Maritime Fighting Web Scientific Adviser

Job summary

Are you looking for a challenging and influential role that will help maximise the strategic impact of science and technology for the Royal Navy and wider Defence? The Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser (OCSA) is seeking a Maritime Fighting Web Scientific Adviser to provide impartial scientific advice, technical challenge and enterprise coherence across one of Navy Command’s highest-priority capability areas.

Maritime Fighting Web is the digital backbone that connects sensors, decision-makers and effectors across a distributed maritime force into a single coherent fighting system. It is a key enabler of the Royal Navy's Hybrid Navy concept.

Scientific Advisers work for the Department of State under the leadership of the MOD Chief Scientific Adviser. They are embedded across Defence, including within Military Strategic Headquarters, the Military Commands, the Defence Nuclear Enterprise and the National Armaments Director Group (NADG), acting as Defence’s scientific and technological champions and conscience. They provide independent advice and constructive challenge, connect the wider science, innovation and technology enterprise, identify opportunities, and help Defence secure strategic advantage through science and technology. This role specifically supports the Royal Navy in its design and development of an integrated communications and data network that allow large numbers of crewed and uncrewed platforms to operate effectively as a force.

The Maritime Fighting Web Scientific Adviser will be embedded within Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth, working day-to-day with Navy Develop, Navy Digital and wider maritime capability stakeholders. The role will focus on the technologies, evidence and integration challenges required to network Royal Navy platforms, sensors, decision-makers and effectors into a coherent Maritime Fighting Web, aligned with the MOD Digital Targeting Web and the broader Hybrid Navy ambition.

This is a highly networked role, requiring the post holder to operate across Navy Command, OCSA, Dstl, UK Defence Innovation (UKDI), NADG, industry, academia, Allies and other Military Commands. The successful candidate will help translate Navy’s operational and capability priorities into a coherent science and technology demand signal, ensure that investment is technically informed and exploitable, and provide independent advice on maturity, risk, opportunity and assurance across a critical area of maritime capability.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. Part time, flexible working and job share may be considered providing that full time hours are covered.

Job description

The post holder will provide high-quality scientific advice and constructive challenge to support the development, integration and exploitation of the Maritime Fighting Web. They will work with senior military and civilian stakeholders to ensure decisions are underpinned by robust scientific evidence, credible technical assessment and clear understanding of risks and opportunities.

• Provide impartial scientific advice, technical challenge and assurance to Navy Command stakeholders on Maritime Fighting Web technologies, integration risks and exploitation opportunities.

• Support Navy Develop and Navy Digital in translating operational and capability priorities into clear, evidence-based science and technology demand signals.

• Build coherence across activity relating to sensors, networks, command and control, decision support, targeting, effectors, data architectures, interoperability and systems integration.

• Act as a key link between Navy Command and the wider science, innovation and technology enterprise, including OCSA, Dstl, UKDI, NADG, industry, academia and allies.

• Provide advice on the technical maturity, evidence base, risks and opportunities associated with major Navy C5I and digital integration programmes.

• Support the exploitation of science and technology investment into fielded maritime capability, with particular focus on Hybrid Navy, distributed operations and Digital Targeting Web alignment.

• Contribute to senior decision-making, investment assurance, options development, experimentation, wargaming, operational analysis and capability prioritisation.

• Identify emerging technologies and novel approaches that could improve maritime connectivity, decision advantage, resilience and operational effect.

• Champion scientific thinking, evidence-based decision-making and constructive challenge across the maritime capability community.

• Maintain strong working relationships across Defence and with external partners, representing OCSA and Navy Scientific Advice in relevant boards, working groups and technical forums.

• Championing CSA strategic objectives within Navy.

Person specification

We are looking for a credible, collaborative and analytically strong technical professional who can operate with confidence in a complex Defence environment. The successful candidate will be comfortable working with senior stakeholders, making sense of ambiguity, and connecting operational need with technical evidence and enterprise delivery.

Essential criteria

• A science, technology, engineering or mathematics qualification, or equivalent professional experience with a focus on systems integration, communications and data architectures.

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, including the ability to engage technical and non-technical audiences.

• Ability to provide evidence-based advice and constructive challenge in complex or uncertain environments.

• Experience of working across organisational boundaries to build coherence, influence priorities and connect specialist expertise to decision-makers.

• Strong analytical judgement, including the ability to assess technical risk, maturity, opportunity and evidence quality.

• Ability to prioritise effectively, manage competing demands and deliver high-quality advice at pace.

• Eligibility and willingness to hold Developed Vetting clearance.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of Defence science and technology, operational analysis, digital capability, C5I, command and control, autonomy, targeting or maritime capability development.

• Understanding of the Royal Navy, Hybrid Navy, maritime operations, force development or capability delivery.

• Experience of working with Dstl, UKDI, industry, academia, international partners or wider Defence science and innovation networks.

• Experience of providing technical assurance or advice into investment, options development, experimentation or capability decision-making.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Leadership

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,854 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).

• 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%

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

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 and Experience.

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

Candidates will be required to provide a Personal Statement of up to 750 words.

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV, Personal Statement and the following two Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

In the event of a high volume of applications, an initial sift may be conducted using their CV and the lead Behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Where the required standard for these is met, candidates will continue to be sifted on the remaining Behaviour and Personal Statement, otherwise their application will be rejected.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, where they will be assessed against the role requirements, relevant Civil Service behaviours and their ability to apply scientific judgement in a Defence context.

At interview, candidates will be assessed against their Experience relating to the essential and desirable criteria listed in the Person Specification. Candidates will also be assessed against the following Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Leadership

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 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

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 : Rob McNulty
• Email : robert.mcnulty103@mod.gov.uk

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

Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Candidate Information updated_ Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)Terms and Conditions of Service 1 Opens in new window (docx, 24kB)