Development and Support Engineer

Post number EX026/03

About the role

Exacom Systems Limited – the leading supplier of planning obligations and Building Safety Levy software to Local Authorities across the UK – is looking to recruit a Development and Support Engineer to join its technical team.

The post holder will be responsible for the development and maintenance of Exacom software products and internal systems, technical support for clients, and upkeep of the documentation and processes that support them. This is a mid-level post for a developer with commercial experience.

Contract

Permanent, full time – 37 hours per week

Occasional evening or weekend work for software updates and maintenance (compensated)

Salary

£40k to £45k per annum. Starting salary negotiable depending on skills and experience

Location

Based at the Exacom offices on the outskirts of Colchester in Essex

For more information about the post please feel free to contact Exacom Chief Operating Officer Kerry Stapleton for an informal chat: kerry.stapleton@exacom.co.uk

Job description

Development

Design, build and test code to the team’s agreed standards, to maintain, develop and evolve Exacom software products
Fix defects and deliver enhancements in Exacom software products
Develop and maintain APIs and integrations with client and third-party systems
Work on internal tools and on hosting and infrastructure tasks, under the direction of the Lead Development Engineer
Submit work for code review, take part in reviewing the work of colleagues, and act on feedback
Prepare and deploy software releases, including out-of-hours updates when required

Systems resilience

Act as a trained backup owner for named critical systems, so that they can be run and supported in the absence of the primary owner

Documentation

Contribute to technical documents, such as system user guides, product specification documents, and risk management and business continuity assessments, as required by management
Write and keep up to date knowledge base articles and playbooks for the systems the team runs, so that tasks can be picked up by other team members
Keep documents in the corporate Technical Document Library current, using the approved Exacom templates

Processes

Follow the team’s agreed processes, including change control, code review, release and ticket handling procedures
Record work clearly in the support and development systems, so that progress and decisions can be traced
Identify and propose improvements to team processes, and help document and introduce them
Follow Exacom’s information security and data protection policies

Support and training

Resolve support tickets assigned through the support process, and provide technical (second-line) support to clients and colleagues during office hours
Deliver product demonstrations, videos and training in the use of Exacom software products, as required by management

General

Attend in-person and online meetings as required by management
Keep technical skills and product knowledge up to date
Carry out any other reasonable and appropriate duties as required by management

Person specification

Candidates should meet all essential requirements; desirable requirements help to choose between candidates.

Essential

At least three years’ commercial software development experience
Experience maintaining and enhancing an established, live product, not only new builds
Experience diagnosing and resolving technical faults reported by customers or users
PHP development (PHP 8.x) or similar, including object-oriented code
SQL, including writing and tuning queries; Microsoft SQL Server preferred
HTML, CSS and JavaScript, including jQuery
Git version control, including branching and reviewing changes
Building and consuming REST APIs
Secure coding practice, such as the OWASP Top 10
Understanding of data protection (UK GDPR) when handling personal data
Clear written English, able to produce accurate technical documents and user guides
Able to explain technical matters to non-technical clients by phone, email and online meeting
Methodical approach to problem-solving and testing
Able to manage own workload and work with minimal day-to-day supervision
Works well in a small team and shares knowledge with colleagues
Able to work occasional evenings or weekends for software updates
Right to work in the UK

Desirable

Experience of working within formal change control, code review and release processes
Experience developing software for local government or the public sector
Windows Server and IIS
Python 3.11 or later
Linux (Ubuntu), Apache and NGINX
Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Building accessible web interfaces to WCAG 2.2 AA
Degree in computing or a related subject, or equivalent industry experience
Relevant industry certification, such as Microsoft Azure or information security
Understanding of the UK planning system and developer contributions (Section 106, Community Infrastructure Levy and Biodiversity Net Gain)
Understanding of the UK building control system, primarily the Building Safety Levy

Application for employment

Thank you for your interest in working for Exacom Systems Limited. Please complete every section as fully and accurately as possible, writing ‘N/A’ where a question does not apply. The information you give will be used to assess your suitability for the role and, if you are successful, to confirm your employment and personal details.

