SDA Central Environmental Management Team Head

Job summary

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent (CASD), and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence. At least one of four nuclear-armed submarines, supported by smaller attack submarines, is on patrol at all times: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

At the SDA, we strive to Support, Deliver and Aspire and put our values at the heart of our recruitment process. We believe that everyone should feel comfortable to be themselves and be supported to do their best work. As part of a diverse and inclusive workforce, our team will find a community to belong to. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and different perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

The primary delivery location for this position is Bristol Abbey Wood.

Job description

An environmental protection and sustainability specialist in a policy and assurance role plays a critical role in ensuring that the SDA has effective environmental policies, processes and management arrangements that support environmental protection and sustainability throughout the project lifecycle.

The post holder will lead the SDA's central environmental management team, providing senior environmental policy, assurance and technical leadership across the organisation. The role is responsible for improving and simplifying environmental management arrangements, ensuring they remain proportionate, effective and aligned with MOD requirements, including JSP 816, the MOD's environmental management system.

The post holder will work across SDA delivery teams, senior stakeholders and wider MOD partners to ensure environmental risks are appropriately identified, managed and evidenced. This includes developing and improving environmental policy, processes, assurance arrangements and performance metrics so that SDA can demonstrate effective environmental management and continually improve performance.

A successful candidate will lead the Central Environmental Management Team while providing strategic leadership across a broad range of environmental topics and programmes.

Tasks and activities

• Act as the Environmental Policy and Assurance SME for SDA.
• Lead the Central Environmental Management Team and provide senior environmental policy, assurance and technical leadership across SDA.
• Improve and simplify SDA environmental management arrangements to ensure they remain proportionate, effective and aligned to MOD policy and JSP 816 requirements.
• Ensure the SDA undertakes sufficient assurance of its environmental management system and project environmental management arrangements to identify risks, evidence compliance and drive continual improvement.
• Develop, maintain and improve environmental policy, processes, guidance and management system documentation.
• Provide informed environmental and technical advice to SDA Teams and senior stakeholders.
• Develop and utilise environmental performance measures and metrics to support informed decision making and improve organisational performance.
• Work with colleagues at all levels to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, regulations, MOD policy and SDA requirements.
• Contribute to corporate reporting requirements, including environmental governance and assurance reporting.
• Represent SDA at senior meetings, working groups and wider MOD environmental forums.
• Lead improvement initiatives arising from assurance findings, lessons learned and organisational performance data.
• Engage with wider MOD stakeholders regarding environmental protection and sustainability matters.
• Lead and manage environmental apprenticeship scheme members. Arrange and support placements and complete reviews.

As the post holder will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process. Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process, or in some cases result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment. Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage.

Hybrid and flexible working can be considered for this post. Successful candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before starting the role.

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by the SDA Recruitment Team. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team via the Help link.

Person specification

• Extensive experience of developing, operating or improving an Environmental Management System within a complex organisation.
• Experience of leading environmental professionals or multidisciplinary teams undertaking high-risk or high-consequence activities.
• Demonstrable experience of applying environmental management principles to deliver measurable improvements.
• Strong understanding of environmental legislation, regulatory requirements and environmental governance frameworks.
• Experience of using assurance activities, evidence and performance data to assess the effectiveness of environmental management arrangements and drive continual improvement.
• Ability to manage environmental risks proportionately, balancing compliance requirements, delivery priorities and available resources.
• Breadth of technical environmental knowledge across multiple environmental disciplines within an engineering or defence environment.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive organisational change.
• Understanding of JSP 816 and MOD environmental requirements, or the ability to rapidly develop this understanding.

Essential Criteria

• Relevant Level 6 (or higher) qualification or equivalent experience
• Management of an Environmental Team
• Expert Practitioner status in Environmental disciplines.
• Member of a relevant Professional Environmental or Engineering Institute

Memberships

Of a recognised environmental institute

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

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

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• SYSENV 1 Formulate Env policy and procedures (Expert)
• SYSENV3 - Technical authority, advice and guidance on environmental issues in the acquisition cycle (Practitioner)
• EFCF 2 Application of Analytical techniques (Expert)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £64,400, Ministry of Defence contributes £18,656 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%
• Discover My Benefits: Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD: https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

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 will be assessed on your;

Personal Statement - This should be a maximum of 1000 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your qualifications, skills, experience job history meet the essential and desirable requirements for the role.

Behaviours (CSBC4):

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving

Technical:

• SYSENV 1 Formulate Environment policy and procedures (Expert)
• SYSENV3 - Technical authority, advice and guidance on environmental issues in the acquisition cycle (Practitioner)
• EFCF 2 Application of Analytical techniques (Expert)

At Interview, you will be assessed on;

Personal Statement/ Experience - The panel will ask questions about your personal statement. Exploring your Past Experiences, Key Achievements or qualifications.

Behaviours (CSBC4):

• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Technical:

• SYSENV 1 Formulate Environment policy and procedures (Expert)
• SYSENV3 - Technical authority, advice and guidance on environmental issues in the acquisition cycle (Practitioner)
• EFCF 2 Application of Analytical techniques (Expert)

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours here and the Technical Skills Framework and Success Profile documents attached.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and/or memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

Interviews will be conducted on site at Abbey Wood, Bristol.

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

This post does not offer any assistance with Relocation Allowances.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

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.

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.

Please note the Civil Service Nationality Rules will also need to be met. The Civil Service Nationality Rules operate independently and in addition to the UK Immigration Rules and must be met before an individual can take up employment in the Civil Service. The Civil Service Nationality Rules do not apply to UK, Irish and Commonwealth nationals, or to those who are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme but do apply to all other nationalities- including EU/EEA nationals who are ineligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans - GOV.UK

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.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contactDBSFPCP-SRMResourcingSDA@mod.gov.uk

SDA Reward Offer - Working for SDA - Submarine Delivery Agency - GOV.UK

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.

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. 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.

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

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 : SDA Workforce Resource Planning Team
• Email : SDA-HR-WorkforceResourcePlanning@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSFPCP-SRMResourcingSDA@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please refer to further information document

Attachments

EN_ENV_F_20240927_Environmental Professional_PI_SDA Sucess Profiles_ FINAL-O Opens in new window (pdf, 94kB)20250918-SDA-Engineering-Technical-Competences & System Environmental Functional Competences Opens in new window (pdf, 975kB)CS_Behaviours_2018-DES-branded-v6 Opens in new window (pdf, 10MB)Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 38kB)