DIO Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship Scheme

Job summary

Do you want to work for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and play a key role in keeping our country safe through caring for the Defence estate and those that depend on it? DIO is the estate expert for Defence, supporting the armed forces to enable military capability by planning, building, maintaining, and servicing infrastructure.

We employ approximately 4,900 staff from a very diverse range of professions including head office functions and specialisms such as Surveyors, Town Planners, Airfield Pavement Experts, Foresters and Construction Engineers. We work across the world, in Germany, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Norway, Poland, Kenya, Belize, Nepal and Oman.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The DIO Apprenticeship Academy offers a wide range of apprenticeships that combine practical work and training to gain valuable experience. Through our apprenticeships you will gain professional knowledge, a recognised qualification and the wider skills required to upskill you and pave the way for your future career.

Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship

Civil Engineers are highly trained professionals responsible for designing, building and maintaining infrastructure including; roads, bridges, railways, buildings, runways, water systems and other vital structures. Civil Engineers use technical knowledge, creative problem solving and project management skills to ensure this infrastructure is safe, sustainable, efficient and built to last. You will work closely with Senior Civil Engineers, Architects, Project Managers, Facilities Managers, Contractors and other Stakeholders across Defence to turn concepts into reality.

For this Apprenticeship we have partnered with The University of Warwick (UoW). This BEng Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Degree Apprenticeship is taught over five years through on-campus face-to-face teaching and virtual learning experiences, with teaching and assessment having blended and integrated work-based learning throughout.

Whilst parts of the degree programme are studied during on-the-job activities, the majority of the teaching will take place during seven, one-week residential blocks, delivered by UoW’s academic staff with collaborative teaching support from colleagues in DIO.

The aim is to develop Civil Engineers who are able to provide technical and management input to realise design solutions for complex engineering problems in the Defence estate.

On this 5 year Civil Engineering Degree Apprenticeship scheme, you’ll be immersed in the DIO from day one. Fast paced and rewarding, this Apprenticeship will allow you to make your mark on a global organisation, while building connections with talented people across our business.

Upon successful completion, you will have fully satisfied the requirements for registration as an Incorporated Engineerby the relevant professional engineering institution and gain an accredited BEng Civil and Infrastructure Engineeringdegree.

This Apprenticeship will start with UoW in December 2026.

From the beginning, you’ll be given a mentor to provide useful tips and guidance on your work and career whenever you need it. You will also be given a full induction on how the DIO functions as a business, become an integral part of our Apprenticeship Academy, and of course, discover how your role plays a crucial part in driving a culture and community of advancement and continuous improvement.

We will link you up with other Apprentices who you can meet and connect with, give you the opportunity to participate in apprenticeship events and get involved with our many networks such as Race, Gender, LBGT+, Faith and Mental Health to really give you that all-round feeling of the culture in our business.

Person specification

During your time in the Apprenticeship Academy, you will:

• Work towards an accredited BEng (Hons) in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering via UoW
• Be supported by your DIO Line Manager, dedicated Apprenticeship Scheme Manager as well as your UoW Tutors
• Receive the necessary off the job training required for the Apprenticeship through on-site learning at UoW and continuous professional development opportunities within DIO
• Potential opportunity to visit overseas DIO estates
• Infrastructure Facilities Management: Involvement in processes and procedures for the effective management of overseas infrastructure portfolio.
• Project Management: support the project management processes from conception, to design, to delivery and handover.
• Design assurance and compliance: support to established procedures for assurance of designs and compliance of works against legal and MoD requirements, including sustainability.
• Gain real world experience with external contractors/consultants

During your Apprenticeship, we’ll support your technical development through a range of on-the-job experiences, putting what you’re learning in the classroom into practice in your day job. We’ll also support your professional development through a combination of training courses, mentoring and networking opportunities. You will receive one-to-one support throughout your Apprenticeship from your Scheme Manager and Line Manager in DIO, as well as your Tutor and Coaches from the training provider.

Please note that students are required to be 18 years or over at the start of their Apprenticeship.

Please be aware that you are required to hold the qualifications stated as required and that unless otherwise stated in the advert a higher-level qualification cannot be accepted in lieu of the lower (E.G. and English Language A Level cannot replace the GCSE if the GCSE is not at the required grade).

Please see the guide for acceptable equivalents – What qualification levels mean: England, Wales and Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qua…) and (https://scqf.org.uk/media/e5pjypw4/qccb-web-oct-2019.pdf) for Scotland.
Evidence of the above qualifications will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made.

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.

Qualifications

You must have, or will achieve by December 2026, the following Qualifications/Essential Criteria:

• GCSE Maths and English at grades A* - C or 4 - 9 (or equivalent).

and;

• Three A-Levels at AAA, to include Mathematics and Physics
or;

• BTEC Diploma grade D*D* in Engineering, with an A grade in A level Mathematics

or;

• BTEC Extended Diploma grade DDD in Engineering including the two Mathematics units, 'Calculus to Solve Engineering Problems' and 'Further Engineering Mathematics’.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership

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

• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,580, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,569 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
• 25 days Annual Leave, rising to a maximum of 30 days
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• An opportunity to be considered for Reward and Recognition - £250-£5000 per year

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/

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. 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.

Hybrid Working

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 employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another MOD workplace, 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). DBS cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

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.

Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.

Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted on your Managing a Quality Service behaviour. In this instance the remaining elements will be tested at interview.

This Apprenticeship will start with UoW in December 2026.

At application stageyou will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Managing a Quality Service

Experience:

• CV including Job History, Full Qualifications and Previous Skills
• Personal Statement

In no more than 500 words:
We are looking for potential and someone who aligns them self to DIO’s values to join this specialist area of DIO. Why do you want to be an Apprentice Civil Engineer and what previous experience, skills and personal attributes will you bring to this role?

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace

We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isn’t always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months.

Application sifting is scheduled to take place in July 2026 following advert closure.

Interviews are currently taking place remotely and will be conducted in July 2026.

A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.

Once all interviews have taken place, we will make provisional offers to the successful candidates and begin your pre-employment checks. Please be aware these checks can take several months to complete, however we will remain in contact throughout the process.

Please note offers of employment are subject to achieving satisfactory pre-employment and security checks. These include an Occupational Health Assessment and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). As part of this you will need to confirm your identity, employment/education history, nationality and any criminal record (unspent convictions only).

The level of security needed is Security Check (SC) and you should usually have been continuously resident in the UK for 5 years immediately before clearance action commences. If you have lived overseas or travelled extensively during this period, it may affect the length of time to obtain full security clearance and this may affect your offer of employment. It is essential that ALL requests for information are completed fully and timely, as incomplete information may result in significant delays. Offers of employment are also subject to candidates achieving acceptable grades where predicted.

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .

You must have the right of abode in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA (including other countries determined within the EEA or those with bilateral agreements), for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to 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 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

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 : Richard Steiner - DIO Apprenticeship Scheme Manager
• Email : richard.steiner100@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-AMO@mod.gov.uk

Attachments

MOD Privacy Policy Notice Opens in new window (docx, 34kB)Apprenticeship Funding Criteria Opens in new window (pdf, 134kB)Defence Civil Servant Offer Letter External Opens in new window (pdf, 333kB)