Senior Full Stack Software Engineer (NodeJS/PHP/Drupal/Java)

About the role

As a Senior Full-stack Software Engineer, you will take on the technical leadership of the digital services team, with responsibility for the full-stack development, integration, and maintenance of web platforms built on the Drupal content management framework for our Client, a large public sector organisation. You will own features across the entire stack — from front-end architecture and user interactions to server-side business logic, database interactions, and deployment on a containerised platform — with accountability for performance, security, and conformity with the web accessibility standards applicable to public sector websites.

Responsibilities

• Develop front-end website architecture and design user interactions on web pages, and develop back-end web applications implementing core business logic, maintaining features across the entire stack from user interfaces and consumed interfaces to server-side logic and database interactions
• Ensure web applications are optimised for performance and functionality across different browsers and devices, conform to the web accessibility standards applicable to public sector websites, and apply data and security best practices — input validation, authentication and authorisation, secure storage, and compliant logging and monitoring
• Provide technical leadership of the digital services team by translating scientific requirements into technical specifications, taking architecture decisions, reviewing code, coordinating front-end and back-end work, and aligning releases and changes with the teams responsible for the hosting platform and corporate services
• Develop and maintain web platforms on the Drupal content management framework, including custom module development, site building, theming, and migration between major versions
• Design and develop application programming interfaces, and integrate the platforms with the Client's central single sign-on service
• Design and implement data visualisation, dashboard, and interactive mapping components, and provide expert advice on visualisation solutions
• Deploy and manage applications on the containerised platform using continuous integration and delivery pipelines, and maintain that environment
• Maintain code integrity and organisation, carry out unit and integration testing, debugging, fixing and validation of code changes, analyse data, processes and code to troubleshoot problems and identify areas for improvement, and write technical documentation

Requirements

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant IT professional experience with a Master's degree; or a minimum of 12 years with a Bachelor's degree; or a minimum of 17 years where only secondary education has been completed.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in server-side development for web applications in PHP, Python, Java, Node.js or a comparable language, including the integration of server-side logic and data with the user interface
• At least 2 years of that experience on the Drupal content management platform, on which the services are delivered, including the development of custom modules
• At least 5 years of professional experience in front-end web development using HTML5, CSS and JavaScript, including responsive design and cross-browser behaviour, with the implementation of user interfaces in at least two distinct projects
• At least 3 years of professional experience in the design and implementation of application programming interfaces and other interoperability mechanisms, covering web services (REST or SOAP), structured data exchange formats, and integration with external authentication or single sign-on services, including at least one interface you designed, secured and documented rather than only consumed
• Very good knowledge of English, both spoken and written, corresponding to Level B2 or higher of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)