DIO Strategic Compliance Manager - Fire

Job summary

Do you want to use your fire safety expertise to make a direct difference to Defence capability across one of the largest and most varied estates in the UK?

As our DIO Strategic Fire Safety Compliance Manager, you will lead fire safety compliance across Regional Delivery South West, helping keep the Defence Estate safe, legally compliant and fit for the people who live, work, train and deploy from it.

This is a high-impact role with variety, visibility and purpose. You will work with military customers, site teams, technical specialists and industry partners to resolve fire safety risks, influence improvement plans and support infrastructure that enables Defence outputs.

Regional Delivery South West manages a diverse estate across the South West of England, including operational, training, accommodation and support facilities. You will join a professional and supportive regional team, using your technical judgement, communication skills and ability to build trusted relationships to drive consistent compliance across a geographically dispersed estate.

If you are motivated by public service, safety, collaboration and continuous improvement, this role offers the opportunity to develop professionally whilst making a visible contribution to Defence.

The post is full time at 37 hours net. Flexible working patterns will be considered, subject to operational need, but the role is not suitable for reduced hours or job share because it requires timely decisions, consistent availability and a single full-time point of contact for complex safe and legal compliance matters.

A full UK driving licence is required. The successful candidate will be site based, with regular travel across the South West region and occasional national travel, as many locations are not accessible by public transport. You should expect to spend around 60% of your time working from your permanent duty station or another site location.

Job description

The Strategic Compliance Manager (Fire) provides key support across the entire region as part of the Regional Technical Team. As we experience increasing demands from our customers, this is an exciting and meaningful time to join DIO and get the opportunity to work on one of the largest estates in the UK.

Ensuring that the Defence Estate meets the required compliance standards, making it safe and fit for purpose. This role is accountable for the overall management and leadership of one of the six strategic compliance areas, specifically Fire.

The role is required to work from a specific establishment, however routine travel to other sites within the region and wider DIO estate is required.

The successful candidate will lead a range of compliance focused operational challenges – putting safety first, implementing long-term compliance improvement plans, up-skilling local teams, identifying opportunities to improve the estate. Everything you do will be in support of a safe and compliant estate and to support the strategic goals of the military.

We fully support flexible working and will consider the needs of successful candidates to ensure that the right work-life balance is achieved subject to operational needs. DIO is a multiple award winning smarter working organisation that has successfully applied flexible working best practices, supported by digital technology and modern work spaces that will give you the opportunity to enjoy a healthy work-life balance in a collaborative working environment.

A key member of the Regional Technical Team (RTT) providing first hand support through a wide range of technical specialists to the Site Teams and wider DIO, being agile in identifying and implementing solutions.

We have a Safety-First Ethos focusing on assuring safety standards in key areas such as, Asbestos, Gas Safety, Electrical, Fire Safety, Fuels, Legionella and DSEAR Management. The role will involve planned and preventative maintenance, project management, contract management, collaboration with customers, suppliers and consultancies to deliver a safe place for service personnel to work, live and train. DIO is investing in strategic asset management, and you could be part of the future management of the Defence Estate.

A Strategic Compliance Manager at DIO will:

• Provide direct support and proactive advice to site teams on their specific specialist area.
• Take the lead in carrying out compliance investigations to ensure contractors align with their contractual obligations and are delivering in a consistent manner across the Region.
• Implement compliance recommendations put forward by the senior customer stakeholders.
• Formulate strategies to continually improve compliance.
• Lead and mitigate key compliance risks.
• Work alongside site teams in identifying works for future programmes and provide a coherent, continuous improvement focused bid for our customers for the next financial year.

Responsibilities also include:

• Building an environment of strong working relationships both within the team and with other teams across DIO, MoD and Industry Partners.
• Leading the provision of the external technical support interface and coordination with partners including Subject Matter Experts.
• Identifying and communicating trends and issues relating to technical matters across all Regional Delivery.
• Supervising Industry Partner performance in line with the contract to ensure that statutory and mandatory requirements are met and collaborating with them to resolve issues.
• Working with commercial team members where there is a requirement for a technical input to clarify a contractual scope issue.
• Portfolio and Issue Management in support of works, in year programmed works and future years' programmes.
• Working as an active member of the team, supervising compliance with MOD and DIO policy, instructions and guidance.
• Supporting estate assurance activities.
• Responsibility for ensuring pro-active action in the case of non-compliant delivery or actions for all partners.

Person specification

Acting as focal point for regional Service Delivery Area teams, Billable Works and Risk Management for technical guidance with a focus on Health and Safety, with a specific focus of Fire.

