If you are searching for how to find a good SharePoint developer, you probably do not need a generic “Microsoft stack” developer. You need someone who can turn SharePoint and Microsoft 365 into a secure, usable, maintainable business platform: intranets, document management, workflows, Teams-integrated apps, migrations, permissions models, and custom web parts that people actually use.

The challenge is that “SharePoint developer” can mean several things in 2026. Some candidates are strong at legacy SharePoint Server and farm solutions. Others specialise in SharePoint Online, Power Platform, Microsoft Graph, SPFx, Teams, Azure Functions and governance. Some are excellent administrators who should not be asked to build production software. A good hire starts with knowing which type you need, then screening for evidence of production delivery rather than buzzwords.

What a good SharePoint developer looks like for Microsoft 365 projects in 2026

A good SharePoint developer is not simply someone who has “used SharePoint”. They understand how SharePoint fits within the wider Microsoft 365 ecosystem and can design solutions that are secure, scalable and maintainable. In practice, that means they can work across sites, lists, libraries, content types, permissions, workflows, integrations and user experience without creating a brittle mess that the business cannot support later.

For most modern projects, look for a developer who is comfortable with SharePoint Online, not just on-premises SharePoint Server. They should understand modern pages, hub sites, communication sites, Microsoft Teams integration, Microsoft Graph, PnP tooling, SPFx, Azure AD/Entra ID, sensitivity labels and tenant-level governance. If your organisation still runs SharePoint Server 2016, 2019 or Subscription Edition, you may also need migration experience and knowledge of legacy customisations.

Strong SharePoint developers usually show these traits

  • They ask about business process first, not just lists, libraries and web parts.
  • They design for governance, including naming conventions, ownership, retention, permissions and lifecycle management.
  • They avoid unnecessary customisation when configuration, Power Automate or standard Microsoft 365 features solve the problem.
  • They can explain technical trade-offs to non-technical stakeholders, especially around permissions, document control and automation.
  • They test with real users, because SharePoint failures are often adoption failures rather than coding failures.

A great SharePoint developer also knows when not to build in SharePoint. For example, if you need high-volume transactional processing, a dedicated application with SharePoint as a document repository may be better than forcing everything into lists and workflows.

Key SharePoint developer skills, languages, frameworks and tools to screen for

The right skills depend on the project, but a production-ready SharePoint developer in 2026 should normally bring a mix of front-end development, Microsoft 365 architecture, automation and integration experience. Do not hire only from a keyword checklist; use the skills below to decide what evidence you need to see.

Core modern SharePoint developer skills

  • SharePoint Framework (SPFx): building modern web parts and extensions, packaging, deployment, versioning and tenant app catalogue use.
  • TypeScript, React and modern JavaScript: most serious SPFx work uses these, so candidates should understand component structure, state management, accessibility and maintainable front-end patterns.
  • Microsoft Graph and REST APIs: querying users, groups, files, sites, Teams, calendars and permissions securely.
  • PnP PowerShell and PnPjs: provisioning, automation, repeatable deployments and SharePoint data access.
  • Power Platform: Power Automate, Power Apps and Dataverse where appropriate, including connector limitations and licensing implications.
  • Azure services: Azure Functions, Logic Apps, App Service, Key Vault, Application Insights and managed identities for integrations.
  • Identity and security: Entra ID, app registrations, delegated versus application permissions, conditional access implications and least-privilege design.
  • DevOps practices: Git, Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions, CI/CD, environment separation and automated deployment.

For migration projects, add tools such as ShareGate, Microsoft Migration Manager, AvePoint, Metalogix/Quest and experience with information architecture redesign. For regulated sectors, ask about retention labels, audit logs, eDiscovery, DLP, sensitivity labels and records management. For intranets, look for UX, accessibility, search configuration, audience targeting and content ownership models.

Be cautious with candidates whose experience is limited to classic pages, SharePoint Designer workflows and InfoPath unless your project is specifically a legacy support engagement. Those skills can still be valuable, especially during remediation, but they are not enough for modern SharePoint Online development.

How much a SharePoint developer costs in the UK in 2026

SharePoint developer costs vary by location, contract type, Microsoft 365 depth, security requirements and whether you need pure development or broader solution architecture. The figures below are rough UK guidance for 2026, not fixed market rates. Senior candidates with strong SPFx, Graph, Azure and migration experience will sit at the higher end, especially if they can lead discovery and governance rather than simply take tickets.

Typical permanent SharePoint developer salary ranges

  • Junior SharePoint developer: approximately £32,000–£45,000. Usually suitable for configuration, support, simpler Power Automate work and supervised SPFx tasks.
  • Mid-level SharePoint developer: approximately £45,000–£65,000. Should independently build SPFx components, automate provisioning, work with APIs and support business stakeholders.
  • Senior SharePoint developer: approximately £65,000–£90,000+. Expected to design solutions, lead migrations, set standards, review code and advise on governance.
  • SharePoint solution architect: approximately £85,000–£110,000+, particularly where Microsoft 365 architecture, compliance and enterprise-scale delivery are involved.

