Overview

At Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), we supply and maintain vital equipment and services for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Together, we deliver a vast range of essential defence programmes, and strive for what’s next. Because it helps keep our military at the top of their game and our nation safe – for today, and tomorrow.

We offer 25+ days' holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of 28.97%, to help make work work for you.

Nationality, visas and vetting: We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship. This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you’ve been recruited for. If it isn’t obtained, or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn. Obtaining SC security clearance can be a lengthy process, and we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made if the necessary security clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months.

Are you ready to take your engineering expertise to the next level and work on projects that make a real difference? We’re seeking talented and driven Mechanical and Marine Engineers to join our dynamic team, where you’ll play a pivotal role in developing cutting-edge military capabilities that safeguard national security. This is your chance to harness your expertise in engineering fundamentals such as structures, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, tribology, and materials science to tackle complex challenges and drive innovation at the forefront of defence technology.

In these exciting roles, you’ll provide expert advice and guidance to both internal teams and industry partners, influencing the design and delivery and the provision of innovative solutions to complex engineering challenges. With opportunities to work across a diverse range of groundbreaking platforms and programmes, you’ll have the flexibility to specialise in your area of expertise or thrive as a versatile generalist. You’ll also gain valuable leadership and management experience, with the potential for international travel to collaborate with strategic partners on a global scale.

The successful candidates will bring a wide-ranging depth and breadth of experience in providing technical advice and delivering successful Mechanical or Marine outcomes. Your expertise will be instrumental in ensuring the development and implementation of robust, innovative, and effective engineering solutions that meet the highest standards of performance and reliability.

If you’re ready to bring your expertise, creativity, and motivation to the forefront of defence innovation, we want to hear from you. Join us and help shape the future!

Working patterns

We champion flexible ways of working. Regular in-person attendance is required (approximately 60% of your working week) to promote face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

What you’ll be doing

• Requirements – Own the generation of technical requirements, defining technical deliverables/artifacts and updating other documentation for systems, including considerations to in-service support and associated costs.
• Risk – Identify and analyse technical hazards/project impacts and contribute to risk reduction measures, ensuring they are adequately documented and managed.
• Design – Manage the design of a system, component or process that meets the customer requirement within time, cost and performance constraints.
• Stakeholder Management – Collaborate and manage trade-offs with other sub-system teams and specialists over technical requirements and design compromises to maximise successful system implementation and delivery.
• Support – Manage the support and modification to an operational system.
• Personal Development – Own your career progression and professionalisation, including engaging with your People Coach, maintaining membership with a relevant professional body, updating MyHR Career Development/Development Plan, conducting relevant learning and development in timely fashion, and keeping current with modern engineering technologies.

Selection process

1. Pre-sift – We will check that you meet essential or eligibility criteria listed in the Person Specification. On your CV, clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.
2. Sift – Your CV will be assessed against Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills using a simple numerical scoring system. Follow our CV guidance for best chance of success.
3. Interview – If invited, you’ll be assessed against the Sift categories, as well as Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification. In the event of a tie, the Order of Merit will be distinguished by ranking of assessed behaviours and competencies as listed.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint by contacting the department via email: DESHR-WSC-PMOCOMPLAINTS@mod.gov.uk. If not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Recruitment Complaints - Civil Service Commission.

Offering at a lower level – If you’re not successful at interview, we may offer a role at a lower level if this matches your skills and experience, with scoring against the lower-level role criteria and merit-order offers. If you accept, you’ll have opportunities to develop your career as part of our team.

Security and nationality

Security – Successful candidates must meet security requirements before appointment. The level of security needed is Security Check. See the vetting charter and baseline personnel security standard checks.

Nationality requirements – This job is broadly open to UK nationals; nationals of the Republic of Ireland; Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK; nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), or those who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status. Further information is available via the Civil Service guidance.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities and runs a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers redeployment interviews for civil servants at risk of redundancy who meet minimum requirements.

Diversity and inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attracting, retaining and investing in talent wherever it is found. See the Civil Service People Plan and Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information.

Qualifications and eligibility

Lead Essential Criteria: Hold a Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Mathematics-based qualification at RQF Level 4; be professionally registered with a relevant professional body as Incorporated Engineer (IEng) or Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Marine Engineer (IMarEng). Alternatives to the RQF qualification may be accepted with a comparable Scottish SCQF or international equivalent backed by UK ENIC.

Interview assessment will also cover Core Behaviours and Technical Competences as listed in the advert.

Salary and benefits

£46,200 per annum (pro rata), plus generous benefits and an average 28.97% employer pension contribution. Existing civil servants should refer to the Further Information document for salary details. In addition to salary, the MoD contributes £13,384 towards the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

• 25 days’ annual leave +1 day per year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King's birthday
• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Market-leading employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded qualifications
• Support for progression
• Discounts and volunteering days
• Enhanced parental leave schemes

Improving innovation and enriching our culture, diversity of thought is vital to our success. If you need assistance with your application, let us know. #LI-Hybrid

Further Information

• Civil Service Recruitment Principles: Recruitment Principles - Civil Service Commission
• Candidate Information Pack: bit.ly/DES-Candidate-Information-Pack
• Terms and Conditions: bit.ly/DES-Terms-and-Conditions
• Civil Service Code: The Code - Civil Service Commission