Ensuring technical standards are maintained for all Core and Additional Works delivered by the Industry Partner (IP):

Delivery of Maintenance and Construction Projects:

• Developing requirements and solutions with key project partners, supporting pricing and procurement.
• Providing expert technical challenge and assurance of related solutions proposed by suppliers.
• Ensuring infrastructure investments and engineering projects are delivered safely, compliantly and in accordance with Defence requirements.
• Supporting with project handover and resolution of issues in use.
• Contract Compliance and Assurance.
• Undertaking compliance reviews for contracted works, including planned and reactive maintenance, reporting findings and making recommendations for statutory and mandatory compliance as well as operational capability.
• Working with our Regional Technical Managers in planning, undertaking, and reporting on programmed and reactive assurance checks, including learning from experience and continuous improvement.

Liaising with the Industry Partner and/or DIO Technical Services for all technical issues, technical assurance and review and supporting where required to enhance the management of fire safety.

Safety & Risk Management:

• Supporting the Technical Team investigating Fire safety alerts and notices within the region.
• Identifying Fire related risks and collaborating proactively with other partners in the identification, mitigation, and closure of risks.

Technical Support:

• Providing technical guidance and support to Site Teams on all Fire safety elements.
• Contributing to a strong ethos of team development and continuous improvement through personal development and mentoring.
• Accountable for Safety technical reporting with Regional Delivery SW (RD SW) for each area of responsibility in support of performance monitoring/reporting.
• Responsible for supporting the management, review and reporting of safety risks and issues across area of responsibility.

This is a critical role as an individual leader within the wider Regional Delivery function. In the context of day-to-day operational challenges development/upskilling and mentoring of the Site Management teams is key; taking them from strength to strength using the DIO leadership code as the underpinning foundation throughout. Essential will be to foster a collaborative environment.

Whilst providing support to the delivery elements of the RD SW team there will also be a need to work collaboratively with the Industry Partner to deliver a technically compliant Estate, provide innovation around technical data capture, retention and use, production of technical reports to senior leaders. Engagement with wider defence business areas as well as our customer stakeholders will be required.

As a key member of the Regional Office, contribution to the leadership and strategic management of Technical Management will be essential, providing guidance to DIO and TLB personnel, ensuring that resources are maximised to support operational outputs and wider budgets are managed in accordance with delegated authority.

A full UK Driving Licence is essential due to the need to visit multiple sites sometimes including an overnight stay; not all are accessible by public transport.

Desirable:

Hold or be working towards appropriate membership of a relevant professional body, eg. Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) or The IFE (Institution of Fire Engineers).

Experience of working on the MoD estate.

Licences

Full UK Driving Licence

Qualifications

Hold or be working towards the NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety,
and/or
An appropriate Level 4 qualification with substantial relevant and recent experience in an infrastructure environment.

Memberships

Hold or be working towards appropriate membership of a relevant professional body, eg Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) or The IFE (Institution of Fire Engineers).

Appropriate membership of a relevant professional body, e.g.: Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) or Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Government Property Profession (GPP) Career Framework 1. Property Professional Expertise Property Portfolio Management, Practitioner level.
• Government Property Profession (GPP) Career Framework 6. Technology and Innovation Estate Strategy, Practitioner level.

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

• Government Property Profession (GPP) Career Framework 1. Property Professional Expertise Property Portfolio Management, Practitioner level.

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).

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• An environment with flexible working options.
  A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity, with the opportunity to join one of our several D&I Networks. We value diversity and are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.
• 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service.
• Enhanced Parental Leave.
• Most sites have free car parking, Sports & Social Clubs, Gym, on site shops and subsidised canteens.

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.

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.

To assist you in the demonstration of your technical skills please ensure you use the Government Property Profession Career Framework

Applications will be sifted on one Success Profile (Managing a Quality Service), plus Job History and Personal Statement (750 words) and one Technical Skill, Government Property Profession (GPP) Career Framework 1. Property Professional Expertise Property Portfolio Management, Practitioner level.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history, qualification details and previous skills and experience.

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.

At application you will be assessed against the following:

• Behaviours: Managing a Quality Service.
• Experience: CV and Personal Statement.
• Technical: Government Property Career Framework: 10. Health and Safety, Compliance and Inclusion: Property Leadership (Practitioner level).

At interview you will be assessed against the above plus:

• Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing.

Interviews are currently expected to take place in person at Marlborough Lines, Andover.

A minimum of two 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.

To assist with your application please find attached below:

1. DIO Candidate Information Guide.
2. DIO Candidate Information Guide (Accessible version).

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 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 : Des Thirlwell
• Email : dennis.thirlwell100@mod.gov.uk
• Telephone : 07866946183

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

DIO Candidate Information Guide Opens in new window (pdf, 1963kB)DIO Candidate Information Guide - Accessible Version Opens in new window (pdf, 185kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)