Stage 1: Application
Your application will consist of four parts:
1. A Personal Details application form.
2. Employment history - this should contain your work experience and any skills, qualifications and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed.
3. Personal statement - up to 1000 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria below:
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Proven ability to lead software engineering teams, providing technical direction and mentoring junior engineers. Youll be expected to foster a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across teams.
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Demonstrated experience working in agile, multi-disciplinary teams to deliver user-centred digital services. Ability to collaborate effectively with Product Managers, Delivery Managers and other specialists.
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Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes). Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and automated testing.
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Strong hands-on experience and knowledge of designing, building and deploying APIs, RESTful services or message broker services in a microservice architecture with persistent data using either SQL or NoSQL databases.
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Experience of secure coding practices, test-driven-development (TDD) coding practices, service resilience, and operational support. Ability to ensure systems meet quality, security, accessibility and performance standards.
4. Technical statement (up to 250 words). The following statement is aligned to the required technical skill of: Technical Breadth. This statement should be used to provide example(s) of how you meet the criterion below:
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Strong hands-on experience in designing, building, and maintaining secure, scalable software using Java in a cloud environment (e.g. Azure/AWS).
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Ensure that all examples provided in your statements are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. If you choose to use gen-AI to support your statements, you must follow the guidelines outlined in the Artificial intelligence and recruitment guide.
The sift panel will use the information in your employment history, personal statement, and technical statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge.
An initial sift will be conducted using the technical statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift.
If you do progress to a full sift, you will be provided with one combined overall assessment score for both your employment history and Personal Statement.
For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.
Important Information
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You will be asked to complete your employment history. Any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
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Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
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If your employment history, personal statement or technical statement contain any personal details your application will be withdrawn.
Stage 2: Coding Test
Candidates who are successful at the sift stage will be sent a coding test to complete remotely. The exercise will focus on the technical elements listed in the Essential Criteria in this advert.
Full details will be sent to candidates when the exercise is issued. Candidates will have 7 days to complete the test from the date of receipt. Candidates that are not successful in the technical exercise will not progress to the interview stage.
Please add [email protected] to your safe senders list or monitor your spam folder to ensure safe receipt of the code test via email.
The code test must be completed by the candidate using their skillset without using any AI or generative tools.
Stage 3: Interview
If youre successful at the sift stage, youll be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. During the interview, youll be assessed against the experience criteria listed under both the essential criteria and technical skill.
Interviews will take place from mid July 2026. Interview dates to be confirmed.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.
For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Security Clearance Requirement
You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.
You must have resided continuously in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years, 2 of which must have been the immediately preceding years from the point of applying for this job.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the Reasonable Adjustments section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
For further information on reasonable adjustments, terms and conditions and how we recruit visit the How we recruit page.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
