Developer Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines
4 min read

A developer, also known as a computer programmer or software engineer, is a computer science specialist who writes computer programs. Their duties include working with clients to put together briefs for projects, building software using various programming languages and overseeing the deployment of these programs in a live environment.

Developer duties and responsibilities

A developer’s duties and responsibilities will depend on their position within a company. Entry-level developers may be tasked with only one small part of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), while more senior developers will be responsible for the entirety of development. Freelance developers will spend much more of their time liaising with clients, while in big companies this may be carried out by others. A full list of possible duties and responsibilities could include the following:

  • Analysing customer problems to propose software solutions
  • Liaising with clients to develop briefs for computer programs
  • Planning and designing computer programs and features
  • Utilising knowledge of various programming languages to develop software according to client needs
  • Rigorously testing software for bugs and implementing improvements and fixes
  • Assisting clients to deploy software in their operations
  • Providing ongoing technical support and designing updates as required
  • Creating documentation to assist clients in the operation of software

Hire your next Developer today.

Post a job

Hire your next Developer today.

Post a job
Close

Developer Job Description Examples:

Our mission

Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines

What does a developer do?

A developer plans, designs, builds, deploys, maintains and updates computer programs. Depending on whether they work freelance or as part of a company, they may meet with clients to draw up briefs or otherwise receive their tasks from management. They then spend most of their time at the computer, writing computer code and testing program features for bugs. After a developer has finished a program, they can oversee its deployment for use by the customer and ensure its successful operation by fixing bugs and designing updates as required.

Developer skills and qualifications

Successful developers will have a range of technical competencies. Which of these is most important to your organisation will depend upon the specific nature of the role you are trying to fill. You might consider asking for the following:

  • Bachelor of Computer Science preferred
  • Demonstrated capability in programming languages such as JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Python, C++ or Java
  • Demonstrated capability in database creation and management
  • Experience in data structures and algorithms
  • Ability to collaborate within a software development team using source code management software such as Git
  • Rigorous approach to testing and a keen eye for bugs and errors
  • Deep fluency with a variety of operating systems including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android
  • Ability to communicate effectively with both clients and colleagues regarding programming tasks

Developer experience requirements

Different software development roles will demand different levels of experience from candidates. Entry-level positions as junior members of a large software development team may not require any previous experience besides formal study or internship.

As positions become more senior, or the development team becomes smaller, it’s important to require at least 2-4 years of previous experience working as a developer on similar projects. More experienced developers will often specialise in particular program languages or design concepts, so you can generally associate such specialisation with a more qualified, experienced candidate.

Finally, senior developers brought on to lead a team should ideally also have some management experience, as well as 5-10 years working in software development.

Developer education and training requirements

While it may be possible to work as a developer without any formal certification or training, candidates who have completed a recognised course should be preferred. Many Australian universities offer a three-year Bachelor of Computer Science degree. Besides this, there are plenty of shorter courses available online offering training in specific programming languages or software engineering concepts. The important thing for an employer is to understand what specific programming skill set is required for the particular projects and then advertise for a developer with those skills.

Developer salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a developer is $109,917 per year. Actual salaries can vary depending on location, candidate experience , position seniority and the specific organisation.

Job description samples for similar positions

If this job description for developer isn’t exactly what you need, you can take a look through some other descriptions we have listed for similar positions.

Developer job description FAQs

What’s the difference between a developer and a programmer?

While the two professions share the same technical competencies, programmers tend to focus more on specific programming tasks, while developers devote their attention to the full life cycle of software development, from planning through to deployment.

What makes a good developer?

A good developer will have deep technical proficiency alongside a range of other, complementary skills. They are highly analytical, able to understand needs and diagnose problems very quickly. In addition, the best developers have also refined their soft skills and are able to communicate with non-technical audiences clearly and effectively.

What are the challenges of the developer position?

Developers often work on multiple projects at once under strict deadlines. The nature of their work means that they have to remain cool-headed and meticulous while under time pressure, as any mistakes in the code can prove costly when trying to repair later on.

Hire your next Developer today

Post a job

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

No search results found