Our mission is to break down the barriers of today to release the potential of tomorrow. Join us today and release yours.

There are two things that we want to share with anyone considering joining us.

Firstly, we’ve got big ambitions for our colleagues and the future of the organisation. These include our vision that inclusion and accessibility drive every conversation we have and every decision we make. We want our workforce to fully represent the communities and customers we serve, because a diverse business is a better business. We value every colleague, their diversity and the contribution that they make. When we say you’re welcome at BT, we really mean it.

Secondly, the one thing the pandemic has taught us is that a lot of current and future colleagues, where and when possible, want to embrace hybrid working. Therefore, we are introducing smart working at BT. Smart working means having the flexibility to choose, as a team, how and where you work depending on your team’s deliverables and needs; when you are at your shared core location to connect with others and when not. It may not be for every role, and, as part of the recruitment process, you’ll have the chance to discuss smart working and how it might work for the job you are applying for.

About this role

This role is to work as the Solution Designer within Plusnet and be a hands on technical lead across the existing tech stack and the adoption of new technologies and platforms moving forward. The Solution Designer will work in partnership with Solution Architects to define and deliver technical solutions to the business and promote best practice across the development estate.

The role will suit a candidate with an agnostic approach to development languages and tech stack and have the ability to work with a really talented and dedicated team of hands-on developers. We primarily use Java, PHP and MySQL at the moment but this could change over time and isn’t an exclusive list. The business does have exposure to the .NET stack too, hence the need for someone comfortable being able to keep across the work and practices in an agnostic manner rather than a Solution Designer/Technical Lead who wants to focus on a singular language.

We wouldn’t expect a candidate to be an SME in all areas right away, but a willingness to learn and grow your own skillset whilst leading and mentoring a team of developers will be an expectation of the postholder who joins this close-knit team.

You'll have the following responsibilities

To be successful in the role of Solution Designer, the role holder will be expected to;

Provide expert software engineering advice and coaching within the Plusnet development domain.

Lead detailed design sessions with Solution Architects and Senior Developers.

Ensure technical delivery risks are addressed as early as possible within delivery schedules, through technical spikes and proof of technologies.

Inspect and review the work of the team providing governance of engineering principles.

Review and adapt processes and standards and provide recommendations for improvement.

Leads in the refinement of requirements and solution architecture to eliminate ambiguity, conflict & duplication.

Leads the assigned domain at design governance meetings.

Identify opportunities to address waste including addressing technical debt, inefficient development processes and opportunities for automation.

Contribute to planning, including sizing, prioritisation and capacity plans.

Personal development and improvement of skill set.

Provide coaching and mentoring to the team.

Provide technical training to the department in fields of expertise.

Contribute to interviews as part of the recruitment process.

You'll have the following skills & experience

Experience in managing conflicting architectural and business ideas and demands to provide clarity to development teams.

Experience in working in Agile environments to produce detailed and unambiguous design artefacts 

In depth understanding of end to end software development lifecycles used on large scale agile projects 

Have considerable experience of reviewing architectural models and design artefacts

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, communicating and influencing effectively 

Experience in working with multi-functional engineering teams

Able to work with little supervision and pick up new or unfamiliar technical concepts quickly

Good operational experience and commercial awareness

Able to work independently or as part of a wider detailed design team 

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Strong overview and knowledge of Java and/or PHP with MYSQL exposure too.

First-hand experience of implementing many design patterns

Excellent understanding of numerous application frameworks

Thorough understanding of applications servers including JBoss and Messaging

Expert knowledge of programming concepts including object-oriented programming, TDD\BDD, CMS, virtualization\containerization, API Gateways, REST and Continuous Delivery.

Expert knowledge of relational databases including querying and setting up of test data

Experience with cloud and on-premise infrastructure concepts

In depth knowledge of Atlassian Suite tools (Confluence and Jira) or similar toolset

Benefits

25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)

10% on target bonus

Pension scheme

Shares Plan

Flexible benefits: cycle to work, childcare vouchers, healthcare, etc.

Discounted BT products

About BT

BT has a key role in British society, fostering change and leading technology innovation. From delivering the Olympics, to supporting the emergency services, to investing more into research than any other UK technology company, we take pride in everything we do - and in the people who work here.

We're now a global company operating at the forefront of the information age, employing 90,000 people in 180 countries. And we're on a mission. Guided by our core values of Personal, Simple and Brilliant our goal is to help customers, communities and businesses overcome barriers and release their potential.

So, if you're interested in the power of potential, why not join us today and release yours? You can read more here about what it's like to work at BT

How to Apply

It's easy to apply online; you just need a copy of your up-to-date CV and to follow the step-by step process. Don't worry if you need to make changes - you'll have the opportunity to review and edit your work on the final page. We look forward to receiving your application!