Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) Job Description
A concise, hire-ready description for an early-career developer who will join an engineering team and support the delivery and maintenance of software products.
What does a Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) professional do?
A Junior Developer is an early-career programmer who writes and tests code, fixes bugs, and works with more senior engineers to deliver software features while building practical skills.
Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Junior Developer
About the role
[Company name] is recruiting a Junior Developer to join our engineering team based in [Location] (or hybrid/remote as agreed). You will work on [primary product or platform] alongside senior developers to implement features, write tests, fix defects and keep documentation up to date. We welcome recent graduates and candidates with practical coding experience; familiarity with [primary language or stack] is desirable.
Key responsibilities
- Write, test and maintain clean, readable code for assigned tasks or features under senior guidance.
- Fix bugs and support triage of issues reported by users or QA.
- Write and run unit and integration tests; contribute to automated test suites.
- Participate in daily stand-ups, backlog grooming and sprint planning with the product/engineering team.
- Take part in code reviews – both receiving feedback and reviewing peers where appropriate.
- Help maintain technical documentation, runbooks and simple design notes.
- Work with version control (Git) and follow branching and commit conventions.
- Assist with deployments and monitor post-release behaviour under supervision.
Essential skills and experience
- Practical experience writing code in at least one mainstream language (for example Java, C#, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript).
- Working knowledge of HTML, CSS and basic JavaScript for web-facing roles.
- Familiarity with Git and basic version-control workflows.
- Understanding of fundamental programming concepts: OOP, data structures and basic algorithms.
- Ability to debug, read stack traces and follow error logs to identify issues.
- Good communication skills and a willingness to ask questions and learn from colleagues.
- Ability to work in a team using agile practices (e.g. sprint ceremonies, ticketing systems).
Desirable
- Experience with a common web framework (e.g. React, Angular, Vue, Django, Spring, .NET).
- Basic SQL and experience using relational databases.
- Familiarity with unit testing frameworks and automated CI pipelines.
- Experience with container tools such as Docker.
- Contributions to personal projects, open-source repositories or a GitHub/GitLab portfolio.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) or deployment concepts.
What we offer
- [Competitive salary — enter range]
- [Pension/contributory scheme]
- [Annual leave entitlement — enter days]
- [Flexible / hybrid working options]
- [Training budget or time for professional development]
- [Paid certifications or exam reimbursements]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) role?
Junior Developers support software teams by implementing features, debugging issues and maintaining code under the direction of senior engineers. They typically handle smaller tickets, write tests, and document their work while developing practical skills in the team’s chosen technologies and processes. Over time they take on progressively larger features and greater autonomy.
Team level
Entry-level role reporting to a Senior Developer, Tech Lead or Engineering Manager.
Typical hours
Full-time, commonly 35–40 hours per week; flexible and hybrid patterns are common.
Career progression
Can progress to Developer, Mid-level Engineer or specialise in frontend/backend within 1–3 years with experience and training.
Core outputs
Feature tickets, bug fixes, tests, documentation and support for deployments.
Typical Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Write
Write, test and maintain clean, readable code for assigned tasks or features under senior guidance.
Fix bugs
Fix bugs and support triage of issues reported by users or QA.
Write
Write and run unit and integration tests; contribute to automated test suites.
Participate in daily stand-ups
Participate in daily stand-ups, backlog grooming and sprint planning with the product/engineering team.
Take part in code reviews
Take part in code reviews – both receiving feedback and reviewing peers where appropriate.
Help maintain technical documentation
Help maintain technical documentation, runbooks and simple design notes.
Work with version control (Git)
Work with version control (Git) and follow branching and commit conventions.
Assist with deployments
Assist with deployments and monitor post-release behaviour under supervision.
Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Practical experience writing code in at least one mainstream language (for example Java, C#, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript).
- Working knowledge of HTML, CSS and basic JavaScript for web-facing roles.
- Familiarity with Git and basic version-control workflows.
- Understanding of fundamental programming concepts: OOP, data structures and basic algorithms.
- Ability to debug, read stack traces and follow error logs to identify issues.
- Good communication skills and a willingness to ask questions and learn from colleagues.
- Ability to work in a team using agile practices (e.g. sprint ceremonies, ticketing systems).
Useful where relevant
- Experience with a common web framework (e.g. React, Angular, Vue, Django, Spring, .NET).
- Basic SQL and experience using relational databases.
- Familiarity with unit testing frameworks and automated CI pipelines.
- Experience with container tools such as Docker.
- Contributions to personal projects, open-source repositories or a GitHub/GitLab portfolio.
- Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) or deployment concepts.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about the stack
List the primary languages, frameworks and tools candidates will use day-to-day so applicants self-select appropriately.
Clarify learning and mentoring
Describe the mentoring structure, buddy system or training budget to attract early-career candidates.
State the expected first-month outcomes
Include 2–3 realistic goals for the first 30–90 days (e.g. ‘ship a bug fix’, ‘complete onboarding tasks’) to set clear expectations.
Ask for demonstrable evidence
Request links to GitHub, portfolio projects or short code samples rather than a generic CV alone.
Be honest about remote/office needs
If onsite presence, core hours or travel for stand-ups are required, state this clearly to avoid unnecessary applications.
Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) salary considerations
Junior Developer pay varies widely. When setting a salary range, consider the role’s location, the required technical skills, the level of supervision and any included benefits rather than quoting a market figure.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What technologies will I be working with?
Candidates will want a clear list of the primary languages, frameworks, databases and tools used day-to-day.
What training and mentoring is provided?
Early-career applicants want to know about onboarding, pairing, assigned mentors and structured learning time.
What are the first 90 days expectations?
Provide realistic goals for ramp-up so candidates understand initial responsibilities and success criteria.
Is the role remote, hybrid or office-based?
Be explicit about where people work, any required office days and flexibility around home working.
Will I be assessed with a coding test or take-home project?
Explain the interview stages and whether candidates must complete timed tests, take-home tasks or pair-programming exercises.
Where to post a Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) job
For Junior Developer roles use a mix of broad UK job boards and developer-focused channels. Post on general sites and specialist tech communities, share the vacancy in university career services and relevant developer Slack/Discord or meetup groups, and promote via LinkedIn. Prioritise channels where early-career coders look for roles and where you can show examples of the tech stack and training.
Junior Developer Job Description Template (Example) job description FAQs
Do I need a computer science degree to hire a Junior Developer?
No. Many strong junior candidates are self-taught or have completed coding bootcamps. Focus on demonstrable coding ability and readiness to learn rather than a specific qualification.
Should I include a coding test in the hiring process?
A short practical test or take-home task helps verify skills. Keep assessments time-boxed, relevant to the role and reasonable for candidates with varied experience.
How long should the interview process be?
Aim for two to three stages and keep the timeline under three weeks where possible; slow processes lose early-career candidates quickly.
What are fair expectations for a 3-month probation?
Set achievable goals such as completing onboarding, shipping a small ticket, and demonstrating testing and collaboration skills.
How do I assess cultural fit for an early-career hire?
Assess teamwork, communication, openness to feedback and eagerness to learn through behavioural interview questions and a short pairing session.
Ready to hire a Junior Developer?
Use this template to create a clear vacancy that attracts early-career talent. Specify your tech stack, training support and remote/office expectations to improve candidate quality and speed up hiring.
