Location of Role: Chelmsford / Northfleet
Advert Closing Date: 12/09/2025
Starting Salary: £38,349.00 (pro-rata for part-time vacancies)
Part/Full Time: Full Time
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Mon-Fri
Weekend/Evening Working: No
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Application Development Team in IT Services as a Senior Software Developer.
Responsible for the design, development, and 3rd line support of bespoke and innovative solutions, you will be working on a variety of interesting projects covering the full development life cycle. Previous internal development examples are a Bail application, Family Liaison and Mental Health (Section 136) Management systems and an Evidence Based Investigative Tool, as well as administration systems to support back office functions.
The unique function of this team means the role is varied and exciting and brings a huge sense of purpose and job satisfaction knowing our work supports both Officers and Staff to deliver a first class service to the public in tackling and preventing crime.
The successful candidate will have the ability to work both independently and collaboratively with colleagues to meet team goals. You will be required to manage and prioritise your own workload using project management disciplines and must be self-motivated, driven and possess excellent team working skills. In return, you will be working with a highly skilled supportive network of colleagues and managers who are receptive to your ideas and passionate about delivering high quality applications for both Forces.
In your application, please evidence the following requirements:
1. 3 years or more programming experience in Java (J2EE, J2ME) (or equivalent object-oriented language) and JavaScript.
2. 3 or more years’ experience with systems implementation, covering the full application lifecycle.
3. An understanding of relational databases.
4. Be able to demonstrate excellent time management skills and working to deadlines.
Also please document any further expertise in the following areas:
5. Experience of adopting new frameworks/languages and how to assess them.
6. An understanding and experience of using the Scrum framework.
7. Experience in developing applications using the Microsoft Office 365 platform including Power Apps and Power Automate.
A technical test may be required to be taken as part of the selection procedure.
About Us:
IT Services is a large IT department servicing Essex Police and Kent Police across all forms of technology platforms, systems and services. We are dedicated to keeping policing agile, efficient, using cutting-edge technology to support our operations and importantly secure. We have invested heavily in our infrastructure over the last 6 years and with technology as a major step change driver, there is a healthy investment programme going forward.
Where you’ll fit in:
The Senior Software Developer sits within the Applications section of IT Services and reports to a Software Development Team Leader in the Application Development team.
Our IT Department has a wide and varied range of responsibilities from 1st line service desk, 2nd line technical support to 3rd line specialist technical architect/design. IT are also responsible for IT Security management, Service Management, Business Support and Project Management that maintain and continuously improve critical services, software, platforms, and hardware required throughout the full IT lifecycle. This underpins the delivery of secure and timely 24/7 operations for approximately 13,000 users across 130+ geographical locations supporting over 14,000 computers including hosted datacentres together with the underlying network, physical and virtual (including cloud services) IT infrastructure.
Benefits Include:
8. Training and professional development opportunities
9. Local Government Pension Scheme
10. 29 days Annual Leave increasing to 32 days after 5 years employment.
11. Flexible working dependant of duties
12. On site fitness centre and canteen (location dependent)
13. Collaborative and supportive work environment.
14. Cycle to work scheme.
15. Wellness programmes
16. Blue light Discount Card
17. Opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to public safety and community well-being.
This role is suitable for part time/job share workers.
The successful candidate must be willing to undergo vetting to MV Vetting level.
Kent Police offer incremental increases within this salary band, therefore the salary for this position will rise to a maximum of £45,546.00.
Kent Police and Essex Police have separate salary grading systems therefore the salary for this position will be dependent on which home office force you are appointed to. This will be discussed with the successful applicant before a final offer is made.
Note for potential candidates - It is currently proposed that the Kent Police, Headquarters site is re-locating back to Sutton Road Maidstone. As part of the relocation members of staff currently working at the current Headquarters in Northfleet may be redeployed to other workplaces and/or required to work in a more agile way. All new staff appointed to roles currently based at Kent Police, Northfleet after 12th June 2023 and before the move of the site will be accepting the contract knowing that their workplace could change. They will not be eligible to claim for any additional ‘home to work’ mileage costs or additional public transport costs incurred from the requirement to travel their new contractual workplace. By applying for this role, you are demonstrating that you accept these conditions. The only exceptions to this will be for existing internal staff where the new role is a promotional opportunity or a move internally with the Kent Police, Northfleet site (i.e. from one role based at that site to another role based at that site).
Your application is shortlisted on the content provided within the 'reason for application' section, which is limited to 9000 characters. Within your answer please refer to the criteria stated in this job advert and include any experience, skills and abilities you feel you have that will make you suitable for the role. Please ensure you provide as much detail as possible as insufficient information may mean that you do not meet the shortlisting criteria.
All of our posts require a level of vetting and security clearance. During the recruitment process you will be sent vetting information forms to complete.
Kent Police and Essex Police welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or employment status.
Where appropriate we will make adjustments to the selection process, working arrangements and/or the working environment provided it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.
This post is open to British Citizens, members of the EC or other states in the European Economic Area. If you are a Commonwealth citizen or a foreign national, you must be a resident in the UK free of restrictions and with indefinite leave to remain in the UK. All applicants must have lived in the UK continuously for the past three years.
Essex Police and Kent Police are an equal opportunities employer. Communications may be recorded for monitoring purposes.
Essex Police is a Disability Condifent Leader, we:
18. have subjected our Disability Confident self-assessment to an external challenge and validation
19. are taking an active leadership role in encouraging and helping other employers on their journey to becoming Disability Confident.
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