Typical UK contract day rates for SharePoint developers

  • Junior/implementation support: around £250–£350 per day.
  • Mid-level developer: around £400–£550 per day.
  • Senior SharePoint developer: around £550–£750 per day.
  • Architect or migration lead: around £700–£950+ per day for complex enterprise programmes.

IR35 status, remote flexibility and contract length affect rates. A six-month outside IR35 engagement for a strong SPFx and migration specialist will often attract more interest than a short inside IR35 role with unclear scope. If budget is tight, narrow the project: hire senior help for architecture and patterns, then use a mid-level developer for build-out.

Where to find and source the best SharePoint developer candidates

The best SharePoint developers are not always actively applying to job adverts. Many are embedded in Microsoft partners, consultancies, internal digital workplace teams or long-running migration programmes. To find a good SharePoint developer, use several channels at once and tailor your message to the kind of work they actually want.

Useful sourcing channels for SharePoint developers

  • LinkedIn Recruiter and targeted search: search for combinations such as “SPFx”, “SharePoint Online”, “Microsoft Graph”, “Power Automate”, “PnP PowerShell”, “ShareGate” and “Microsoft 365 developer”.
  • Microsoft community spaces: Microsoft Tech Community, PnP Community calls, Microsoft 365 developer groups and local Microsoft user groups can surface engaged practitioners.
  • GitHub: look for SPFx samples, PnP contributions, PowerShell provisioning scripts and Microsoft Graph examples. Open source is not mandatory, but it gives useful evidence.
  • Job boards: CWJobs, Totaljobs, Reed, LinkedIn Jobs and Indeed can work for permanent roles if your advert is specific and realistic.
  • Referrals: ask your Microsoft 365 administrators, Azure engineers, business analysts and previous contractors. SharePoint specialists often know other specialists.
  • Microsoft partners and consultancies: useful for contractors or try-before-you-hire arrangements, though be clear on ownership, documentation and handover.
  • Specialist recruiters: a focused agency can identify candidates who combine SharePoint development with production delivery discipline.

Your outreach should mention the project type, technology stack, seniority, remote expectations, contract status and decision timeline. “We need a SharePoint developer” is too vague. “We are rebuilding a 2,000-user intranet on SharePoint Online using SPFx, Viva Connections, Graph and Power Automate, with a six-month roadmap” will get a much better response.

How to write a SharePoint developer job description that attracts strong candidates

A strong SharePoint developer job description should make the scope obvious. Good candidates want to know whether they are joining a modern Microsoft 365 build, a legacy support role, a migration, an intranet redesign, a document management project or a workflow automation programme. If the advert blends all of these without priorities, serious candidates may assume the role is chaotic.

Include the practical details SharePoint developers care about

  • Project context: for example, SharePoint Online intranet, Teams-integrated knowledge hub, document management, migration from file shares, or retirement of SharePoint 2013/2016 workflows.
  • Core stack: SPFx, TypeScript, React, Microsoft Graph, PnPjs, PnP PowerShell, Power Automate, Azure Functions, ShareGate, Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions.
  • Environment: number of users, number of sites, regulated data, tenant complexity, hybrid/on-premises dependencies and existing governance.
  • Delivery approach: agile squads, product team, consultancy-style project, business-as-usual support or transformation programme.
  • Decision-making authority: whether the developer can influence architecture, tooling and governance or will mainly implement defined tickets.
  • Working pattern: remote, hybrid, office location, time zones, occasional stakeholder workshops and support expectations.
  • Compensation: salary or day-rate range. Leaving it out usually reduces quality and wastes time.

Avoid inflated requirement lists. You rarely need one person who is an expert in SPFx, Power Platform, Azure architecture, Purview, Teams apps, UX research, records management and change adoption. Separate must-haves from useful extras. For example, “strong SPFx and SharePoint Online development” may be mandatory, while “experience with Viva Connections” may be desirable.

Also describe the outcome, not just duties. “Build reusable SPFx web parts and automate site provisioning for a 3,000-user knowledge platform” is more compelling than “develop SharePoint solutions as required”.

How to screen a SharePoint developer CV and technical assessment effectively

CV screening for a SharePoint developer should focus on evidence of recent, relevant delivery. Look for project outcomes, scale, technical choices and ownership. A weak CV lists “SharePoint, Office 365, Power Platform” without explaining what the candidate built, how many users it served, how it was deployed, or what trade-offs they handled.

