Principal Safety Case Engineer

Job summary

Are you ready to take on a pivotal role in ensuring the safe operation of critical nuclear activities? We are seeking a Principal Safety Case Engineer (PSCE) to join our team at HMNB Clyde. This is a unique opportunity to work in a high-hazard environment, where your expertise will directly contribute to the safety and success of our operations.

As the PSCE Explosive Handling Jetty (EHJ), you will play a key role in managing the safety justification and engineering substantiation for the EHJ. You will ensure compliance with nuclear regulations, maintain critical safety functions, and support the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme (NNPP), including the Continuous At-Sea Deterrent (CASD). This is a challenging and rewarding position that offers the chance to make a real impact while working alongside a team of dedicated professionals.

Why Join Us?

• Make a Difference: Your work will directly contribute to the safety and success of critical nuclear operations.

• Career Development: We are committed to your professional growth, offering opportunities to develop your skills and advance your career.

• Collaborative Environment: Join a team of experts who are passionate about what they do and work together to achieve excellence.

• Unique Challenges: Work in a high-profile, high-hazard environment where no two days are the same.

Further information:

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

As the Principal Safety Case Engineer, your responsibilities will include:

• Leading Safety Justifications: Writing, specifying, assessing, approving, maintaining, and managing safety cases and substantiations for the EHJ, ensuring compliance with industry best practices, legislative requirements, and regulatory standards.

• Ensuring ALARP Compliance: Demonstrating that risks associated with authorised activities are As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) and tolerable.

• Developing Safety Strategies: Creating and managing Safety Justification Plans for the EHJ, ensuring engineering compliance and addressing any shortfalls through a relevant programme of work.

• Acting as Intelligent Customer (IC): Overseeing third-party safety justifications and providing direction and advice for current and future infrastructure projects at HMNB Clyde.

• Managing Periodic Safety Reviews (PSR): Ensuring compliance with Clyde Policy and Authorisation Conditions and addressing any findings through appropriate action plans.

• Promoting Safety Culture: Actively fostering a strong Nuclear and Security Culture, ensuring compliance with the ALARP principle and promoting best practices in safety justification development.

• Providing Leadership: Representing the Clyde Design Authority at community forums, site Nuclear and Explosive Safety Committees, and Authorisation and Working Groups.

Person specification

To excel in this role, you’ll need to bring:

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Proven experience in managing and delivering complex safety justifications and safety cases.

• Understand safety standards, regulatory frameworks, and compliance requirements

• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams.

• Hold a Level 4 qualification (or higher) in an Engineering or Science discipline, or have the equivalent relevant experience

• Chartered or Incorporated Member status with an appropriate professional institute, or be able to achieve within 12 months

Opportunities:

This is an exciting development opportunity for an experienced professional to enhance and formalise their expertise in nuclear safety case management through fully funded training programmes and accreditations.

Please note:

This role is open to sole UK Nationals only.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• Nuclear 1.3 - Nuclear Safety Cases (Level 2)
• Nuclear 4.4 - Nuclear Infrastructure Concept, Assessment, Design Modification & Life Extension (Level 1)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.HMNB Clyde is at the heart of the UK’s defence operations, playing a vital role in maintaining national security. As part of our team, you’ll be contributing to a mission that truly matters.

Navy Command prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance. Other benefits for Navy Command Civil Servants include:

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Personal & professional development
• Alternative & Hybrid working patterns for many roles
• Access to a confidential, professional Employee Assistance support service
• Discount schemes
• Bicycle / season ticket loans
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• Special paid leave to volunteer up to 6 days a year
• On-site Facilities (gymnasium, recreational shopping mall, café, messing facilities etc)
• Free Car Parking
• Assisted Travel Scheme

Successful candidates can discuss their development options with their manager when in post.

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.

Please note:

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.

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.

At sift, you’ll be assessed against the following;

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.This should be a maximum of 500 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential requirements for the role.

At interview, you’ll be assessed against the following;

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing

• Making Effective Decisions

Technical Skills:

• Nuclear 1.3 - Nuclear Safety Cases (Level 2)

• Nuclear 4.4 - Nuclear Infrastructure Concept, Assessment, Design Modification & Life Extension (Level 1)

Further information:

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to 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 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.

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 : Kirsty Lyon
• Email : kirsty.lyon101@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

1283383 Opens in new window (pdf, 1915kB)1283384 Opens in new window (pdf, 2922kB)1283385 Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Candidate Information Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)