This occupation is found across every sector and in many different industries. A software developer understands a client’s requirements as provided in a design specification and then builds and tests high-quality code solutions to deliver the best outcome.

Software developers create the applications that allow people to do specific tasks on a computer or another device. Others develop the underlying systems that run the devices or control networks. From bespoke company software to computer games or coding solutions to deliver online opportunities for businesses with a responsive and secure trading environment.

Organisations use software to ensure that their operations become ever more effective and robustly reduce the incidence of downtime, building quality tested software solutions to give a better service. This can save time and help the business spot profit making opportunities. For public sector bodies the right software solution can drive up performance and help target scarce resources more effectively and ensure that customer expectations are more likely to be met.

A software developer will interpret design documentation and specifications provided by more experienced or specialised members of the team, such as a business analyst or technical architect.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for developing software solutions across the full software development life cycle from research and development, through continuous improvement, to product/service retirement. They may work both autonomously and as part of wider teams, typically reporting to a more senior member of their team.

• Take and interpret given software development requirements to estimate effort to deliver the work product to enable accurate costs to be established.
• Break software development activities down into logical units of work to enable sequencing and ensure the best possible structuring of activities to deliver a high-quality product right first time.
• Report progress accurately throughout the development life-cycle stages to ensure adequate audit trails of key work steps such that the organisation can demonstrate how the product has been created for quality and commercial purposes.
• Identify and report any impediments to software development activities and propose practical solutions.
• Convert customer requirements into technical requirements, both functional and non-functional to ensure that customers’ expectations are accurately reflected in the software products developed.
• Identify and select the most appropriate technical solution, taking into consideration coding best practice and appropriate quality standards.
• Communicate software development solutions to a range of internal or external stakeholders to ensure clear understanding of requirements and how they have been met or adjusted.
• Consider security implications of proposed design to ensure that security considerations are built in from inception and throughout the development process.
• Write logical and maintainable software solutions to meet the design and organisational coding standards (Software Development Lifecycle -Implementation and Build phase).
• Apply security best practice to the software solution throughout the software development life-cycle.
• Create and maintain appropriate project documentation to explain the development process and resources used.
• Apply appropriate recovery techniques to ensure the software solution being developed is not lost (Software Development Lifecycle -Implementation and Build phase).
• Implement appropriate change control to ensure that software development changes may be tracked, and quality risks managed.
• Undertake unit testing of solutions, with appropriate levels of test code coverage, to identify and, where necessary, resolve issues (Software Development Lifecycle -Implementation and Build phase).
• Perform testing of the software solution to ensure a high-quality output (Software Development Lifecycle -Test phase).
• Deliver a suitably documented deployable solution to the customer for their use (Software Development Lifecycle -Deploy phase).
• Support delivery of one or more software deployment phases, such as trials and final release, to ensure that software developer outcomes are deployed correctly.
• Provide support during software trials and after final release to ensure that customers understand and can correctly apply the product, and risks are mitigated.
• Respond appropriately to given Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to ensure that time and resources invested in software development activity are allocated appropriately to deliver good customer service.
• Apply suitable ‘bug fix’, appropriate to the severity and priority of the software development issue identified.
• Practice continuous self-learning to keep up to date with technological developments to enhance relevant skills and take responsibility for own professional development.

A Software Developer interacts with internal and external parties including users/customers and team members from a range of specialist fields including designers, developers, engineers, analysts and project/delivery managers.