We will process the personal data collected through this form in line with the Data Privacy Notice at the end of this page.

Equal opportunities. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or trade union membership.

Fields marked * are required.

01Personal details

Title (optional)

Forename(s) *

Surname *

Previous names (if any)

National Insurance no.

Home address *

Email address *

Mobile *

Home telephone

Preferred daytime number

Mobile

Home

Right to work in the UK

All applicants are asked these questions. Successful candidates must provide evidence of their right to work before starting.

Are you free to remain and take up employment in the UK with no current immigration restrictions? *

Yes

If no, please give details (e.g. visa type, expiry date, whether sponsorship would be required) *

02Education and qualifications

Education From GCSE or equivalent to degree level, most recent first.

Establishment	Type / level (e.g. GCSE, A level)	Subject	Grade	Year

Postgraduate study or other professional qualifications

Establishment / awarding body	Qualification gained	Year of award

Membership of professional bodies

Professional body	Membership grade / number	Year obtained

03Employment history

Please give details of your last three jobs, starting with your present or most recent position and working backwards. The fourth block may be used for any earlier relevant post.

1. Present or most recent position

Job title *

Employer name *

Employer address

Start date *

End date

I currently work here

Main duties and responsibilities *

Reason for leaving

2. Previous position

Job title

Employer name

Employer address

Start date

End date

Main duties and responsibilities

Reason for leaving

3. Previous position

Job title

Employer name

Employer address

Start date

End date

Main duties and responsibilities

Reason for leaving

4. Earlier relevant position

Job title

Employer name

Employer address

Start date

End date

Main duties and responsibilities

Reason for leaving

04Further information

Other training, qualifications, skills or personal qualities relevant to the post or to your suitability for employment (e.g. full driving licence).

Your main activities and interests. (optional)

If successful, how much notice do you need to give your current employer? *

Supporting statement *

Please tell us why you are interested in this post, why you believe you are the best person for the job, and anything else that may assist your application.

05Adjustments for interview

We want everyone to be able to take part fully in our recruitment process. If you have a disability or need any special arrangements or adjustments to help you attend an interview or assessment, please give details below. You only need to tell us what you are comfortable sharing.

06Referees

Please give details of two referees. One must be your current or most recent employer or, if this is your first job, a school teacher or a further or higher education lecturer. Neither referee should be a relative, a personal friend or a contemporary. References are only taken up once a conditional offer of employment has been made.

Referee 1

Title

Forename *

Surname *

Job title

Address

Contact telephone

Email address *

Relationship to you *

Can we approach this referee without further consent from you? *

Yes

Referee 2

Title

Forename *

Surname *

Job title

Address

Contact telephone

Email address *

Relationship to you *

Can we approach this referee without further consent from you? *

Yes

07Criminal convictions

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. You do not need to tell us about any conviction or caution that is spent. Having an unspent conviction will not necessarily prevent you from being offered employment; we will consider the nature and circumstances of the offence and its relevance to the role. Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and used only for this purpose.

Do you have a conviction which is not spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974? *

Yes

If yes, please give details *

08Declaration

I declare that the information I have given on this application form is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, true and complete. I understand that if it is subsequently discovered that any statement is false or misleading, or that I have withheld relevant information, my application may be disqualified or, if I have already been appointed, I may be dismissed. *

I confirm that I have read the Data Privacy Notice accompanying this form. *

Signed (type your full name) *

Date *

Data Privacy Notice – Job Applicants

Exacom Systems Limited (“Exacom”, “we”, “us”) collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants as part of our recruitment process. We are committed to being transparent about how we collect and use that data and to meeting our data protection obligations. This notice sets out the basis on which we collect, use and disclose the personal data of job applicants, and your rights in respect of that data.