What to look for on a SharePoint developer CV

  • Recent SharePoint Online experience: modern sites, SPFx, Graph, PnP and Power Automate are more relevant to most 2026 projects than classic customisations.
  • Production examples: intranets, document management systems, workflow automation, provisioning frameworks, migrations or Teams-connected apps.
  • Code quality signals: TypeScript, React, testing, Git, pull requests, CI/CD and environment-aware configuration.
  • Security awareness: permissions design, app registrations, least privilege, data classification and audit considerations.
  • Business engagement: workshops, requirements refinement, stakeholder demos, user acceptance testing and support handover.
  • Migration details: source systems, tool used, volume, metadata mapping, permissions cleanup and post-migration validation.

For assessments, avoid unpaid mini-projects that take a full weekend. A focused 60–90 minute exercise is enough. For example, ask the candidate to review a short scenario and explain how they would design a document approval solution for 500 users across three departments. Include requirements around permissions, metadata, auditability, notifications and future maintenance. If coding is essential, ask for a small SPFx or TypeScript exercise, but keep it proportionate.

Pair the assessment with a technical discussion. The best signal often comes from why they made a decision: why Graph rather than direct REST, why Power Automate rather than Azure Functions, why a hub site structure rather than deeply nested subsites, or why they would avoid item-level permissions at scale.

SharePoint developer interview questions to ask and what good answers sound like

Interviewing a SharePoint developer should test judgement as much as syntax. SharePoint projects fail when developers ignore governance, security, scale or user behaviour. Use the questions below to separate hands-on, production-ready candidates from people who only know the terminology.

  • 1. How would you decide between SPFx, Power Apps, Power Automate and an Azure Function? A good answer weighs complexity, licensing, maintainability, performance, ownership, security and support skills in the team.
  • 2. Describe a SharePoint Online solution you built that is still in production. Strong candidates can explain the business problem, architecture, user numbers, deployment method, support model and lessons learned.
  • 3. How do you handle permissions in a large SharePoint environment? Look for group-based access, inheritance where possible, clear ownership, avoidance of excessive item-level permissions and regular access reviews.
  • 4. What is your approach to SPFx deployment and versioning? Good answers mention tenant or site app catalogues, package versioning, environment configuration, release notes, testing and rollback planning.
  • 5. When would you use Microsoft Graph in a SharePoint project? They should discuss user/profile data, files, groups, Teams, app permissions, throttling and delegated versus application access.
  • 6. How would you migrate a file share to SharePoint Online? Good answers cover discovery, information architecture, metadata, permissions rationalisation, pilot migration, tooling, communication, validation and user training.
  • 7. How do you prevent Power Automate flows becoming unmanageable? Look for service accounts or ownership models, naming conventions, environment strategy, documentation, error handling, monitoring and licensing awareness.
  • 8. How do you approach performance in SPFx web parts? Strong candidates mention batching, caching, pagination, minimising API calls, lazy loading, bundle size and Graph throttling.
  • 9. What governance decisions should be made before launching an intranet? Look for content ownership, page templates, publishing approvals, search, audience targeting, lifecycle management, analytics and accessibility.
  • 10. Tell us about a SharePoint mistake you fixed. Good candidates are honest about technical debt, explain root cause, show stakeholder management and describe how they prevented recurrence.

Follow up with scenario questions from your own environment. If your biggest risk is permissions sprawl, test permissions design. If your project is a migration, test migration sequencing. If adoption is weak, test communication, UX and training instincts.

Common SharePoint developer hiring mistakes and red flags to avoid

The most common mistake is hiring a general Microsoft 365 administrator for a role that requires development, or hiring a front-end developer who has never dealt with SharePoint’s security, deployment and information architecture constraints. Both can succeed with support, but neither is automatically a safe senior SharePoint developer hire.

Red flags when hiring a SharePoint developer

  • They only talk about classic SharePoint Designer workflows and InfoPath for a modern SharePoint Online role, without understanding current alternatives.
  • They propose custom code for everything even when out-of-the-box features, content types, managed metadata or Power Automate would be simpler.
  • They ignore governance, especially ownership, permissions, naming, retention and support.
  • They cannot explain deployment beyond manually uploading files or editing pages in production.
  • They treat SharePoint as a database for high-volume transactional workloads without discussing list thresholds, indexing, performance and alternative architectures.
  • They have no view on licensing for Power Platform, premium connectors, Dataverse or third-party migration tools.
  • They lack stakeholder skills. SharePoint developers often work directly with HR, legal, operations, finance and internal communications teams.

Another mistake is using a generic coding test that has nothing to do with the job. A pure algorithm challenge will not reveal whether someone can design a permission model, build an SPFx web part, handle Graph consent, or clean up a migration. Test the work they will actually do.

