DE&S Occupational Health and Safety Senior Advisor

Job summary

At Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), we supply and maintain vital equipment and services for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Together, we deliver a vast range of essential defence programmes, and strive for what's next. Because it helps keep our military at the top of their game and our nation safe – for today, and tomorrow.

We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of 28.97%, to help make work work for you.

Nationality, visas, and vetting: We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship.

This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you’ve been recruited for. If it isn’t obtained or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn. Obtaining SC security clearance can be a lengthy process, and we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made if the necessary security clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months.

Job description

Are you an experienced Occupational Health and Safety Advisor with a passion for keeping people safe in high‑risk environments? Are you ready for a role where your expertise will make a real difference to the UK’s most critical Defence operations? If so, Defence Munitions (DM) have an exceptional opportunity you won’t want to miss.

In this role, you will be at the at the heart of ensuring our compliance with Health, Safety and Environmental legislation, helping to safeguard both people and the environment on behalf of the Head of Establishment. You will play a key role in shaping a proactive safety culture by providing timely, expert advice across a wide range of activities conducted on site.

You will play a pivotal role in developing and strengthening measures for hazard identification and risk management by delivering timely, professional, and effective guidance across all activities undertaken on site. You will act as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) to deliver risk assessment, the safe movement of transport and effective assurance to determine performance against safety and environmental goals.

Working at DM Crombie offers a rare opportunity to deepen your professional experience in high‑hazards site. You will be supported to build expertise in Major Accident Control Regulations (MACR the MOD’s adaptation of COMAH), fire safety, and the control of radiation sources.

We champion flexible working arrangements. While 100% on-site attendance is required to foster the benefits of face-to-face collaboration, we offer flexible hours to support a healthy work-life balance.

Please note: This role involves minimal travel to other locations across the UK for training and development opportunities, with transportation provided where necessary.

What you’ll be doing

• Provide competent Occupational Health and Safety advice and guidance across two operational sites, ensuring that all on‑site activities are conducted in line with legislative requirements, best practice, and internal standards.

• Develop and maintain a robust inspection and first‑line assurance programme that effectively measures compliance across both sites. This includes planning and conducting inspections, producing clear and actionable reports, monitoring progress, and ensuring all follow‑up actions are completed to drive continuous improvement.

• Build and maintain strong working relationships across the business, collaborating confidently with colleagues at all levels as well as external stakeholders including Delivery Partners, Contractors, and wider Defence organisations.

• Lead on accident and incident management within your area of responsibility, conducting thorough investigations, delivering root cause analysis, identifying lessons learned, and producing high‑quality reports across both sites.

• Delivering expert Occupational Health and Safety subject matter support to Committees and Management Boards, providing informed guidance, contributing to decision‑making discussions, and ensuring that safety considerations are fully integrated into strategic planning and operational oversight.

• Lead on fire safety compliance across both sites, ensuring that all statutory and organisational fire safety requirements are met. This includes reviewing fire risk assessments, coordinating exercises and drills, managing control measures, and supporting continuous improvement in fire prevention and response arrangements.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Lead Criterion - Minimum NEBOSH General Certificate or an equivalent Level 3 qualification in a relevant health & safety discipline.

• Experience working in a Health & Safety role.

• Experience working in environments with higher‑risk activities.

• A valid UK driving licence, as travel between sites maybe required.

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Core Behaviour 1: Communicating and influencing – CSBC3
• Core Behaviour 2: Delivering at Pace – CSBC3
• Technical Competence 1: Audit and Assurance (OHSEP) – Practitioner level
• Technical Competence 2: Emergency Response – Practitioner level

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,429 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 25 days’ annual leave +1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King’s birthday
• Market-leading average employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded qualifications
• Support for progression
• Huge range of discounts
• Volunteering days
• Enhanced parental leave schemes

Improving innovation and enriching our culture, diversity of thought is vital to our success. So whether you’re looking for a new opportunity, a next step, or a helping hand as you return from a career break, bring your experiences and help deliver for the defence of tomorrow. Here you’ll find a supportive, family-friendly organisation to be a part of - and if you need any assistance with your application, just let us know.

Further Information

• Civil Service Recruitment Principles: Recruitment Principles - Civil Service Commission
• Candidate Information Pack: https://bit.ly/DES-candidate-information-pack
• Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/DES-Terms-and-Conditions
• Civil Service Code: The Code - Civil Service Commission

Any personal data that you provide during the Recruitment process will be treated in accordance with the MOD Privacy Notice which can be accessed here.

Disability Confident:

Please note as a Disability Confident Leader we want to ensure you receive any reasonable adjustments that you need throughout the recruitment process. If you do require any reasonable adjustments, you can let us know on your online application under the section ‘Please indicate and give details of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the recruitment process.’

Conflicts of Interest:

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.

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

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

1. Pre-sift - We will check your application to ensure that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.
2. Sift - Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills. Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.
3. Interview - If you're invited to interview, you will be assessed against the following:

• CV Review
• Core Behaviour 1
• Core Behaviour 2
• Technical Competencies

Please Note: In the event of a tied score at interview, the Order of Merit will be distinguished based on the ranking of the assessed behaviours and competencies below:

• 1st: Core Behaviour 1

• 2nd: Core Behaviour 2

• 3rd: Technical Competencies

• 4th: CV Review

In the event of a further tie using the method above, we reserve the right to utilise the Lead criterion, and/or an additional assessment.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact department via email: DESHR-WSC-PMOCOMPLAINTS@mod.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Recruitment Complaints - Civil Service Commission

Offering at a lower level

If you’re not successful at interview, we may offer you a role at a lower level if this is a match for your skills and experience. If this applies to your application, you’ll be scored against criteria for the lower-level role and offers will be made in merit order. If you accept this position, you’ll be able to take advantage of opportunities to develop your career as part of our team.

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 : Daniel Bone
• Email : daniel.bone101@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : daniel.bone101@mod.gov.uk