Who we are

Exacom Systems Limited is the controller of your personal data. We are registered in England and Wales under company number 07356515, with our registered office at 15 East Road, West Mersea, Colchester, Essex, CO5 8EB. Contact: admin@exacom.co.uk.

What information do we collect and how?

Exacom collects a range of information about you. This includes:

your name, address and contact details, including email address and telephone number;
details of your qualifications, skills, experience and employment history;
information from interviews and online or telephone screenings you may have;
information about your entitlement to work in the UK;
details of any adjustments you need during the recruitment process, which may include information about a disability; and
information about unspent criminal convictions that you choose to disclose.

We may collect this information in a variety of ways. For example, data might be contained in application forms or CVs (including when these are sent to us as part of speculative applications or queries), obtained from your passport or other identity documents, or collected through interviews or other methods of assessment.

We may also collect personal data about you from third parties, such as references supplied by former employers. We will seek information from third parties only once a job offer has been made to you.

Data will be stored in a range of different places, including on your application record, in our HR management systems and in our email system.

Why do we process personal data?

Exacom collects and processes your data for a number of purposes and only where we have a lawful basis to do so, as follows.

We need to process data to take steps at your request before entering into a contract with you. We also have a legitimate interest in processing personal data during the recruitment process and in keeping records of the process. Processing data from job applicants allows us to manage the recruitment process, assess and confirm a candidate’s suitability for employment and decide to whom to offer a job. We may also need to process data from job applicants to respond to and defend against legal claims.

In some cases, we need to process data to comply with our legal obligations. For example, we are required to check a successful applicant’s eligibility to work in the UK before employment starts.

We may process information about whether or not applicants are disabled so we can make reasonable adjustments for candidates who have a disability. Where we process other special categories of data, such as information about ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health or religion or belief, this is for equal opportunities monitoring purposes and is provided voluntarily. This processing is carried out so that you or we can meet our obligations or exercise our rights under employment law, or (only where applicable) to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Where you disclose an unspent criminal conviction, we process this information to assess your suitability for the role, relying on the employment condition in Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018 and in line with our appropriate policy document.

We will not use your data for any purpose other than the recruitment process of which you are a part. Recruitment decisions are not made solely by automated means.

Who has access to your data?

Your information may be shared internally for the purposes of the recruitment process. This includes members of the HR team, interviewers involved in the recruitment process, and managers in the business area with a vacancy.

We will not share your data with third parties unless your application for employment is successful and an offer of employment is made. We will then share your data with former employers in order to obtain references. In addition, we may need to share your personal information with a regulator or otherwise to comply with the law.

How do we protect your data?

Exacom takes the security of your data seriously. We have internal policies and controls in place to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by our personnel in the proper performance of their duties.

How long do we keep your data?

If your application for employment is unsuccessful (including when you have applied speculatively for a role that is not available), we will hold your data on file for 6 months. At the end of that period your data is deleted or destroyed, unless we need to retain it for longer to exercise or defend any legal claims.

If your application is successful, personal data gathered during the recruitment process will be transferred to your personnel file and retained during your employment. The periods for which employee data is held will be provided to you in a separate privacy notice.

Your rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights under data protection law. You can:

access and obtain a copy of your data on request;
require Exacom to change incorrect or incomplete data;
require Exacom to delete or stop processing your data, for example where the data is no longer necessary for the purposes of processing;
ask us to restrict the processing of your data in certain circumstances;
object to the processing of your data where we are relying on our legitimate interests as the lawful basis for processing; and
ask us to transfer your data to another organisation.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, or if you have any questions about this notice or our processing of your data more generally, please contact admin@exacom.co.uk.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to complain to us at admin@exacom.co.uk and we will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk).

What if you do not provide personal data?

You are under no statutory or contractual obligation to provide data to Exacom during the recruitment process. However, if you do not provide the information, we may not be able to process your application.