The association for the people and businesses of Sheffield's digital industries.

talent 23, a year of talent and skills

a year of talent and skills

Senior Front End Software Engineer

  • Anywhere
  • £43 - £56k (FTE) per year depending on experience GBP / Year

Website HiveIT_uk Hive IT

We are looking for a UK-based Senior Software Engineer with 5+ years of professional experience in front end engineering to join our team. This role would suit a person with a background in web development, a passion for accessibility and user experience, and the ability to work hand-in-hand with key stakeholders.

Please note: The Closing Date for applications to this role is 11.30pm on the 8th November 2024.

To Apply for this role, you will be required to complete an Application form.

Role

As a Senior Front End Software Engineer, you will initially take a role within our main project team working on a statistics platform for the Department for Education. Over time, you will be expected to lead the development of a wider range of projects.

You will be responsible for producing high-quality code whilst collaborating closely with the project’s product owner, other front end engineers and our UX team to understand a concept and turn visual designs into code whilst considering accessibility, user interactions and responsive design.

You will work closely with the wider development team to integrate your code with backend systems. As part of your day-to-day, you will need to communicate your ideas and findings effectively and be expected to participate in code reviews to help ensure quality. As part of this role’s responsibilities, you will mentor and support other front end engineers to grow their experience and skill set.

We’d also love for you to be interested in following industry trends, best practices, emerging technologies and tools. We’d like you to participate in the evolution of the company’s software development culture and improve the way we do things.

Skills

KEY SKILLS:

The ideal candidate for this role will have the following skills and experience:

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

  • Comprehensive knowledge of HTML / CSS – able to write markup and styling to implement designs efficiently
  • Very comfortable writing TypeScript that follows given coding standards
  • Strong experience with modern JavaScript frameworks such as React
  • Experience writing tests using frameworks such as Jest and Testing Library
  • Passionate about accessibility and good UX – able to identify and fix accessibility issues to meet WCAG standards
  • Able to implement responsive UIs for varying viewport dimensions and consider how user interactions change based on devices
  • Can produce code that closely follows given designs or a style guide e.g. the GOV.UK Design System
  • Proficient with code collaboration tools such as Git and GitHub / GitLab
  • Good problem-solving skills with an ability to diagnose and troubleshoot bugs
  • Excellent communication skills with the ability to present your ideas and findings to audiences of varying levels of technical expertise
  • Great technical writing skills – able to document your work clearly and concisely
  • Experience mentoring or helping others through code reviews and pair programming
  • Experience working in an Agile environment using collaborative tools such as Jira, Miro and Trello

DESIRABLE SKILLS:

  • Strong experience using Next.js to build React applications
  • Experience working with automated browser testing tools such as Robot Framework, Playwright, Cypress, etc
  • Able to comfortably use prototyping tools such as Figma and Adobe XD
  • Strong experience building WordPress websites
  • Experience using headless CMS platforms e.g. Sanity, Contentful
  • Able to collaborate with backend engineers to design REST APIs

Values

We hold these values:

  • Embracing inclusivity and working together as one team
  • Acting ethically and with empathy towards others
  • Nurturing a love of creative problem solving
  • Always finding growth and learning opportunities
  • Cultivating a friendly and honest atmosphere

So if our values match yours, we would love to hear from you.

The Process of Hiring

At Hive IT, we are focused on creating an equitable and inclusive environment. To foster this, we have implemented an initial blind recruitment process that aims to reduce unconscious bias and ensure a fair selection process.

What does this mean?

Simply put, the decision-makers involved in the hiring process will only receive the skills and experiences you provide in your application, without any personal details.

Here’s an overview of our hiring process after you submit your application:

Please note: At all stages of the process, if you are unsuccessful in moving forwards to the next stage, our hiring managers will inform you and provide relevant feedback. We believe in open communication and value your time and effort.

  • Personal Information storage — Our hiring managers will store any personal information solely for the duration of the recruitment process. Once the position is filled, your personal details will be removed from our database.
  • Anonymised Application Review — Your application will undergo a thorough review, during which any personal information, such as your name, email address and address, will be removed. Only the relevant sections of your application will be shared with the hiring team.
  • Initial Remote Interview —  If your application advances, the relevant hiring team will decide whether to arrange an initial remote interview. Each candidate will be asked the same set of questions to ensure fairness and consistency.
  • Skills assessment — If you pass the initial remote interview, you will be asked to complete a skills assessment that is measured against predetermined criteria ensuring a standardised evaluation for all candidates.
  • Final interview — If you pass the skills assessment, you will be invited to a final interview.
  • Offer of employment — If you are successful, we will provide you with an offer of employment letter and begin discussing suitable start dates, aiming for a timeline within four weeks.

We expect that the entire process will be completed within six weeks from the application closing date. However, we are a small company without a dedicated hiring team, our team members are often fully engaged in projects.  While we strive to meet these timeframes, we cannot guarantee them due to operational constraints.

Please note: In order to promote fairness throughout the application process, we kindly ask candidates not to share details of the skills assessment with other applicants. Sharing such information will unfortunately result in immediate disqualification from the application process. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining the integrity of the assessment.

Salary

£43 – £56k (FTE) per year depending on experience.

This role is open to part-time working, ideally a minimum 4-day working week.

At Hive, we prioritise the well-being and inclusivity of our employees by providing a comprehensive and equitable benefits package. This package includes:

  • Vitality Health Insurance
  • Westfield Health – Level 1 – Foresight
  • PAM Employee Wellbeing Assistance Programme
  • 5 volunteering days
  • 27 days annual leave
  • Discretionary closure over Christmas
  • Extended Paternity, Maternity and Dependents Leave
  • 5% pension contribution
  • Bike to work salary sacrifice scheme
  • Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme
  • 3 x away days or social gatherings a year

We want to create a supportive and rewarding environment that values the diverse needs of our employees.

Location

You should be based and eligible to work in the UK, and it would be advantageous if you have the flexibility to travel across the country, including to our offices in Sheffield, for project-related needs. We understand the importance of work-life balance, so we offer flexible working hours and the option to work remotely or in a hybrid setup.

We hold monthly company meet-ups that you’re welcome to attend, but they’re not mandatory unless they directly relate to your work.

Additionally, we love to bring people together and organise social gatherings throughout the year. It’s completely up to you whether you’d like to join in and be a part of these events. We value your unique interests and respect your personal schedule.

No Agencies Please

To apply for this job please visit www.hiveit.co.uk.