Army - Safety, Health, Environment and Fire Officer

Job summary

The Ministry of Defence, Civil Service workforce is diverse, with many different functions and professions ranging from cyber and digital transformation, police officers, security guards, trainers, human resources, teachers, psychologists, storekeepers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff to support the British Army.

The Collective Training Group (CTG) has a global footprint, delivering world-class combined arms training to Field Army Formations, Brigades and Units for operations and readiness. The Headquarters is located in Warminster, with training establishments located in the UK, Canada, Belize, Germany and Kenya.

This post is located in the Headquarters, British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK). The focus for BATUK is the delivery of collective training for combined arms light role and Combat Service Support forces, to support their preparation for readiness and commitments. Civil Service roles in BATUK are challenging and will develop your skills and provide you with professional reward.

BATUK people really do matter and our “one team” consists of mainly Army but Tri-Service personnel, UK Based Civil Servants, Locally Engaged Civilians (LECs) and Contractors. We benefit from the richness of diversity that a team such as this brings.

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week and the tour length is for 3 years with the potential for extension.

Job description

BATUK conducts a wide range of activities many of which present Health & Safety, Environmental Protection and Fire implications. You will develop your ability to negotiate and influence activity, managers and host nation SMEs.

The SHEF (Safety, Health, Environment, and Fire) will have the opportunity to develop their knowledge of Defence Estates Management and will be responsible for a very large geographical area; Kifaru Barracks in Nairobi, Nyati Barracks in Nanyuki and Archers Post. These will require regular visits. An advanced driving course is provided on arrival in Kenya and you MUST gain a Driving Permit on arrival in-country, authorising you to drive MT (Motor Transport) vehicles on the Kenyan roads plus training areas.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide authoritative SME guidance to BATUK Comd to establish, maintain and continuously improve BATUK’s SHEF & Sustainable Development (SD) organisation and arrangements.
• Line management of two Locally employed civilians in safety roles within BATUK.
• Developing, implementing and monitoring a SHEF & Sustainable Development Delivery Plan in line with MOD and UK statutory requirements with demonstrating a strong understanding of SHEF responsibilities and ability to ensure full organisational compliance.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with Host Nation authorities and with multiple internal and external stakeholders. Including initial safety briefings to visiting battle groups to ensure constant safety compliance.
• Ensure that SHEF & SD activities align with both UK and Host Nation legal frameworks.
• Assessing hazardous areas under DSEAR and COSHH, producing the necessary documentation, along with leading site safety meetings and coordinating with multiple agencies, including participation in BATUK SHEF meetings and the Bi Annual SHEF Committee.
• Further development in providing advice and guidance to others and development in lead decision making.
• Arrange, conduct and host SHEF audits including FPA, environmental and internal assurance with ability to complete SHEF self assessment audits in line with A&I Safety assurance regime requirements.
• Management of day to day implementation of SHEF policy, including accident reporting, data capture, investigations and trend analysis. Oversee fire safety requirements including Fire Regulation compliance, fire safety planning and provide effective guidance on all SHEF matters as required.
• Identify own and others training needs, maintain personal knowledge of SHEF legislation, policy and implement training delivery for others when required.
• Lead for MySafety Management Information System (MIS), training and trend analysis. Working together with and encouraging the team to effectively use this tool.
• Oversee the LEC Insurance contracts, process and payment of WIBA claims (Kenyan legislation for injured person claims).

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com

Person specification

Essential skills required:

• Full UK Driving Licence with Cat B required.
• Significant knowledge of SHEF and able to evaluate, create and integrate the required knowledge into complex tasks and interpret and evaluate the results.
• Safety-focused mindset: A genuine interest in health and safety, prioritising employee well-being and actively seeking to prevent accidents.
• Attention to detail: The ability to thoroughly assess situations, identify potential hazards, and meticulously document findings.
• Strong communication skills: Effective communication to clearly explain safety procedures, concerns, and training information to employees at all levels.
• Leadership qualities: Ability to influence others, promote a safety culture, and encourage compliance with safety policies.
• Analytical skills: Capability to analyse data, identify trends, and make informed decisions regarding risk management.
• Problem-solving skills: Ability to assess situations, identify potential solutions, and implement effective control measures to mitigate risks sometimes to strict, demanding timelines.
• Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to changing situations, new regulations, and different work environments.
• Pro-activeness: Must be self-motivated with a will to succeed.

Desirable skills:

• Experience receiving guidance and policy from higher formations and distributing that with meaningful guidance so that it can be understood by the diverse workforce.
• Evidence of successfully implementing SHEF policies and processes to aid development and delivery to mixed audiences.
• Ability to support and improve SHEF culture across a busy and diverse organisation.
• Knowledge of Host Nation (Kenyan) SHEF requirements or experience working with international regulatory frameworks.
• Evidence and experience of managing conflict between different stakeholders, where there may be different requirements and expectations.
• Strong leadership skills, including the ability to both lead and support, while maintaining high levels of accountability throughout the organisation.

Licences

Full UK Driving Licence with Cat B required.

Qualifications

a. General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety Level 3
b. Level 3 Teaching and Education Certificate or MOD Defence Train the Trainer Level 3 Certificate
c. Level 3 Environmental Health Certificate or Suite of RAF Halton Environmental Management courses 7 in total
Evidence of qualification will be required at interview. All qualifications/licences declared must be held at point of application and if applicable be in date. Equivalent Qualifications will not be accepted.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Intermediate level - Incidents, Reporting and Investigations.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,927 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.

Other benefits for Army civil servants include:

25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service

Highly competitive pension scheme

Personal and professional development of skills

Alternative working patterns for many roles

Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

Enhanced parental and adoption leave

Six days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities

Learning and Development

We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. This includes working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking a modern apprenticeship as part of your role.

A modern apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training. Through the schemes available you will gain a professional qualification, practical experience, and the broader skills required to develop in your current role and pave the way for your future career.

Specific offered benefits:

HQ BATUK is located in the county of Laikipia, close to Mount Kenya. The area has an abundance of wildlife and is a truly unique location to be based remotely from the UK.
This post offers full relocation allowances subject to availability. Cost of Living Allowance and Difficult Post Allowance are payable based on personal circumstances and marital status.

Discover My Benefits:

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD. https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

This post offers full relocation allowances subject to availability. Cost of Living Overseas Allowances is payable based on personal circumstances and marital status.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

• Personal Statement - 500 words demonstrating your skills and experience inline with the essential criteria of this advert.
• CV
• Behaviour - Delivering at Pace

Where a large number of applications are received, an initial sift will be conducted based on the evidence you provide in support of Delivering at Pace.

Your Personal Statement and CV will only be reviewed if you are successful at this initial sift.

At interview stage you will be assessed against the following behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Technical - Incidents, Reporting and Investigations (Intermediate Level) - Page 34

Application sifting will be scheduled to take place within 7 days of the application closing date. Interview dates are to be confirmed and will be held via teams. We endeavour to keep to these time frames, but these are subject to change around business needs.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigation's can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Craig Stockdale
• Email : Craig.Stockdale793@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam1@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see Further Information document attached.

Attachments

20240216---S-E-Functional-Competency-Framework-V2--1- Opens in new window (pdf, 6650kB)20241009 - Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 34kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)