Engineering Support Officer

Job summary

• Have you got work experience or a knowledge of automotive testing or approval?
• Can you confidently work at pace, managing multiple tasks and completing these to a high standard?
• Do you thrive in a versatile environment where you can learn and develop new skills?
• Are you passionate about making a real difference to millions of road users?

We have a unique opportunity to join our engineering team where you will be at the heart of daily mission to ensure a safer, cleaner future through excellence. To learn about us and what you can look forward to, here is Andrew Neil, to tell you more. You can also find information about the role and the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) in our candidate pack and role profile, attached below.

VCA International Operations - Join the team

About Us

Our work is focused on improving vehicle safety and environmental protection by providing robust testing and certification to national and internationally recognised standards. We are a part of the Department of Transport as the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval Authority. With more than 40 years’ experience, we have become one of the largest and well-respected approval bodies around. This position has been built on a reputation for technical expertise and quality, which is at the heart of everything we do, and what you could be a part of.

Job description

You will get the opportunity to work alongside our expert engineering team at our specialist site in Nuneaton, supporting them to test vehicles and components to the latest technical standards. Daily tasks will include witness testing, draft approval certification prior to technical clearance and assistance with conformity of production audits. An eye for detail and effective communication will be essential, to ensure you can confidently liaise with your team and customers, as well as meeting the legal requirements we are required to work in accordance with.

The environment we deliver our service will be fast-paced and continues to evolve with the landscape of the automotive industry and development of regulations, in the UK and overseas. This will enable you exciting opportunities to work with the vehicles of tomorrow, global customers and engineering specialists. Your work will have true impact and will make a real difference to millions of road users.

We are passionate about offering all our colleagues' equal opportunities to develop and learn new skills that will enable us to thrive together. We also ensure we promote a work-life balance where you can benefit from flexible and hybrid working, regular health and wellbeing webinars and a friendly community of colleagues who will support you to succeed.

Your main duties will include but will not be limited to:

• Accurate and efficient completion of approval certification, prior to issue by the Certification Team, using various sources of data such as engineers’ test reports and manufacturer’s documentation.
• Liaising with stakeholders to schedule Conformity of Production audits / Facility Appraisals, raise invoices and maintain Register of Approval Facilities.
• Assisting in the preparation of test vehicles and components for applicable tests as requested by the engineer, fitting test equipment and components as necessary.
• Assisting and monitoring component tests in co-operation with test engineers and carry out technical assessments of in accordance with UN ECE Regulations and manufacturer declared specifications, completing test reports as necessary.
• Completion of type approval extensions deemed “paper only applications” by engineers.

Person specification

Required experience:

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• A professional engineering qualification, or experience in a regulatory, compliance, or quality-focused environments.
• Knowledge of vehicle Type Approval processes and regulatory requirements for brakes and tyres, including an understanding of Conformity of Production (COP).
• A proven ability to act under pressure with calmness, clarity of thought and decisive authority.
• Proven attention to detail when checking documentation.
• Applicable knowledge, or experience, of working in a Quality Assessment environment.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile Here

Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Additional Information

This role is suitable for hybrid working, and therefore a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements. Hybrid working is a non-contractual arrangement where employees have the flexibility to work remotely combined with a minimum of 60% of their working time a month at either their principal workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, visiting stakeholders and colleagues, or carrying out detached duty in another VCA workplace. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have questions regarding how hybrid working is practiced within the business area, or any reasonable adjustments or flexible working arrangements you may currently have or need in place if successful in your application, please contact the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

VCA does not offer Visa sponsorship. Candidates should ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Licences

A full UK Category B Driving Licence is essential

Qualifications

A professional engineering qualification, or experience in a regulatory, compliance, or quality-focused environments
Level 2 qualifications in Math and English, i.e. GCSE - grades 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 or grades A*, A, B, C or equivalent.
You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications at some point during the recruitment process. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• Applying knowledge (Building and applying knowledge)
• Complying with requirements/ standards (Building and applying knowledge)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,485, Vehicle Certification Agency contributes £8,831 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here

• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).

• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.

• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Your wellbeing is important to us, which is why we’re pleased to offer a wide range of benefits to all our colleagues, inside and outside of work.

Find out more about the ways you can benefit in our candidate pack. Here

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.

How to Apply

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:
• Please provide a summary of your ability to communicate key information to stakeholders.
• Please provide a summary of your experience of delivering at pace with conflicting priorities.
• Please provide a summary of your experience of working within a team to deliver objectives.
• Proven attention to detail when checking documentation.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The sift will take place week commencing 9th February 2026

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours – Managing a Quality Service, Delivering at Pace, Changing & Improving & Making Effective Decisions
• Technical - Candidates will also be expected to demonstrate their technical capability against Government Science and Engineering (GSE) Career Framework, November 2021 (Version 2)
  • • Applying knowledge (Building and applying knowledge)
    • Complying with requirements/ standards (Building and applying knowledge)

The interviews will take place week commencing 23rd February /2026

This interview will be conducted in person at one of our VCA offices. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change.

Further information on the selection process

We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit theHow We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Pre-employment Checking

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All External applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour

Threats or acts of violence

Illegal activity or substance misuse

Sexually explicit material

Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public.

Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle—it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture.

If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Alexander Oldridge
• Email : alexander.oldridge@vca.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel 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 Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Attachments

VCA_Candidate_Pack_Operations_Rev0 Opens in new window (pdf, 6022kB)Engineering Support Officer Role Profile amended Opens in new window (pdf, 169kB)