UK jobs. Bigger possibilities.

hire.moi

Legacy Software Engineer

Hybrid in Swansea·Added today (last checked 10 Nov)

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

12 open roles

Apply

Our summary

Salary
£40,590 a year

About £2,730 a month after tax.

Work mode
Hybrid, Swansea
Closing date
Apply by Sunday 29 November
Holiday
25 days holiday
Pension
28.97% employer pension

Skills

Requirements

What we're looking for

First and foremost, we are looking for a capable software engineer with:

  • Experience of working in a live support environment, with analytical, problem-solving and code interrogation skills.
  • Software development experience.
  • Experience of working with a relational database.

Nice to have

We're primarily interested in your software engineering skills, experience and willingness to learn. We use a highly specialised technology stack and recognise that candidates may not have experience of every technology we use. If you have worked with any of the technologies below, or similar alternatives, we'd be interested to hear about your experience:

  • On-premise, non-cloud systems.
  • CA Gen, or other model-driven/4GL development tooling.
  • PL/SQL development.
  • C and/or Pro*C development.
  • Unix shell scripting, or other scripting skills.
  • The AIX platform, or another Unix/Linux environment.
  • Oracle databases.
  • Java and application/web servers, such as IBM WebLogic.
  • Crystal Reports, or other reporting tools.

Pay & benefits

What you'll get

£40,590

The salary of £40,590 (basic salary £37,090) includes a non-pensionable Recruitment & Retention Allowance of £3,500

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

  • Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
  • 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King's birthday
  • Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Passionate, reliable and always willing to push yourself and those around you, you'll continue to seek improvement in your own role and challenge us too. Because we pride ourselves on how we approach your development. From training courses to specialist skills workshops and opportunities to grow your expertise, we thrive when you thrive. You can find out more about all of the above here alongside a full list of our benefits:

  • Best in class learning and development tailored to your role
  • An environment with flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues
  • Generous employer contribution of 28.97%, depending on chosen pension scheme
  • Digital communities with clear career frameworks
  • On-site gym plus personal training available (membership applies)
  • On-site nursery, restaurants and coffee bar
  • 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays), increasing by 1 each year (up to 30) & 1 extra day for the King's birthday
  • Free parking
  • A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a minimum of 60% of their time in the office over a month, with flexibility dependent on balancing business and individual need.

There are many more opportunities and great benefits of working at DVLA, visit our Careers website for further information.

Visa & relocation

Please note that we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

The role

Are you a software engineer who enjoys solving technical problems and working on systems that make a real difference?

We're looking for a Legacy Software Engineer to join the team responsible for supporting and enhancing one of DVLA's most important business systems. You'll help maintain and develop services that support millions of customers, working with a range of technologies across a complex and specialist application estate.

This is an excellent opportunity to build your software engineering experience, develop your technical skills and work within a supportive team responsible for delivering reliable and effective services.

As a Legacy Software Engineer, you'll join the team responsible for Vehicle System Software (VSS), the UK's vehicle system of record, containing information relating to more than 48 million vehicles.

VSS supports many of DVLA's core services and consists of a large and complex estate of applications, databases, batch processes and integrated services. The team is responsible for ensuring these systems remain stable, available and fit for purpose whilst delivering enhancements that support changing business requirements.

Working alongside experienced engineers and technical specialists, you'll support the investigation of technical issues, develop software changes and contribute to the ongoing maintenance and improvement of the service. You'll gain exposure to a specialist technology stack and play an important role in ensuring services continue to meet the needs of customers and stakeholders.

This is a varied role offering opportunities to develop your technical expertise while contributing to the delivery of critical public services.

We are recruiting at both Senior Executive Officer (SEO) and Higher Executive Officer (HEO) grades.

What you'll do

Your responsibilities will include but will not be limited to:

  • Supporting, maintaining and enhancing business-critical applications and services.
  • Investigating application and service issues and contributing to their resolution.
  • Developing and implementing software changes in line with business and user requirements.
  • Supporting batch processing, application support activities and service maintenance tasks.
  • Working with databases to analyse data and support operational activities.
  • Collaborating with engineers, delivery teams and stakeholders to deliver technical solutions.
  • Contributing to system testing, release activities and service improvements.
  • Developing your knowledge of the technologies, tools and processes used across the service.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills set out in the Civil Service Line Management Standards

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Would you like to find out more about the role, the team and what it's like to work in our department? If so, we are organising an open session where you can virtually 'meet the team' on 25th November at 12:00pm. Sign up here.