Finally, avoid hiding messy realities. If the tenant has years of unmanaged sites, broken permissions and legacy workflows, say so. Experienced SharePoint developers are used to complexity; they are less tolerant of surprises after accepting the role.

Remote versus in-house SharePoint developer hiring and contract versus permanent trade-offs

SharePoint development is well suited to remote work because most activity happens in Microsoft 365, Azure DevOps, GitHub, Teams and cloud environments. Remote hiring also widens access to specialists who may not live near your office. For many UK organisations in 2026, a remote-first or hybrid SharePoint developer search will produce a stronger shortlist than insisting on five days on site.

However, some moments benefit from in-person collaboration: discovery workshops, information architecture sessions, stakeholder mapping, migration cutover planning and training. A practical compromise is remote delivery with planned on-site workshops at the start of the project, before major releases, and during adoption sessions.

When to choose a contract SharePoint developer

  • You have a defined project, such as migration, intranet rebuild, workflow remediation or SPFx delivery.
  • You need senior expertise quickly and cannot wait for a permanent notice period.
  • You need knowledge transfer to an internal team after a specific outcome is delivered.
  • You have a short-term spike in development or governance work.

When to choose a permanent SharePoint developer

  • SharePoint is a strategic platform with ongoing product development, governance and support needs.
  • You need deep organisational context across departments, permissions, records and business processes.
  • You want continuity for roadmap ownership, technical standards and internal capability building.

Contractors can be more expensive per day but faster to start and easier to align to outcomes. Permanent hires are usually better for long-term platform ownership. Many organisations use both: a senior contractor or consultant sets architecture and migration patterns, while a permanent developer maintains and extends the platform.

How long it takes to hire a SharePoint developer and how to move faster

A realistic hiring timeline for a permanent SharePoint developer is usually four to eight weeks from approved brief to accepted offer, assuming the salary is competitive and the process is organised. Senior candidates with SPFx, Graph, Azure and governance experience may take longer because they are often in permanent roles or booked on contract programmes. Contractors can sometimes start within one to three weeks, but the best ones still need a clear brief and fast decision-making.

Typical SharePoint developer hiring timeline

  • Days 1–3: agree scope, salary or rate, must-have skills, remote policy and interview process.
  • Days 4–14: sourcing, outreach, referrals, advert response and initial screening.
  • Days 10–21: technical interviews and practical assessment.
  • Days 18–30: final stakeholder interview, offer, references and contract negotiation.
  • Weeks 4–8: notice period management for permanent hires; contractor start dates may be faster.

To move faster, reduce ambiguity before going to market. Write down the project outcome, define the top five skills, agree budget, assign one decision-maker and publish interview slots in advance. Do not run five-stage processes for a mid-level developer. A good process is usually recruiter or internal screen, technical interview, practical discussion and final stakeholder conversation.

Speed matters because strong SharePoint developers often receive multiple approaches. If you wait a week after every interview, you will lose candidates to organisations that can make clear decisions. The aim is not to rush judgement; it is to remove unnecessary delay.

How ProdReady Recruitment shortlists production-ready SharePoint developers in days

ProdReady Recruitment helps hiring managers find SharePoint developers who can deliver in production, not just talk through Microsoft 365 terminology. That means we qualify candidates against the specific outcome you need: modern intranet, SPFx build, SharePoint Online migration, document management, workflow automation, Teams integration, governance remediation or legacy-to-modern transformation.

Our shortlist process starts by clarifying the role in practical terms. We ask what the developer will own in the first 30, 60 and 90 days; which parts of SharePoint and Microsoft 365 matter most; whether the role is hands-on build, architecture, migration leadership or support; and which constraints could affect delivery, such as licensing, security, stakeholder availability or legacy customisations.

What we validate before introducing a SharePoint developer

  • Hands-on technical fit: SPFx, TypeScript, React, Graph, PnP, Power Platform, Azure, migration tools or legacy SharePoint depending on the brief.
  • Production delivery evidence: live systems, user scale, deployment approach, monitoring, documentation and support handover.
  • Governance and security judgement: permissions, information architecture, retention, compliance and lifecycle management.
  • Stakeholder capability: ability to work with non-technical departments and translate business processes into usable Microsoft 365 solutions.
  • Availability and expectations: salary, day rate, IR35 position, remote/hybrid preference, notice period and competing processes.

For urgent contract requirements, we can often provide a qualified shortlist within days because we maintain relationships with Microsoft 365 and software development specialists rather than relying only on job adverts. For permanent roles, we focus on candidates who match the long-term platform direction, not just the first backlog ticket.

If you are trying to find a good SharePoint developer for a critical Microsoft 365 project, the most effective approach is precise scoping, evidence-led screening and a fast, respectful hiring process. Get those three things right and you will avoid the expensive cycle of over-customised portals, unmanaged workflows and SharePoint platforms that nobody wants to own.