Deputy Mine Manager

Job summary

Behind every mission and operation, the Ministry of Defence relies on expert functions to drive our mission forward. From HR, Finance, and Legal to Security, Procurement, and Communications, our teams enable Defence to deliver today and be ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

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This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

As Deputy Mine Manager, working in a uniquely challenging subterranean environment, you’ll assist with the safe and efficient operation of the mine, in line with the Mines Regulations 2014 (MR14) and all relevant Health, Safety, Environmental Protection and Security policies.

You’ll assist with holding the legal responsibility for ensuring all activity undertaken in the mine, is in accordance with regulatory and safety standards.

You’ll deputise for the Mine Manager in their absence and be regarded as such during that period, carrying out the Manager’s duties and be capable of undertaking all their responsibilities.

You’ll co-ordinate activities to help ensure a safe working environment for all within the mine, taking all reasonably practicable measures to protect employees, contractors, and visitors, while maintaining full compliance with MR14 and wider MOD policy.

In the event of an emergency, you’ll support the Mine Manager (or lead, if acting Mine Manager) to assume immediate command, providing clear, decisive leadership, to safeguard life and protect the continuity of operations.

You’ll build strong, collaborative relationships with all key stakeholders, including PFI contractors, Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), Military Training teams, Capita Fire, Head of Establishment, HM Inspectorate of Mines and mines rescue, ensuring clear communication and a shared understanding of responsibilities. You’ll provide informed advice and direction on the MR14 and HS&EP policies, working together to maintain a safe, compliant environment, that meets the requirements of MR14.

In addition, you’ll be responsible for the management of the Health & Safety Management System, to ensure all relevant requirements of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) are being met in adherence with MR14 and ensure our Environmental Protection arrangements are in line with site and MOD policies

Responsibilities

• Uphold advice & direction given by the Mines Manager to external contractors, and other stakeholders, on MR14 and issues as necessary, working collaboratively and providing advice & direction as required.
• Support the Mine Manager projects in activities related to the Heritage Partnership Agreement (HPA) with Historic England, Wiltshire Council and DIO.
• Maintain and enforce the Mine Safety Management System (SMS), that reflects the legal responsibilities of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA), in coordination with MR14.
• Oversee arrangements and risks for Environmental Protection ensuring compliance with MOD and legal requirements, liaising with HS&EP colleagues as required within the Head of Establishment Team.
• Ensure other major risks, such as Asbestos Management, Radon, Spores and Emergency Evacuation procedures, are assessed and managed through risk assessments, policy and arrangements, with regular reviews.
• Review and deliver the Underground H&S Induction Training Brief, as required for all operatives who will be working underground.
• Represent the Mine Manager in their absence.
• Maintain information records, logs and files to meet regulatory requirements and MOD policies relating to HSWA, ensuring all are current with any changes to legal requirements.
• Undertake line management duties, mentoring and countersigning tasks as required.

Person specification

Please ensure that your CV and application meet the essential criteria below:

We are looking for a safety driven professional, with the ability to adapt and apply working health and safety knowledge and experience to an underground environment. You’ll bring proven experience in managing Health, Safety, and Environmental requirements, within a complex organisational environment.

You’ll be able to evidence working to strict safety procedures, upholding regulatory and statutory compliance, and the identification of hazards and changing environmental conditions, making clear, confident decisions, that always put people and site integrity first.

You’ll need to be an authoritative leader, who can effectively manage contractors, specialists and visitors to the mine. You’ll need a practical approach, be a proactive problem solver and able to quickly identify issues underground and be equipped to propose workable, balanced solutions.

Qualifications (mandatory on application):

• IOSH Managing Safely

Additional qualifications required to be undertaken whilst in post (training provided):

• Management of asbestos in buildings (P405)
• MPQC MAUK Safe in the Underground Environment (L2)
• MPQC MAUK Mine Supervisor (L4)

If not already held, opportunity may also be available to gain the following in this role:

• NEBOSH National General Certificate

Additional information

Please note:

This role includes participation in an on-call rota, which may require attending site outside normal working hours to respond to incidents within the mine. An on-call allowance is attached to this responsibility.

The postholder must be physically able to respond effectively in an emergency, as there is a requirement to ascend, and coordinate others, up the equivalent of approximately 200 + steps (emergency exits).

Dependent on the business need, there may be a requirement to travel to meetings within the UK (or potentially occasional overseas visits).

Qualifications

IOSH Managing Safely

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Law, Policy & Guidance
• Stakeholder Management

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 (opens in a new window).

Our benefits include:

• Learning and development tailored to your role with a dedicated minimum of 5 days per year
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (by 1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of five years’ service
• Ability to roll up to 10 days annual leave per year
• In addition to eight public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Parental and Adoption Leave
• Discounts on a range of services within and external to the civil service – Defence Discount Service, Civil Service societies for Sports and Leisure, Healthcare, Insurance, Motoring, Company discounts with Virgin, Vodafone, and Microsoft Office.
• In year rewards and ‘thank you’ schemes such as vouchers and gift cards
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Please see Benefits Leaflet for more detail

Equality and Diversity

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.

Defence operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing.

Defence is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way it conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts are/will be subject to review and potential changes, as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout the transformation programme, Defence is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with personnel and Trade Unions.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

To apply, please upload your CV in the sections provided on the Civil Service Jobs application, ensuring it clearly demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

You must also submit a personal statement (maximum 1,250 words) providing evidence of how you meet these criteria.

The sift will be conducted on your CV and personal statement.

Interview

If you are invited for an interview, it will be held face to face at MOD Corsham, Westwells Road, Corsham, SN13 9NR and we’ll assess you against these behaviours and technical competencies during the interview process:

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Technical Competencies:

• Law, Policy & Guidance
• Stakeholder Management

Please see the attached document, providing the intermediate-level definitions for the technical competencies, as defined in the Functional Competency Framework for Safety and Environment Professionals in Defence.

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.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

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 : Defence Digital Talent Acquisition Team
• Email : ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@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

Defence Digital Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 10MB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Functional Competency Framework for Safety and Environment Professionals in Defence (Selected Competencies) Opens in new window (pdf, 62kB)Terms and Conditions of Service 1 Opens in new window (docx, 24kB)