Functional Safety Engineer

Job summary

Are you passionate about protecting people, animals, and the environment through engineering excellence?

Can you turn complex risks into smart, secure solutions for national biosecurity?

Do you want to shape the future of functional safety in a £1 billion scientific redevelopment?

If so, this could be the perfect job for you.

Defra group Property (DgP) manages the provision of facilities management services to Defra’s executive agency; the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). APHA uses a wide range of specialist facilities as part of its aims to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy. These specialist facilities include biocontainment laboratories across the UK with the main laboratory campus being located at Weybridge. The Defra Weybridge site is the largest facility in terms of size and complexity across the Defra network and is currently going through a process of major investment (over £1b) and redevelopment in order to enhance its scientific capability. The site is at the forefront of research and diagnostic testing for animal and zoonotic diseases and leads on disease outbreak response for Defra.

The role of Functional Safety Engineer is part of DgP Technical Services team, largely but not exclusively based at Weybridge, and fulfils the role of Intelligent Client Function (ICF) for FM services across DgP’s UK Science Estate. The role will provide leadership on functional safety matters including but not limited to participating in Process Hazard Analysis and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) determination workshops, supporting various teams/ departments at various phases of the safety life cycle in producing and reviewing documentation, identifying significant functional safety risks and associated health and safety risks and developing strategies, objectives and plans to mitigate such risks.

Job description

The purpose of this role is to ensure DgP complies with the requirements of functional safety standards for specialist critical equipment. As the Functional Safety Engineer, you will be required to work as part of the Technical Services Function for the high microbiological containment facilities within DgP. You will also be responsible for providing functional safety support to projects and will be actively involved in the specification, design, implementation, operations and maintenance phases of the safety life cycle. You will report to the Head of Biocontainment and Process Safety Engineering and will take a proactive approach to identifying the Defra Scientific Estate functional safety management requirements and developing and implementing suitable plans to meet those requirements. You will ensure that a high-quality customer service is provided to both internal and external stakeholders. Initially this will include working alongside an on-site Functional Safety Consultant who will provide support and guidance. You will work closely with senior and functional managers, including support services such as engineering and sub-contractors, to assess their needs and ensure the delivery of the Functional Safety Management policy and plans for DgP Technical Services.

Key Responsibilities:

• Providing leadership on functional safety matters for DgP Technical Services including representing DgP on matters of functional safety management with external bodies.
• Managing all functional safety life cycle activities as per IEC 61508/ 61511.
• Participating in Process Hazard Analysis and SIL Determination workshops.
• Conducting or reviewing reliability analysis studies to confirm that the Safety Instrumented Functions (SIFs) meet the corresponding SIL targets.
• Supporting various teams/ departments at various phases of the safety life cycle in producing and reviewing documentation.
• Engaging with the wider team (e.g. suppliers and sub-contractors) and fulfilling the role as an intelligent customer with regards to functional safety deliverables.
• Conducting bid evaluations, audits and assessments on sub-suppliers with regards to functional safety deliverables.
• Developing and maintaining a functional safety management system in line with current best practice.
• Implementing and maintaining document control for all documentation associated with the safety lifecycle.
• Raising awareness and training stakeholders on functional safety matters.
• Providing assurance to the organisation’s senior management on the effectiveness of the functional safety management system through the use of planned activities, such as risk assessments, audits, training and follow up on non-conformities.
• Identifying significant functional safety risks and associated health and safety risks and developing strategies, objectives and plans to mitigate such risks, including contributing towards the assurance, facilities, and engineering risk registers.
• Liaising with external consultants and contractors as appropriate for implementation purposes.
• Liaising with the DgP and its stakeholders to advise on the functional safety impacts of their activities.
• Maintaining the accuracy of the O&M lifecycle stage documentation for the Weybridge site, including the design documentation, maintenance records, SIF proof testing, SIF register and competency register.
• Reporting on Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) performance through Safety Performance Indicators and addressing negative trends and non-conformance.
• Investigating demands on the SIFs and SIS-related incidents.

Please note this role is based at the Weybridge office, KT15 3NB. Travel to other sites and overnight stays may be required for meetings or training events.

