Junior Software Engineer- Manchester

Here is a professional review of the Junior Software Engineer job description, designed to engage potential candidates and guide their career path: ## Unlock Your Potential as a Junior Software Engineer at Lloyds Banking Group

Are you a driven and curious individual with a passion for building secure, resilient, and innovative software solutions? Lloyds Banking Group is embarking on a significant modernisation journey, embracing cloud-first technologies to create a more agile, secure, and efficient platform for both customers and developers. This Junior Software Engineer role, based in Manchester, offers a compelling opportunity to learn, contribute, and grow within a dynamic and supportive environment.

This full-time position, operating on a 35-hour week, provides a competitive salary range of £35,340 - £37,200. A significant advantage for candidates is the commitment to flexible working, with hybrid options available, requiring at least two days per week in their Manchester office. This balance allows for focused work and team collaboration, catering to modern work-life preferences.

Key Advantages for Aspiring Software Engineers:

• Cutting-Edge Technology Exposure: You'll be at the forefront of cloud modernisation, working with leading platforms like Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform. This role offers hands-on experience with critical security services such as Azure WAF, Google Cloud Armor, Azure Firewall, and more, as well as infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform.
• Accelerated Learning and Development: The core of this role is to learn on the job. You'll collaborate closely with experienced Software Engineers and Senior Engineers within a product-focused, agile team. This environment is designed for skill acquisition and the continuous growth of your technological knowledge.
• Impactful Work: You will directly contribute to designing, developing, and improving existing products and services that impact millions of customers. Your work will involve building new features, ensuring operational support, and driving efficiency through automation and AI.
• Agile and DevOps Culture: This role embraces modern development methodologies. You will gain invaluable experience with agile tools like Jira and Confluence, as well as DevOps practices including Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD).
• Career Progression and Investment: Lloyds Banking Group is heavily invested in its people. You'll be encouraged and supported to pursue personal development opportunities, build new skills, and grow your career within a large, established, and forward-thinking organisation.
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: Lloyds Banking Group champions an inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong. They have a strong track record of promoting diversity and supporting initiatives for under-represented groups, making it a welcoming environment for all.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Beyond salary, you'll benefit from a generous pension contribution (up to 15%), an annual performance-related bonus, share schemes, adaptable lifestyle benefits, ample holiday entitlement, and strong wellbeing and parental leave policies.

Key Considerations for Candidates:

• Self-Starter Mentality: While support is abundant, a proactive and independent approach to learning and problem-solving is essential. The ability to quickly grasp new concepts and apply them is key.
• Security-First Mindset: A fundamental understanding of security principles and best practices is paramount, especially when writing and reviewing infrastructure-as-code. You must be committed to building secure solutions.
• Collaborative Spirit: The role emphasizes teamwork. The ability to listen, respect diverse opinions, and communicate your own ideas effectively is crucial for success in this collaborative, agile setting.
• Business Acumen: Developing an understanding of the business domain will be instrumental in designing effective solutions. This involves working closely with team members and product owners to align technical efforts with business objectives.
• Automation Enthusiasm: A genuine passion for automation is highly valued. You'll be expected to identify opportunities to streamline processes and drive efficiency through automated solutions.
• Adaptability to Hybrid Working: While flexible, the hybrid model requires a degree of adaptability and commitment to in-office presence for collaboration.

This Junior Software Engineer position at Lloyds Banking Group is an excellent springboard for a career in cloud-native software development. If you are eager to learn, passionate about technology, and want to make a tangible difference, this opportunity offers a rewarding path for growth and development. Don't miss out on this chance to join a journey of modernisation and innovation.