Health Safety and Environmental Protection Partner

Job summary

The HSEP Partner is a senior safety professional who will manage, support and lead on the HS&E interface across the business. The role requires the HSEP Partner to be the direct link between Dstl Portfolio Management and the HS&E Capability, ensuring suitable resource is identified to support programme formulation.
They will also ensure appropriate resource is identified to enable, facilitate and support project delivery. The role requires the development of communication and engagement strategies with senior leadership across Dstl, integrating consistency and standardisation of the business HS&E needs and delivery requirements.

The role will contribute to lead and support project initiatives and assurance activities in line with the HS&E strategy. They will work with the HS&EP Senior Leadership Team, providing intelligence brought from the S&T delivery areas to inform further development and maintenance of the HS&EP capability. They will work to support the HS&EP capability, carrying out core activities as appropriate to their specific role and personal objectives.

Dstl recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion as people from diverse backgrounds bring fresh ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive working environment in which each employee fulfils their potential and maximises their contribution.

Job description

In this role, you will:

• Act as a focal point for safety advice and support, promoting the core values and behaviours that underpin a positive safety culture.
• Be accountable for ensuring all Enabling Functions receive appropriate HS&E advice and support by linking requirements to the HS&E Capability.
• Be accountable for ensuring S&T projects and activities receive appropriate technical advice and support by linking requirements to the HS&E Capability.
• Act as the focal point for Dstl Portfolio demands for HS&E support, ensuring all aspects of HS&E are given appropriate consideration.
• Be accountable for HS&E policy and processes, ensuring standardisation, consistency, and effective integration and implementation across S&T and Dstl.
• Demonstrate the expected HS (& EP) behaviours as defined by the Civil Service and Dstl, leading by example at all times.
• Act as a key stakeholder in the continuous improvement and implementation of HS&E processes, information, campaigns, and projects.
• Lead and support safety inspections and walkarounds conducted by members of the Dstl Leadership Team.
• Lead and support the development of safety promotion and communication activities.
• Support and collaborate with other Business Delivery Partners (HS&E) to ensure adequate coverage throughout the year.
• Horizon scan for emerging HS&E risks and requirements, identifying potential shortfalls and additional support needs.

In this role, you will be accountable for ensuring safe and secure working practices and therefore must:

• Understand and take responsibility for the health and safety of yourself and others, meeting the accountabilities defined within Dstl policy.
• Demonstrate the expected HS (& EP) behaviours as defined by the Civil Service and Dstl, and lead by example.
• Ensure you maintain the appropriate training, experience, and knowledge (i.e. competency/SQEP) for yourself and your direct reports.
• Foster a working environment that supports and champions Dstl's approach to security, health, wellbeing, safety, and environmental (HSEP) management.
• Be aware of the downstream impact of your actions, and those of your direct reports, on colleagues and stakeholders beyond your immediate area of responsibility.
• Implement Dstl policies and ensure compliance with the Management System.

For further information on the responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached job profile.

Person specification

We are looking for someone who can:

• Demonstrate strong leadership skills, with the ability to engage, influence, negotiate with, and inspire confidence across a wide range of audiences while building and maintaining positive stakeholder relationships.
• Provide clear HS&E leadership, inspiring confidence and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Possess highly developed written and verbal communication skills.
• Translate complex technical information into clear, accessible messages for non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrate an understanding of business requirements to ensure the quality, effectiveness and value of HS&E advice and information.
• Mentor and support the HS&E capability, helping to develop the next generation of HS&E professionals.
• Apply a high level of attention to detail and technical scrutiny.
• Design and deliver HS&E training packages that support capability development across Dstl
• Demonstrate significant experience in providing HS&E advice within a science and technology (S&T) environment.
• Apply a strong understanding of behavioural and human factors principles within an HS&E context.
• Communicate with and influence stakeholders at a strategic level across the organisation.
• Lead and deliver significant business change initiatives, including cultural and behavioural change, achieving measurable and cost-effective benefits.
• Develop, prepare and maintain safety policies and processes that support the strategic direction of the organisation.
• Lead, plan, conduct and deliver investigations, and develop effective management action plans that drive meaningful outcomes.
• Collate, analyse and interpret HS&E data to inform decision-making and influence business outcomes.
• Develop and undertake risk-based audit programmes to assess and improve safety compliance.
• Lead and manage safety teams, supporting the professional development and capability growth of team members.

Important Information

Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats. For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.

This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. For some roles Developed Vetting will also be required, in this case you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.

Qualifications

IEMA Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others

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

• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,568, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £14,939 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).

Benefits

Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:

• Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.

• Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours, job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).

• Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.

• Where you work: Depending on your role, blended working may be available including remote working to suit you and your team. This can be discussed at interview.

• Annual leave: 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.

• Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid

• Learning and Development: Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.

• Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.

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.

We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.

Sifting will take place week commencing the 30th November with interviews to be arranged from the 4th January 2027 at Dstl Porton Down

Your interview will consist of behavioural & technical interview to include a 5 minute presentation entitled “What does good partnering look like, and what will you do to develop towards this goal?

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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

Open to UK nationals only.

This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.

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 : Dstl Recruitment Team
• Email : dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Further information

Should you wish to raise a formal complaint about the Dstl recruitment process you should email dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk stating the nature of the issue. We will respond within 5 working days.

Attachments

L6, HSEP Partner, Health, Environment & Safety. V2 Opens in new window (pdf, 184kB)Dstl Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 4978kB)