Person specification

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Significant experience in a related engineering position (e.g. electronic controls and instrumentation engineer) with operational experience.
• A working knowledge of Functional Safety standards IEC 61508 / 61511 and their application in the biocontainment industry.
• Experience of effectively completing analysis of data, reports and legislation.
• A track record of using analysis of data to inform decision making.
• Problem solving skills and the ability to explain things in a clear and concise way.
• Technical report writing skills
• Confidence in making presentations and public speaking.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• The ability to balance conflicting priorities and meet personal and directorate targets within a fluctuating and demanding workload.

Memberships

Membership of a related professional institute such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), the Institution of Chemical Engineers (ICHEME) or Institute of Measurement and Control (InstMC).

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• Functional Safety

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,000, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £17,961 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Infobite: Benefits of the alpha pension scheme (youtube.com)

Flexi Time Policy - Our Flexi-time policy allows you to vary your hours from day to day, within the requirements of your role, to suit your needs and to offer a better work/life balance.

Leave - If you work full time at Defra you are entitled to 25 days’ leave (rising, over 5 years, to 30 days’). If you work part time it will be pro-rated.

Privilege day - You are also entitled to a privilege day off in May to mark the King’s birthday (date varies), plus time off for the 8 public holidays a year.

Career breaks - We recognise that your work-life balance can extend beyond the short-term to the longer-term, and to support this you are able to apply for career breaks. These are unpaid extended breaks from work, granted at the discretion of the department.

Volunteering leave - 3 days paid volunteering leave every year (pro-rata). Once you have passed probation.

Season ticket loan – for an interest free season ticket loan, if you have worked within the Defra for more than three months. This can be used to purchase train and bus season tickets, as well as station car parking.

Tenancy deposit loan – for an interest free loan, to assist you in meeting the deposit costs for your privately rented home.

Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme – Since the closure to new entrants of the employer childcare voucher scheme, the government introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. In this scheme, working parents open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year for each child or £4,000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare.

Support to buy a bicycle – we run two schemes that can help you buy a bicycle for your commute:

1. The Cycle to Work Scheme –you can apply for a bicycle for your commute, up to the value of £6,000, which is recovered from you through salary sacrifice, as a tax-free benefit. At the end of the repayment period, you have the option to buy the bike if you wish, saving around 30% of the original cost.
2. Bike loan – if you are not eligible to apply for the Cycle to Work Scheme, you can apply for a loan of up to £1,000 towards the cost of a bike using the Bike loan Scheme. This however is not a salary sacrifice scheme.

High-street and online discounts - Offers through SmartSpending™ which is accessed through the STaR platform. Accessible 24/7, you can save at hundreds of top retailers.

Maternity leave, paternity leave and shared parental leave - We offer generous maternity leave, paternity leave and shared parental leave. You are entitled to up to 39 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), if you meet the qualifying conditions. You are entitled to 26 weeks at full pay, with up to 13 weeks at reduced pay (statutory rate). Most partners are entitled to 15 days of paid paternity leave. Shared parental leave arrangements are in place, allowing parents to divide their leave with each other.

Professional Membership - Defra group will fund one professional membership for each permanent employee which is relevant to their role.

Eye care scheme - If you use a computer screen in connection with your job, we will pay for a regular eyesight test, and you may also be entitled to help towards purchasing new glasses, if they are needed for computer use.

The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a free 24/7 confidential telephone advice service, available to all of our staff throughout the year.

Civil Service Sports Council - The opportunity to join the Civil Services Sports Council.

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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV.

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

Sift

Sifting will take place during the week commencing 30th March 2026.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on experience, behaviours, a technical skill (Functional Safety) and strengths.

Your interview will be conducted face to face at the Weybridge Office.

Interviews are scheduled to take place during the week commencing 13th April 2026 but may be subject to change.

Near Miss Candidates

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Core Defra which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Location

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

Please note this role is based at the Weybridge office, KT15 3NB. Travel to other sites and overnight stays may be required for meetings or training events.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to DEFRA 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

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.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal Fraud Database Check

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.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback

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.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 : Andy Scorer
• Email : andy.scorer@defra.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.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: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here