Defence Accident Investigation Branch - Deputy Head

Job summary

The Defence Accident Investigation Branch (DAIB) conducts independent, impartial and expert no-blame safety investigations across Defence. The Deputy Head is a senior leadership post that supports Head DAIB by keeping Branch delivery on track, assuring the quality and timeliness of investigation outputs, and overseeing the business management activity needed to run the Branch effectively.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The postholder will report to Head DAIB and work across DAIB, DSA headquarters, Defence Safety stakeholders, Front-Line Commands, Service Inquiry and Non-Statutory Inquiry panels, and external partners. The role requires sound judgement, strong leadership and credibility, alongside excellent senior stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to give clear, well-judged advice in a demanding safety environment.

The role keeps day-to-day senior delivery moving, supports staff, maintains standards, oversees business management activity and raises issues to Head DAIB when a senior decision is needed. The postholder also deputises for Head DAIB when required, representing DAIB and making decisions within delegated authority, while ensuring significant risks, new Branch positions or sensitive issues are escalated to Head DAIB.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support Head DAIB by turning Branch direction into clear priorities, delegated decisions and practical delivery.
• Deputise for Head DAIB as required, representing DAIB at senior DSA, MOD, commercial, assurance and stakeholder engagements within delegated authority and agreed Branch positions.
• Review and assure Service Inquiry and Non-Statutory Inquiry outputs, ensuring reports are clear, evidence-based, consistent and delivered to the required standard.
• Support DAIB’s contribution to coronial activity, legal proceedings, HSE investigations, Crown Censure activity and other sensitive external processes by ensuring timely, accurate and well-judged Branch input.
• Support the effective running of the Branch by providing senior oversight of the support functions that enable DAIB delivery, including business planning, business cases, workforce planning, recruitment, finance, commercial activity, risk, governance, performance reporting and the working relationship with DSA headquarters. The Business Manager leads day-to-day delivery; the Deputy Head provides senior direction, prioritisation and escalation where needed.
• Ensure evidence, information and process risks are identified and managed where they could affect investigations, legal or coronial activity, DAIB’s reputation or delivery of safety-critical outputs.
• Act as DAIB’s senior point of contact with DSA headquarters for delegated matters, including communications, governance, reporting and engagement activity.
• Support improvements to DAIB processes, SOPs, digital working and information management where senior direction or prioritisation is needed.
• Line manage a team of 3 SEO and 2 HEO posts, CSO for 2 EOs, providing clear direction, support, objective-setting and performance management.
• Participate in the DAIB duty coordinator rota, normally for one week in four. This supports DAIB’s 24/7 accident notification and response arrangements and may involve out-of-hours activity in accordance with local arrangements. An on-call allowance is payable for this duty commitment.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Experience of providing senior leadership in support of an accountable lead, including setting priorities, maintaining standards, building trust and supporting delivery through others.
• Experience of leading people through complex, sensitive or high-pressure situations, while following proper process, supporting staff appropriately and keeping work on track.
• Experience of giving clear, evidence-based advice to senior leaders on issues involving risk, governance, delivery impact or reputational sensitivity.
• Experience of reviewing and improving complex written material, including investigation reports, briefings, updates and decision papers for senior leaders.
• Experience of overseeing business activity such as workforce planning, recruitment, finance, commercial activity, risk, governance, business planning or performance reporting.
• Experience of communicating clearly and professionally with senior military and civilian stakeholders, including where this requires challenge, influence or explanation of sensitive or complex issues.
• Experience of handling sensitive, distressing, personal, legally sensitive or reputationally significant information appropriately.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of Service Inquiries, Non-Statutory Inquiries, accident investigation, safety investigation, assurance, governance, lessons or recommendations processes.
• Knowledge of Defence safety, Defence governance, operational risk or investigation processes.
• Experience working in a predominantly military or pan-Defence environment.
• Advanced Command and Staff Course, or equivalent military/civilian staff training or senior leadership development.

Additional Information

Due to the nature of DAIB operations, the successful candidate will be exposed to information and material, including video and photographic imagery, that could be distressing. It is essential that candidates take these requirements into consideration before applying for the post.

Personnel joining the Branch may be required to complete a baseline psychological review on appointment, with optional annual follow-up thereafter.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

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

• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,854 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

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.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

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 Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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 and Experience.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history.

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability (750 Word count). Assessment elements are ranked in the following priority order: statement of suitability, CV, Delivering at Pace behaviour.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, Statement of suitability and the following Behaviour:

• Delivering at Pace

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, the sift will be conducted on your statement of suitability only.

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

Interviews will take place at Boscombe Down week commencing 9 November.(subject to change)

Further information:

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.

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. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It 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 mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

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.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

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 : Colonel Ivo Peters
• Email : ivo.peters104@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 25kB)Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)