Senior Software Developer X2 D Grade February 2026

Job Title: 1009-314/1009-318 Senior Software Developer x2 Grade: D Hours: 35 (full-time) Vacancy type: x2 Permanent Salary 40161 Location: NatureScot offices home or hybrid Closing date: Midnight 1st March 2026 Interview Date: Week Commencing 16th March 2026

The Technology and Digital Services Infrastructure Team is responsible for the provision of reliable high-quality IT services that underpin delivery of corporate outcomes across the full breadth of NatureScot activity.

The Software Development Team is responsible for the design development and operation of internal business applications and public-facing digital services.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Passionate and enthusiastic about digital transformation software development web and cloud technologies.
• Knowledgeable and experienced in software engineering and DevOps practices.
• Able to understand and engage with product owners service users and other stakeholders.
• Positive pragmatic motivated and productive.
• Able to enjoy working as part of a busy team of digital specialists.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Design and develop software to meet business and user needs.
• Investigate and understand user needs and how they translate to application features.
• Write clean secure and well-tested code.
• Review existing code to reprogram refactor update and add new features.
• Find ways to improve system robustness resilience and stability.
• Implement cloud infrastructure DevOps pipelines and related services.
• Manage coach and mentor more junior colleagues.
• Help the team to inspect adapt and continually improve.

Essential Criteria (Please refer to these in your Supporting Statement):

1. Agile working. You can demonstrate knowledge of Agile methodology. You can apply an Agile mindset to all aspects of your work. You can work in a fast-paced evolving environment and use an iterative method and flexible approach to enable rapid delivery.
2. Development process optimisation. You can identify process optimisation opportunities with guidance and contribute to the implementation of proposed solutions.
3. Information security. You can understand information security. You can design solutions and services with security controls embedded specifically engineered with mitigation of security threats as a core feature.
4. Modern standards approach. You can competently apply a modern standards approach and guide others to do so.
5. Programming and build (software engineering). Demonstrable experience of any type of coding. You can use the agreed specifications to design code test and document programs or scripts of medium-to-high complexity using the right standards and tools. Experience in any of the following technologies and platforms is desirable: AWS Oracle PostgreSQL Terraform Docker Jenkins Angular JavaScript/TypeScript Object-Relational Mapping Git GitHub design system.
6. Prototyping. You can approach prototyping as a team activity actively soliciting prototypes and testing with others. You can establish design patterns and iterate them. You can use a variety of prototyping methods and choose the most appropriate.
7. Service support. You can identify locate and fix faults.
8. Systems design. You can design systems using appropriate design standards methods and tools and ensure they are applied effectively.
9. Systems integration. You can define the integration build. You can co-ordinate build activities across systems. You can understand how to undertake and support integration testing activities.
10. User focus. You can collaborate with user researchers and can represent users internally. You can explain the difference between user needs and the desires of the user. You can champion user research to focus on all users. You can prioritise and define approaches to understand the user story guiding others in doing so. You can offer recommendations on the best tools and methods to use.

Prerequisites Required

• Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK and resident in Scotland for the duration of the job contract
• To undertake a Disclosure Scotland application.
• Although Gaelic language is not a prerequisite it is a desirable skill in support of our commitment to our Gaelic Language Plan

Working for NatureScot what we offer you

• NatureScot offers some great benefits to reward and support you whilst you are working for us. Our benefits package includes thecivil service pension scheme a generous holiday leave allowance plus flexi time and employee discount scheme. Visit the NatureScotwebsite for further detailsincluding below:
• An environment with flexible working options
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% (7.35% employee contributions) days of annual leave including 5 fixed public holidays on St Andrews Day Christmas Day Boxing Day New Years Day and 2nd January
• Equivalent of 2 days paid volunteering leave
• A focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• Job satisfaction from contributing proactively to the twinned nature and climate crisis
• Death in service benefits
• Cycle to work and electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes
• Access to an employee discounts scheme
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

Application Process

Application is by CV and Supporting Statement. Please ensure you have attached these documents when submitting your application.

Before applying for this post;

• Internal applicants should read the Self Service Guide (eRDMS A3155575)
• External applicants should read theOnline Job Application Guide

If you have previously applied for a vacancy with NatureScot you must remove the supporting statement from your profile before uploading a new version.

Interviews

External candidates will be invited to interview if we are unable to recruit internally.

NatureScots Net Zero commitment

Whether working at home or in an office or travelling to meetings and site visits as a NatureScot you will contribute to our Net Zero plan for example through positive carbon travel choices.

For information regarding the vacancy please contact:

Mike Coats @

For information regarding the recruitment process please contact:

recruitment@

Nature is vital to all of us so it is vital that we are an organisation for all of Scotland. The more diverse NatureScot is the better we will be in connecting everyone with nature. We particularly encourage applications from people from Minority Ethnic (ME) backgrounds and people with a disability.