SDA Naval Architect / Marine Engineer (Surface Ship Escape Evacuation and Rescue)

Job summary

This role within the UK Naval Authority is hosted by the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), which is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. The Naval Authority & Technology Group certifies all RN surface warships and submarines, as well as small-boats, autonomous and novel craft. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, from ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent (CASD), to 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: of every hour of every day. The UK surface fleet protects our nation, international trade on the high seas, UK dependencies and interests wherever and whenever our government requires.

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.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.Please note that the role involves frequent travel to naval bases (primarily Portsmouth and Devonport) to carry out ship surveys. Due to this a full UK driving licence is required.

Job description

IMPORTANT: THIS ROLE IS INVOLVED IN SURFACE SHIPS/BOATS ONLY.

An opening for a Naval Architect / Marine Engineer to join the Naval Authority & Technology Group (NATG). The NATG is a pan-maritime group of highly skilled, forward-thinking engineers responsible for safety certification of MOD shipping and the provision of subject matter expert advice in associated technical areas. In this role you will have specific responsibility for the delivery of timely, efficient and effective Escape, Evacuation and Rescue (EER) certification activities across all classes of MOD surface ships and boats. You’ll help to make sure our ships meet the highest standards, support real-world operations, collaborate with experts across other NATG technical areas and explore the interface between military and commercial ship standards.

This is a role where your work genuinely makes a difference — you’ll help protect lives, support MOD shipping, and shape the future of maritime safety.

The main responsibilities of the post include, but are not limited to:

Certification work:

• Supporting EER certification activities for MoD surface ships and boats (in-service and acquisition projects).
• Reviewing and auditing Requests for Certification (RfC) submissions and ship drawings to ensure they meet the required EER standards.
• Identifying non-compliances, recommending clauses, and collaborating with stakeholders for their management and resolution.

Management of non-compliances:

• Processing clauses in the NATG information management system.
• Collecting, collating, and presenting EER statistics in relevant NATG meetings.
• Reviewing evidence and liaising with stakeholders for the management and resolution of non-compliances.

Survey of MoD vessels:

• Arranging and preparing for surveys.
• Surveying ships (at bases and ports in the UK and occasionally overseas) to check for compliance with the required EER standards.
• Carrying out follow on activities such as survey report writing and working with stakeholders for deficiency management and rectification.

Investigation and policy development:

• Reviewing 1st party MoD vessel inspection reports and making recommendations.
• Investigating areas and contributing new ideas for evolving EER policy and processes.
• Supporting the development of NATG policy and processes.

Advisory and collaboration:

• Attending meetings with MoD vessel operators and industry.
• Providing advice on EER regulations for in-service vessels and acquisition projects.

Admin and documentation:

• Processing and storing all relevant material appropriately, supporting the maintenance of accurate records.

This role offers excellent exposure to real-world ship systems, design assurance and maritime operations. You’ll receive access to expert mentorship, specialist training, site visits and opportunities to grow your maritime engineering expertise.

You will contribute professionally to the work of a busy technical specialist section, maintaining standards and providing advice and support to ship’s staffs and industry on issues relating to EER regulations. The section is engaged to continuously improve how EER is applied in a military context, ensuring the highest standards for the preservation of life at sea.

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 atcandidate@support.oleeo.com

Person specification

Maritime experience and the ability to apply enquiring, analytical and methodical engineering skills in a challenging but flexible and supportive environment, are essential. Background knowledge of the INSA Naval Ship Code (NSC) and IMO SOLAS are desirable.

Essential Skills

• Working towards Chartered or Incorporated Engineer or equivalent relevant professional registration
• Member of a relevant Professional Engineering / Science Institute or equivalent body at any membership level
• Relevant Level 4 (or higher) qualification or equivalent experience
• Experience of providing technical advice and delivery of successful engineering outcomes
• Technical experience within a Maritime Engineering environment

Licences

A full UK Driving Licence is required for this role, as it involves frequent travel to naval bases (primarily Portsmouth and Devonport) to carry out ship surveys.
All licences declared must be held at the point of application and be in date.

Memberships

Member of a relevant Professional Engineering / Science Institute or equivalent body at any membership level.
Evidence of Membership will be required at interview.
All memberships declared must be held at point of application and if applicable be in date.

Behaviours

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

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

Technical skills

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

• EFCF 2 Application of Analytical Techniques - Supervised Practitioner
• EFCF 3 Technical Requirements, Evaluation & Acceptance - Supervised Practitioner
• EFCF 4 Technical Decision Making - Supervised Practitioner

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,700, Ministry of Defence contributes £11,211 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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/

This post does not offer any assistance with Relocation Allowances.

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.

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- which should be a maximum of 1000 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential / desirable requirements for the role.

Behaviours;

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

Technical Competencies;

• EFCF 2 Application of Analytical Techniques - Supervised Practitioner
• EFCF 3 Technical Requirements, Evaluation & Acceptance - Supervised Practitioner
• EFCF 4 Technical Decision Making - Supervised Practitioner

At interview you will be assessed on;

Behaviours;

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical Competencies;

• EFCF 2 Application of Analytical Techniques - Supervised Practitioner
• EFCF 3 Technical Requirements, Evaluation & Acceptance - Supervised Practitioner
• EFCF 4 Technical Decision Making - Supervised Practitioner

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

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

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.

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

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.

This post does not offer any assistance with relocation allowances.

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 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 DBSFPCP-SRMResourcingSDA@mod.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 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 Resourcing Team
• Email : SDA-HR-WorkforceResourcePlanning@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Please see Further Information document.

Attachments

20240927_Professional Engineer_STSI_SDA Success Profiles_FINAL-O Opens in new window (pdf, 75kB)20241009 - Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 34kB)20250918-SDA-Engineering-Technical-Competences (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 613kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)