Station Health, Safety and Environmental Protection Officer

Job summary

Royal Air Force Spadeadam is a world leading Electronic Warfare Tactics and Training Range. An exciting opportunity has arisen to fill a vacancy in the role of Station Health, Safety and Environmental Protection Officer with additional responsibility for Explosives Safety. This role supports the Station Commander by acting as the 4C’s Duty Holder and leading on all matters relating to Safety, Health, Environmental Protection (SHEP), Sustainable Development (SD), and Explosive Safety. The postholder ensures compliance with legislation and RAF policy, provides expert advice, and promotes a culture of safety and sustainability across the station, including the safe management of explosive materials and activities.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

As the Station Safety, Health, Environmental Protection, Sustainable Development & Explosive Safety Officer, you will act as the 4C’s Duty Holder on behalf of the Station Commander, providing expert advice and leadership across all SHEP, SD, and Explosive Safety domains. You will be responsible for ensuring the station’s compliance with relevant legislation and RAF policy, producing and maintaining documentation, conducting audits, and leading investigations into incidents and RIDDOR events. You will advise on contractor safety, infrastructure projects, and pollution response, while also chairing SHEP & SD Committee meetings and delivering briefings to personnel and visitors. In your explosive safety capacity, you will provide specialist advice to OC Engineering Squadron and the Station Commander, oversee the licensing and inspection of explosive facilities, ensure compliance with JSP 482 and AP100B-01, and act as the Explosive Safety Representative and Weapons Specialist Officer. You will support investigations into munitions incidents, contribute to contingency planning, and ensure contractors adhere to explosive safety regulations, including acting as MOD Control for all Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives (OME) activities. In addition the post holder will act as deputy Establishment Fire Focal Point (EFFP) during planned absence of the EFFP.

Person specification

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following skills, knowledge, and attributes:

Essential Criteria

• Audit Knowledge: Proven understanding of audit processes, including internal controls, compliance, and reporting standards.
• Health and Safety Awareness: Sound knowledge of health and safety regulations and best practices, with the ability to apply them effectively in the workplace holding a minimum qualification of NEBOSH Level 3 Certificate (or equivalent) in Occupational Health and Safety.
• Presentation Skills: Confident and clear communicator, capable of delivering engaging presentations to varied audiences.
• Diligence: Demonstrates a strong work ethic, reliability, and commitment to high standards.
• Attention to Detail: Meticulous and thorough in reviewing documentation, identifying discrepancies, and ensuring accuracy in all tasks.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in conducting audits or inspections within a regulated environment.
• Additional health and safety qualifications or training.
• Proficiency in using presentation software (e.g., PowerPoint).
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Prior knowledge of explosives regulations or a commitment to become qualified within the first year of the role

Qualifications

NEBOSH Level 3 Certificate (or equivalent) in Occupational Health and Safety

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Health and Safety Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Health and Safety Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,927 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%
• Free car parking on site
• Reduced gym membership fee of the onsite gym
• The opportunity to join the Combined Mess

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Candidate applications will be sifted by the panel and successful applicants will be invited for a face to face interview at RAF Spadeadam.

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours and Technical Skill:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Health and Safety Knowledge, Skills and Experience

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

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 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 : Emma Starmer
• Email : Emma.Starmer101@mod.gov.uk
• Telephone : 0303 379 1789

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

20250915 HealthSafetyEnvironmentalProtection_v1_Oct15-O (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 325kB)20230201 - Air Command's Applicant Guide Opens in new window (pdf, 499kB)EXTERNAL PACK Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Candidate Information updated Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)