UCAS is at the heart of connecting people to higher education and supporting our customers on their journey. UCAS is the world’s leading shared admissions service for higher education. We provide application services for UK universities and colleges as well as delivering a wide range of research, consultancy and advisory services to schools, colleges, careers services, professional bodies and employers. We’re a successful and fast-growing organisation, which helps hundreds of thousands of people every year. We’re committed to delivering a first-class service to all of our customers, they're at the heart of everything we do.
The Digital Services business unit is at the heart of UCAS’ technical innovation, data and infrastructure. It focuses on leveraging data science, technology, and enterprise architecture to enhance UCAS' digital products and services. The unit is dedicated to developing and improving customer‑centric digital solutions, ensuring seamless and secure online experiences for all users. By providing insightful data and analysis, often made available to anyone with free-to-use intuitive dashboard, Digital Services empowers the Higher Education sector and those interested in the sector with valuable information to make informed decisions. By working in collaborative, expert led, multi-disciplinary teams, Digital Services drives UCAS’ mission to connect students with their next opportunities through advanced technological solutions.
We’re on the look‑out for a Senior Drupal Developer to join our self‑managing, agile team within the Product Engineering unit where you’ll drive developments which enhance the user experience for over one million students looking to go into further and higher education every year. You’ll take a proactive approach in development of services for our customers, as well as identifying and resolving issues, and working closely with all stakeholders to help define requirements, and to provide technical input. You will be passionate about the production of high quality, reusable, and extensible code, and will champion this amongst the team, encouraging high development standards and practices. The role would be expected to take an active interest in all technologies used at UCAS, how they can be used to improve customer experience, and the effectiveness of the team.
Core requirements:- Experience developing and maintaining websites using PHP and Drupal
- Ability to gather, challenge and document requirements with stakeholders
- Strong knowledge of web development standards, HTML5, JavaScript and accessibility
- Experience testing, deploying and supporting web applications and infrastructure
- Understanding of web servers, databases, caching solutions and application management
- Ability to produce technical documentation and collaborate across technical and non-technical teams
- Committed to quality assurance, continuous improvement and adopting new technologies.
- Substantial experience of working in a development environment
- Experience of working with - Object-oriented MVC development patterns / JavaScript / HTML 5/ Drupal 10+/ Drush/ Twig / Composer package management/ git, git flow, git merge, git subtree/ AMP stack/ Apache configuration and administration / PhpUnit, Behat, linux, WSL, Playwright PHP CodeSniffer, ESLint, stylelint / Jetbrains PhpStorm / xdebug
- Ability to extract and translate user/stakeholder requirements into suitable documentation and to communicate with colleagues clearly and without unnecessary jargon
- Excellent understanding of functional requirements frameworks and concepts with good analytical and problem-solving skills
- Experience of delivering within an agile environment
- Comfortable working in a dynamic, large-scale, agile change initiative with multiple technologies
- An interest and a willingness to learn and develop skills in new technology outside of their direct role.
Package: Fixed Term Contract - 18 months / Salary £55,000 + below benefits and a fantastic work environment
- Purpose-driven work in a charity-led organisation connecting people to education and opportunity
- Internal training, mentoring, and access to industry-recognised certifications through our development academies
- Hybrid working model built on trust and flexibility, with a 35-hour week and flexible contracts
- 30 days annual leave, 3 concessionary days over Christmas, bank holidays, and the option to purchase additional leave
- Everyday wellbeing support through Perkbox, offering discounts and wellness tools
- Onsite facilities including a subsidised gym, café, and free parking at our Cheltenham office
- Inclusive culture supported by employee networks, wellbeing champions, and Mental Health First Aiders
- Recognition and reward through our quarterly employee scheme and an ex-gratia bonus for going above and beyond
Is fully remote working an option? Yes
Senior Drupal Developer in Gloucester employer: UCAS
UCAS is an exceptional employer, offering a purpose-driven work environment that connects individuals to higher education opportunities. With a strong commitment to employee growth through internal training and access to industry-recognised certifications, UCAS fosters an inclusive culture supported by various employee networks and wellbeing initiatives. The hybrid working model, generous leave policies, and onsite facilities further enhance the overall employee experience, making it a rewarding place to work in Cheltenham.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Drupal Developer in Gloucester
✨Get Involved in Open-Source Projects
Diving into open-source projects is a brilliant way to showcase your skills and connect with other developers in the community. Not only will you beef up your GitHub profile but you might also catch the eye of someone at UCAS who values hands-on experience over just theory.
✨Attend Local Tech Meetups
Tech meetups are gold mines for networking and discovering job opportunities, especially in the fast-paced world of software engineering. Check out local listings for events in your area and don’t shy away from introducing yourself. This could lead directly to a temporary position at UCAS!
✨Showcase Your Work Online
With temporary roles, it’s all about standing out in a short space of time. Create a portfolio website where you highlight your projects and skills. Talk about your code, and provide links to your GitHub repositories. This will not only demonstrate your abilities but will also make it easier for recruiters at UCAS to see what you bring to the table.
✨Leverage Temporary Job Boards
Don’t forget to check specialised job boards for temporary software development roles. Websites like We Work Remotely or Remote OK often list short-term gigs that can be a perfect fit. Apply directly through our website as well, making sure your application is sharp—temporary roles can move fast!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Drupal Developer in Gloucester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Tech Skills:Make sure your CV highlights your tech stack and any programming languages you’re proficient in. Include specifics about any frameworks or technologies you’ve worked with; they can make you stand out in the sea of applicants. It’s all about showing that you have the chops we need at UCAS!
Portfolio 2.0:Since you’re applying for a temporary gig, it’s super important to showcase a portfolio that highlights your best projects. Include links to GitHub or any personal projects that demonstrate what you can do in a real-world environment. This gives us a taste of your style and your problem-solving approach!
Keep It Brief and Relevant:With a temporary position, we want to see your ability to hit the ground running. Be concise in your CV and cover letter; stick to experiences that directly relate to the role. Highlight any previous temporary roles or freelance gigs that show your adaptability and quick learning!
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Don’t just send a generic cover letter. Personalise it for Senior Drupal Developer at UCAS! Mention why this temporary role excites you and how you see yourself contributing in the short run. Show us what you've got and why you're the one for this quick turn-around!
How to prepare for a job interview at UCAS
✨Nail the Technical Skills
For a software engineering role, you'll likely face technical questions or coding tasks during your interview. Brush up on the relevant programming languages and frameworks that UCAS uses, and don’t forget to practice some coding challenges on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank. Showing your coding prowess can really make you stand out!
✨Prepare for System Design Questions
Even for a temporary role, having a grasp of system design principles can be crucial. Be ready to discuss how you would architect a software solution, including discussing trade-offs, scalability, and performance considerations. Having examples from previous projects can really show off your analytical thinking.
✨Demonstrate Your Adaptability
Since this is a temporary role, you'll want to emphasise your ability to hit the ground running. Highlight experiences where you quickly adapted to new technologies or teams. Let’s make it clear to the interviewers at UCAS that you can learn on the job and deliver results in a short timeframe!
✨Show Off Your Portfolio
Make sure to have a portfolio or GitHub ready showcasing your projects. Having tangible evidence of what you've done—be it personal projects, contributions to open-source, or previous work—can convey how capable you are. Tailor this for what might interest UCAS, so it's relevant and sparks conversation during your interview.