How you'll work

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 35 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Apply before

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 29th November 2026

Reference number

488630

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Digital
Information Technology

Number of jobs available

2

Location

Swansea

Security Check

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check. To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, candidates will be required to have at least 5 years continuous residency in the UK. All applicants for this role must ensure that they meet this minimum residency requirement - if you do not, your application will be withdrawn.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Job contact

  • Name : ITS Recruitment
  • Email : itsrecruitment@dvla.gov.uk

Share this page

Hiring process

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Working Together
  • Delivering at Pace

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

  • Developer Systems Design (Skill Level: Working)
  • Developer Systems Integration (Skill Level: Working)
  • Developer Service Support (Skill Level: Working)
  • Developer Programming and build (software engineering) (Skill Level: Practitioner)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and Personal Statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a CV and personal statement to Inspire People (our Recruitment Partners) which outlines your experience and suitability for the role (based on the experience points outlined in the essential criteria on this advert).

Upon receipt of your CV and personal statement, DVLA Hiring Managers will complete a sift. Please note; the sift will be completed on a rolling basis whilst the campaign is still live and so there is potential for feedback to be shared with you (on your application) before the advert closes.

To apply please click 'Apply at advertiser's site' at the bottom of the page.

Experience - you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited word count) and a personal statement (750-word count). Please provide evidence of your depth of experience of the following:

  • supporting business-critical applications in a live support environment.
  • investigating application and/or batch processing issues.
  • developing or supporting applications using one or more of the technologies in our stack, such as CA Gen, PL/SQL, C/Pro*C, Unix shell scripting, relational database, Java/WebLogic or Crystal Reports.

Should we receive a high volume of quality applications, we may invite a shortlist of the highest scoring candidates to interview. This means that some applications that meet the required standard could be placed 'on hold' after the sift and invited to interview if the vacant position(s) remain unfilled. You will be notified if your application is being put 'on hold' once the sift has been completed. Following interviews, any applicants remaining on hold will be notified by the panel of the next steps regarding their application.

The sift will take place week commencing 30th November 2026.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Behaviours - Working Together, Delivering at Pace

Technical -

Developer Systems Design (Skill Level: Working)

Developer Systems Integration (Skill Level: Working)

Developer Service Support (Skill Level: Working)

Developer Programming and build (software engineering) (Skill Level: Practitioner)

The interview will also include a Whiteboard Exercise and Coding Assessment. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place week commencing 14th December 2026.

This interview will be conducted in person at our Swansea office (DVLA, Longview Road, Morriston Swansea, SA6 7JL). Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

About Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

Industry
Government Administration

In their own words

About the company & team

DVLA - Information Technology Services

Find out more about what it's like working at DVLA - Home, Civil Service Careers.

At DVLA, licensing is just the start. Every project you implement, touch and deliver has a ripple effect that'll wash across the nation. Here the work you're doing has the capacity to change the way 53 million people interact with our services. As we aim to keep our roads some of the safest in the world, our innovative, transformative digital-led services help optimise a nation of individuals and business every single day.

To see how our people are transforming our digital services, head over to our DVLA Digital Services Blog and, to understand more about the great opportunities and benefits of working at DVLA read our Inside DVLA blog.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

  • Email : itsrecrutiment@dvla.gov.uk

Additional information

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

We may hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.

If your application is successful but you have been dismissed from the Civil Service, your application could be removed at the pre-employment checking stage depending on the nature of the dismissal.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All external applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

  • Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour
  • Threats or acts of violence
  • Illegal activity or substance misuse
  • Sexually explicit material
  • Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public. Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It's not about judging your personality or lifestyle - it's about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture. If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what's being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

All open roles at Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

More jobs like this

or browse Software engineering·Mid-level·Hybrid·Civil Service & Government·Government Administration

WhatsApp

More jobs from Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

See all 12 jobs

Similar jobs