Health, Safety & Environment (HS&E) Principal (Trials)

Job summary

Dstl is seeking an experienced HS&E Principal (Trials) to provide senior technical leadership across Health, Safety & Environment for all trial‑related activities. This is a pivotal role within Dstl’s HS&E capability, ensuring that the organisation can safely and effectively deliver its Science Strategy and long‑term programme ambitions.

You will lead a specialist function that provides independent assurance, deep technical expertise, and authoritative advice to Dstl’s Executive, S&T Delivery Teams, and Enabling Teams. Your work will directly influence the safe conduct of trials that Dstl hosts or supports, ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, and statutory requirements.

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:

• Understand Dstl HS&E Policies and Procedures as they affect activities.
• Assist and support the Head of Safety in developing and implementing Dstl HSEP and associated strategy, ensuring all associated business activities are accounted for.
• Support the Assurance and Improvement Lead in meeting all assurance related activities and internal / external stakeholder standards and requirements, e.g. audit findings and legal compliance.
• Support the Environmental Lead in the implementation of the Environmental Management Plan, championing its introduction and ensuring environmental aspects that may impact trials activities are known and understood.
• Drive the continuous improvement of Dstl’s policies, processes and procedures as relevant to trials safety

Please see full Job profile attached at the bottom of this page

Person specification

We are looking for someone who is:

A strong strategic and influential HS&EP leader, who can provide expert technical leadership, shape future capability and build trusted relationships at senior levels. The role requires someone who can see the bigger picture, translate complex issues into clear advice and drive continuous improvement across trials safety. Success will come through combining professional credibility, strong leadership and the ability to influence decisions that deliver lasting organisational impact”.

To include:

• Technical Management of Safety, Health, Environmental and Assurance professions.
• Ability go beyond as a leader and to manage a team being an inspiring and influencing leader amongst peers.
• Possession of highly developed communication (written and verbal) and presentation skills
• Proven ability in relating to, engaging with, negotiating with, inspiring confidence and influencing a wide range of audiences and building positive relationships with key stakeholders.

A career path at a senior level that can demonstrate effective delivery of:

• Long-term strategic thinking and planning on technical and business capability requirements
• H&S management, leading a team and H&S management Systems.
• Strategic change and business transformation.
• People management and technical leadership (including building diversity and inclusion).
• Financial management.
• Building and maintaining effective relationships across organisational boundaries.
• Working effectively with other organisations; delivering through partnership

Please see full Job Profile attached at the bottom of this page

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.

If you are a current Dstl employee you must ensure your line manager is aware of your application and the potential situation regarding release dates.

Qualifications

NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health & Safety Level 6 or equivalent
IEMA Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management
Recognised Root Cause Analysis training (Human Factors)
Current DGSA vocational training certificate

Memberships

Chartered Membership of IOSH or equivalent (e.g IOSH, IIRSM or BOHS etc.)

Behaviours

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

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

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

• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,448, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £17,511 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.

At the application stage we will be assessing the essential criteria against your submitted application against the essential criteria outlined in the job profile.

Sifting will take place week commencing the 14th September with interviews to be arranged from the 5th October

Your interview will consist of a behavioural and technical interview to include a presentation entitled “In the development of a HS&EP Trials Team capability, what would you consider to support the delivery of trials outputs?”

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 developed vetting (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

L7, HS&E Principal Trials, Health, Safety & Environment Opens in new window (pdf, 168kB)Dstl Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 4978kB)