Defence Safety Authority, Defence Land Safety Regulator - Op Assure Energy SEO

Job summary

Your Role:

Are you looking for a high-reaching and exciting role that can make a real difference? Do you have the passion and dedication to be part of an ambitious organisation at the forefront of supporting the Ministry of Defence to ensure the safety of personnel and protection of the environment? If so, then we would like to hear from you!

The Organisation:

The Defence Safety Authority (DSA) is responsible for the regulation of Defence health, safety, and environmental protection. Its purpose is to provide independent, evidence- based assurance to the Secretary of State for Defence (SoS), that their policy on safety in Defence is being promoted and implemented within the course of Defence activities. The DSA hosts Defence safety regulators across all operating environments, also incorporating the Defence Accident Investigation Branch, and a HQ within a single independent organisation, led by a 3 Star military officer. Through our independence, the DSA, as the third line of defence, provide an objective evaluation of how effectively a Defence organisation assesses and manages its risks. This includes an evaluation of the design and effectiveness of the operation of the ’first and second lines of defence.’

Our Department:

As part of the Defence Land Safety Regulator (DLSR), the Energy Assurance Lead will provide independent Third Line of Defence assurance that Defence energy activities are compliant with legislation, Defence regulation and policy. Working within the Operating Assurance function, the post-holder will lead a small team delivering assurance across energy, associated systems and infrastructure, while supporting regulatory recommendations relating to licensing and certification arrangements where required.

The role also supports DLSR’s wider assurance approach by maintaining awareness of legislative, regulatory and industry developments, assessing associated risks and assurance requirements, and engaging with external regulators and industry partners to promote safe and sustainable energy activity across Defence.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic leadership

• Lead, manage and develop the energy assurance team within DLSR, providing clear direction and fostering a high-performing, inclusive and professional team.
• Develop DLSR’s future energy assurance capability, ensuring Defence remains prepared for evolving operational energy requirements.
• Promote continuous improvement, innovation and professional development across the team.

Energy assurance and regulation

• Lead independent, intelligence-led, risk-based, Third Line of Defence assurance activity across Defence energy and operational energy infrastructure.
• Develop and deliver assurance programmes based on organisational risk, operational priorities and emerging technologies.
• Assess compliance with legislation, Defence regulations, policy and recognised industry standards.
• Recommend proportionate enforcement action where significant safety or environmental risks are identified.
• Support licensing, certification and regulatory governance across Defence energy activities.

Health, safety and environmental protection

• Act as the senior specialist for health, safety and environmental protection across energy assurance activity.
• Promote continual improvement in safety, environmental management and organisational learning.
• Lead or support investigations into significant incidents, identifying root causes and ensuring lessons are embedded across Defence.

Stakeholder engagement

• Develop strong collaborative relationships with Front Line Commands, the National Armaments Director Group, the Operational Energy Authority and wider Defence organisations.
• Engage with statutory regulators, industry bodies, professional institutions and government departments to ensure Defence remains aligned with national legislation and industry best practice.
• Represent Defence at senior working groups, steering committees and technical forums.

Continuous improvement and future energy

• Conduct horizon scanning to identify emerging risks, legislative change and future energy developments.
• Support Defence’s transition to hydrogen, sustainable fuels, electrification and alternative operational energy technologies.

Contribute to the Annual Assurance Report and strategic risk assessments, providing senior Defence leaders with evidence-based assurance and recommendations

A core requirement of this role is the ability to access remote Defence training areas, both in the UK and overseas, which are not served by public transport. As such, a valid driving licence is essential, and the nature of the responsibilities makes part-time or job-share arrangements impractical.

Person specification

Essential Experience

• Significant leadership experience within a complex operational, engineering, logistics, energy or regulatory environment.
• Experience leading assurance, audit, compliance or inspection programmes.
• Strong knowledge of health, safety and environmental protection principles.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders and delivering strategic outcomes.
• Excellent communication, analytical and report-writing skills.
• Ability to assess complex risks and make evidence-based, proportionate decisions.
• Experience managing competing priorities while delivering organisational objectives.
• Proven ability to lead organisational change and continuous improvement.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within energy, petroleum or wider operational energy sectors.
• Knowledge of Defence regulation, assurance frameworks and governance.
• Understanding of DSEAR, petroleum legislation and environmental legislation.
• Experience engaging with statutory regulators.
• Knowledge of hydrogen, sustainable fuels, battery energy storage systems and emerging operational energy technologies.
• Knowledge of Petroleum Consolidation Regulations.

Essential Qualifications

• Recognised industry standard training in DSEAR and ATEX regulations.

Desirable Qualifications

• Level 3 certificate in occupational health and safety
• Level 3 certificate in environmental management
• ISO 45001 lead auditor (or equivalent)

Applicants should be able to demonstrate significant leadership experience in a complex operational, engineering, logistics, energy or regulatory environment. You should have experience leading assurance, audit, compliance or inspection programmes, with strong knowledge of health, safety and environmental protection principles.

You will need to influence senior stakeholders, deliver strategic outcomes, assess complex risks and make evidence-based, proportionate decisions. Excellent communication, analytical and report-writing skills are essential, together with the ability to manage competing priorities and lead organisational change and continuous improvement.

Experience in energy, petroleum or wider operational energy sectors would be particularly welcome, as would knowledge of Defence regulation, assurance frameworks, governance, DSEAR, petroleum legislation, environmental legislation and emerging operational energy technologies.

Licences

Full Category B UK Driving Licence

Qualifications

Recognised industry standard training in DSEAR and ATEX regulations

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 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 including a flexi-time scheme
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Highly competitive Civil Service pension scheme
• Alternative working practices such as hybrid working
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Ability to roll over up to 10 days annual leave per year
• In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave
• Minimum of 15 days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period for volunteer military or emergency service reserve commitments
• Special paid leave for volunteering up to 6 days per year
• Employee Assistance Programme to support your wellbeing – a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
• On-site gymnasium (for a small monthly fee for membership of Civil Service Sports Club)
• Loan to purchase a Bicycle (Advance on Salary)
• Defence Sports & Recreational Association (DSRA)
• Access to Defence Discount Service & Blue Light Discount
• On-site Nursery (Abbey Wood, Bristol)

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this 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.

CV

Candidates will be required to provide a CV to provide details of: job history; qualification details; previous skills and experience

Personal Statement

Candidates will be required to provide a personal statement of no more than 500 words explaining how their skills and experience meet the requirements of this role.

Behaviours

As part of the application process, you will be required to submit a different example of when you have demonstrated each of the Civil Service Behaviours below. Your examples must be no more than 250 words for each.

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Please use the ‘STAR’ technique when writing your examples to enable you to provide a meaningful and complete example for assessment. For those not familiar with STAR, it is an acronym that stands for:

• Situation
• Task
• Action
• Result.

It is suggested that you make full use of the 250 word-allowance available, ensuring you provide full details of your own actions and how you have fully demonstrated all aspects of the Behaviour at the level of the role applied for. As a guide, approximately 70% of the word-allowance should be used to describe your actions.

Application stage:

CV; Experience; and one behaviour (Leadership)

Interview stage:
Experience and all four behaviours (using a different example for leadership)

• Leadership
• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Interviews

In person on sight in ABW (N)

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 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 : Rob Norris
• Email : Rob.norris369@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

Candidate Information 2025 Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1563kB)