About the job

Job summary

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 around 27%, to help work, work for you.

Nationality, visas and vetting: For security reasons this role is open to sole UK nationals only. A ‘sole UK national’ refers to an individual who holds citizenship solely in the UK, without dual citizenship or nationality from another country. 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 have 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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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.

Job description

Ready to take your career in Dangerous Goods Safety to the next level? At Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), we're looking for a Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor with Engineering experience to join our team in Filton, Bristol. We’re here to support your goals, whether you’re looking for a new challenges, greater responsibility, support for qualifications, or a better work-life balance with job stability you can rely on. That’s why we say: your ambition leads here.

You will be joining our Quality, Safety and Environmental Protection (QSEP) team which is made up of a variety of talented professionals. Not only will you be working across Engineering, but also Logistics and Occupational Safety, giving you the tools to expand your experience. This is a unique and high priority role which you will be able to shape over the years whilst leading the forefront on behalf of DE&S for all of the Dangerous Goods Safety Advisors.

We will support you with your development by providing all necessary training across a 12-month period, with both on the job and classroom-based training. We offer a suite of 9 different courses and will put you through your formal qualification for the management of dangerous goods so you become a Qualified Dangerous Goods Advisor. If you have already achieved this, we will support your ongoing continued professional development.

At DE&S, we champion flexible ways of working. Regular in-person attendance is required to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role. Please note, there will be some domestic travel to other DE&S sites required for this role.

What you’ll be doing

• Provide expert advice and guidance to the Corporate Environmental and Safety Officer, Delivery Teams/Business Units and Heads of Establishment to ensure the safe transport of Dangerous Goods allowing them to meet their objectives and applicable legal requirements across Air & Surface (incorporating Sea), Land and Rail
• Support on investigation of all reported dangerous goods related accidents/incidents and non-compliances
• Oversee and direct the Dangerous Goods Coordination, identifying gaps in guidance, policy, annual reporting, training and changes in regulations
• Establish, implement and maintain assurance to the regulator on Dangerous Goods across DE&S sites – working closely with Occupational Safety Health and Environmental & logistics areas
• Support the organisation on key Hazardous Materials risks including compressed gases, as part of the wider team
• Establish and chair working groups for the management of Dangerous Goods
• Review and manage inspection reports and implementation of action plans ensuring risks have been captured
• This post will act as the Movements and Transport Subject Matter Expert

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• You will hold a relevant Level 4 qualification (HNC or higher), or demonstrate the equivalent experience
• Experience of providing technical advice and leading the delivery of successful engineering outcomes
• Experience of working with dangerous goods and an awareness of the dangerous good regulations

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Technical Requirements, Evaluation & Acceptance (Practitioner)
• Stakeholder and Comms Management (Supervised Practitioner)
• Communicating and influencing
• Changing and improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,500, Ministry of Defence contributes £12,015 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

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

1. Pre-sift - We will check that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.
2. Sift - Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills

Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.

1. Interview - If you're invited to interview, you'll be assessed against the Sift categories listed above, as well as the Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification section of this advert.

Security

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.