About the job

Job summary

The Joint Electronic Warfare Operational Support Centre (JEWOSC) has an opportunity for dynamic individual wishing to join the Civil Service as an Electronic Warfare (EW) Countermeasures programmer. The role is needed to help the organisation provide world class EW information to UK Defence and partner organisations. The individual will be part of a team within the JEWOSC, who are responsible for countering modern Radio Frequency (RF) and Infra-Red (IR) threats worldwide, with the opportunity to support live trials to ensure the highest level of platform protection is achieved. Workplace training will be provided, and you will discuss the techniques employed to counter threats with the team and Electronic Warfare operators throughout the MOD. 

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. 

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities.  Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

We are mandated to develop and deliver timely and accurate Electronic Warfare Operational Support (EWOS) to deployed UK Joint Forces, which critically provides Electromagnetic Operating Environment (EOE) Situational Awareness (SA) enabling operational effects such as capability threat warning and platform protection to enable mission success. 

The successful candidate will need:

• To be IT proficient and able to adapt to multiple operating systems.
• A working knowledge of MS Word and Excel.
• To be able to understand and follow documented engineering procedures and standards.
• Provide mentoring and technical supervision to other team members once proficient in the role. 

Person specification

When fully trained the duties will be: 

• Give Subject Matter Experts (SME) advice to the Team Leader and Production Manager on all technical and programming aspects of the platform equipment. 
• Deal with matters arising from customer feedback, providing suitable solutions and instruction for the Team Leader to relay back to the Front Line (FL). 
• Carry out the role as Task Lead on Mission Data requests on behalf of the Team Leader.
• Provide support to the FL in the evaluation of Mission Data and give SME advice for In-Service and emerging EW capabilities.
• Be able to work within an approved Quality Assurance System.
• Provide presentations, briefings and instruction to courses / visitors as advised by the Team Leader through OC Reprogramming.
• Embrace a collaborative approach to common problems, develop and maintain links to all relevant outside agencies.
• Produce, maintain & review Technical Work Instructions for all aspects of programming and validation as required.
• Provide Workplace training to other team members as advised by the Team Leader and / or MD Training Co-Ordinator.
• Provide support to platform trials as required by the Team Leader. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £28,300, Ministry of Defence contributes £7,641 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience.

Candidates will be required to complete an online Numerical test.

The Civil Service Judgement Test is not bankable and therefore must be taken on every vacancy where it is applied.

Should you be invited to complete the online tests, please allow sufficient time to complete the tests and the remainder of the full application form; only candidates who are successful at the test stage will be invited to complete the remainder of the application by clicking ‘Submit Application’. Your application must be completed by 23:55 on the closing date of the vacancy. Late submissions cannot be accepted. The tests are not timed, as they work by giving you harder questions if you answer the previous question correctly, and easier if you get it wrong. You should allow up to an hour for each test, and each test must be completed before you will be invited to complete the second part of your application. Internet access will be required for the duration of the test. Please refer to the attached Candidate Guidance for further information.

Candidates that reach the minimum required pass mark will have their results saved as a banked score against the following tests:

• New Civil Service Numerical Test

When a candidate has a banked score they’re not asked to re-take the same test providing it is set at the same level. Scores will be banked for a 6 month period from the date of test completion. If a candidate is invited to take the same test against multiple vacancies, the banked score will be recognised against all vacancies and all active applications will progress.

CSJT scores cannot be banked as each test is generated from the behaviours required for a specific role which will vary between recruitment campaigns.

If you require any particular arrangements (for example due to a disability or health problem) to be made in order for you to complete the online test you MUST contact the DBS Enquiry Centre on 0800 345 7772 BEFORE accessing the online test.

Opening  times  Mon -Friday 0800- 1600 hrs.

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 statement of suitability of no more than 500 words.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, statement of suitability and the following Behaviours:

• Changing and improving
• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace

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

• Seeing the bigger picture
• Communicating and influencing
• Working together

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.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and 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 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   

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.