Principal Occupational Psychologist

Job summary

Would you like to make a difference to UK Defence by applying your Occupational Psychology skills and experience? Would you like to be at the cutting edge of performance prediction? Would you like to work flexibly, have a generous holiday entitlement and contributory pension, and support for at least five days of professional and personal development each year? If so, this could be the role for you. This is a rare and exciting opportunity for an Occupational Psychologist to lead RAF specific aptitude testing for Air & Space Command. The role of the Air & Space HQ Occupational Psychology Team is to apply professional skills and knowledge to deliver outputs relevant to stakeholders in order that they can make evidence-based policy decisions. Whilst the RAF purpose is to deliver Air and Space Power for the UK this cannot be achieved without a focus on people and harnessing their potential. Our work focuses on designing and delivering RAF specific aptitude testing, understanding the attitudes of RAF People and how these might shape their behaviours and decision making, and providing consultancy-based services for bespoke people requirements. Our work encompasses the Whole Force (Regulars, Reserves and Civil Servants) as well as families of serving personnel. The post holder will have responsibility for design, validation and technical monitoring of the Computer Based Aptitude Testing for critical RAF roles such as Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers. You will also be responsible for management and technical oversight of a wider Occupational psychology Team working across multiple areas of Occupational Psychology.

You will join the MOD Occupational Psychology profession which is part of the wider Government Occupational Psychology Profession (a recognised government specialist profession). The profession comprises over 250 members across all the major government departments and many agencies and arms-length bodies – which makes us the largest Occupational Psychology community in the U.K. We are a vibrant community with a long history in government going as far back as, at least, World War II, as shown in the Fifty Years of Occupational Psychology in Britain.

Job description

Key Duties

As a Principal Occupational Psychologist within the team you will be responsible for:

Test and assessment design and development

• Lead and manage the design, development, monitoring and validation of aptitude tests and test batteries for RAF led personnel selection and provide SME in this area.
• Refine, design and develop Computer Based Aptitude Tests, working closely with programmers to ensure they are effective, suitable to the candidate population and are unbiassed.
• Validate the tests’ predictive effectiveness.
• Evaluate their psychometric characteristics and update norm groups annually.
• Lead on design and application of psychological assessment to meet the requirements of HQ Air & Space.

Research and development

• Identify, initiate, plan, conduct and report on research studies to appraise and improve the effectiveness, efficiency and fairness of the RAF led recruitment and selection processes / methods / approaches to meet current and future RAF operational/training requirements and business needs.
• Work closely with training units to conduct needs analysis (including cognitive task analysis for aptitude testing) to establish training and operational requirements.
• Deliver bespoke research in support of the People research agenda on a variety of Occupational Psychology areas.

Stakeholder engagement and advice

• Provide professional advice to the RAF on the use of selection tests, e.g. selection criteria, strategies and approach.
• Provide support where appropriate to the Armed Forces Recruitment Service on Psychometric Testing matters.
• Provide evidence based up to date advice on occupational psychology to the RAF to meet priorities.
• Support the British Defence Diplomacy mission and brief foreign Air Force delegations on aptitude testing and other selection methods.
• Support British Defence sales of the RAF’s computer-based aptitude tests.

Team management and objectives

• Oversee the work of Senior and Higher Psychologists to ensure appropriate research techniques are applied, and outputs meet stakeholder requirements and enhance decision making and policy development.
• Set work objectives to meet strategic aims of the occupational psychology capability.
• Quality assurance of the Occupational Psychology Team’s outputs.

Person specification

Key Criteria

The following criteria will be assessed during the sifting process:

Experience

Extensive post MSc experience in the following:

• Use of aptitude tests for selection
• Design of selection processes
• Conduct of psychometric analyses
• Conduct of cognitive task analysis
• Used cognitive psychology in test development and selection
• Development and trialling of psychometric tests
• Validation of aptitude tests
• Qualified in Psychometric Test Use
• Experience of designing and developing aptitude tests for selection and assessment.
• Subject matter expertise in cognitive psychology and its application in selection and test development.
• Experience of conducting cognitive and hierarchical task analysis to inform test and test battery development and the use of tests.
• Advanced statistical skills (using statistical software such as SPSS) in the area of test validation and evaluation (e.g. psychometrics, retest effect, trend analysis, item analysis and bias analysis).
• Experience in the use of aptitude tests for selection and setting policies/strategies, e.g. selection criteria.
• Experience of presenting technical information to a non-specialist audience.
• Experience of designing and delivering research.
• Collaborating and leading multi-disciplinary teams and developing and supporting Occupational Psychology practitioners.
• Overseeing and quality assuring the work of others and promoting rigour, ethics and evaluation.
• Setting and monitoring team priorities.
• Experience of survey design and analysis.

Desirable:

Membership of the Register of Qualifications in Test Use (RQTU) or willing to join; Member of the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors to be able to supervise psychologists undertaking a BPS approved qualification, or be eligible and willing to undertake the training. If not already registered on the Register of Applied Practice Psychology Supervisors (RAPPS), working towards RAPPS eligibility within a reasonable timescale will be required.

Licences

Registered Occupational Psychologist with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Qualifications

BSc in Occupational Psychology that confers Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership with the BPS.
MSc Occupational Psychology (or equivalent titled course) approved as Stage 1 by the BPS.
Chartered Member of the BPS (or immediately eligible to join). (Membership)
Full Member of the Division of Occupational Psychology (or immediately eligible to join). (Membership).
Essential – British Psychological Society Qualification in Occupational Testing – Personality.
Essential – British Psychological Society Qualification in Occupational Testing – Ability.

Memberships

Chartered Psychologist with British Psychological Society, full Member of the Division of Occupational Psychology

Behaviours

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

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

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

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Government Occupational Psychology Profession Professional Skills and Standards - Behaviour (Ambassador)
• Government Occupational Psychology Profession Professional Skills and Standards - Knowledge Base (Psychological Assessment at Work)
• Government Occupational Psychology Profession Professional Skills and Standards - Research and Evaluation (Principal)

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

• Government Occupational Psychology Profession Professional Skills and Standards - Behaviour (Ambassador)

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%

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, Experience and Technical skills.

The selection process will include an application sift and interview with presentation.

A CV will be required for this position; this cannot be uploaded to the advert. You will submit using the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard in part two of your application, detailing job history, full qualifications, previous experience and skills.

A Personal Statement will also be required (1250 Word Max). Please state your suitability against the key criteria.

At application stage, you will be assessed against:

CS Behaviours

• Leadership
• Delivering at pace
• Managing a quality service

Technical behaviour (Government Occupational Psychology Profession Professional Skills and Standards)

Ambassador

Qualifications, memberships and licenses, as stated in the job advert and the experience listed in the key criteria.

At interview stage, you will be assessed against:

CS Behaviours

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

Technical skills

• Knowledge base (Psychological assessment at work).
• Research and evaluation

Presentation

You will be asked to present on a psychological assessment design you have delivered. Full details will be provided upon invitation to interview.

Application sifting is scheduled to take place week commencing 2nd November 2026. Interviews will take place on the week commencing (23 Nov 26). We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.

Further information:

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.

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 an enhanced (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

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 : Zoe Szuster-Stone
• Email : zoe.szuster-stone792@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

Occupational_Psychology_Prof_standards_doc___v9_17.11.23 Opens in new window (pdf, 2698kB)MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1563kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 25kB)Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)