About the job

Job summary

The Defence Safety Authority (DSA) is responsible for the regulation of Defence Health, Safety and Environmental Protection (HS&EP), operating under a Charter from the Secretary of State for Defence (SofS). The DSA provides independent assurance to the SofS that the law is followed and the policy on HS&EP in Defence is being promoted and implemented. This is achieved through proportional and appropriate evidence-based assurance of the defence activity.

The Defence Maritime Regulator (DMR) vision is to provide high-quality safety and environmental protection across the Defence Maritime Domain through assurance, regulation, and enforcement to support the generation of operational capability. The DMR Mission is to protect people and the environment from harm arising from Defence Maritime Activity. This allows DMR to provide the SofS for Defence the required assurance that appropriate standards of maritime HS&EP are maintained and delivered across Defence Maritime Activities.

DMR consists of four teams:

Regulation and Compliance (R&C) – responsible for developing and maintaining the HS&EP regulations and associated documents, monitoring compliance across the Maritime Domain, managing the Defence Legislation Support Tool, the Defence Shipping Register and the Maritime Activities Register.

Executive and Enabling (E&E) – responsible for management and analysis of regulatory information, tools and business services and planning.

Shipping and Diving Inspectorate – responsible for the third-party assurance of MOD Accountable Persons and Organisations that operate and/or support MOD shipping, as well as assurance and inspection of DMR’s 'Duly Authorised Organisations' who perform maritime assurance functions on behalf of DMR. .

Maritime Assurance Inspectorate – responsible for the third-party assurance of MOD Accountable Persons and Organisations that deliver and/or support wider maritime activity than the operation of Surface Ships and Submarines. The team also provides third party assurance, advice, and stakeholder interaction in areas deemed cross boundary or experimental, including Small Craft, Army Maritime, UK StratCom, Autonomy, and Ports and Harbours, as well as assurance and inspection of DMR’s 'Duly Authorised Organisation' who performs maritime assurance functions on behalf of DMR.

This is a Higher Executive Officer (C2) grade Safety or Environmental Inspector post based in Bristol or Portsmouth within the Maritime Assurance Inspectorate of DMR within the DSA. Attendance at either office would be expected for 40% of the time in accordance with the hybrid working model.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

We are currently seeking an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join our dynamic team as a Safety or Environmental Inspector within the Defence Maritime Regulator. This position requires a self-starter, capable of acting independently, and able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. You must be able to interact and develop relationships with stakeholders at all levels, both commercial and military.

You will need to work effectively in a team and take ownership of your own tasks, driving them to completion, whilst maintaining relationships across the DMR, DSA and the regulated community.

There will be considerable opportunities for you to grow your experience in safety and environmental management and assurance within the Defence maritime domain.

Occasional travel, including overnight stays, in the UK and abroad will be required.

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. 

Person specification

Responsibilities: 

• As a safety or environmental auditor, support Inspectorate audits, delivering against the DMR Audit programme;
• Build relationships with stakeholders and gather regulatory intelligence across the maritime domain to assist in the generation and delivery of risk-based assurance;
• Support the Senior Inspectors, Principal Inspectors and Section Head to assure the Defence Maritime Regulator that MOD Accountable Persons and Organisations have in place safety and environmental protection systems as part of a safety and environmental management system that delivers the desired Regulatory outcome (against DSA02-DMR Defence Maritime Regulations). 

Experience working in defence or on defence projects is not essential, but the candidate must clearly demonstrate in their personal statement how they have transferable skills they can apply to this role.

Essential Qualifications/ Experience: 

• Maritime experience;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders;
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks efficiently.

Desirable Qualifications/ Experience:

• Formal qualification (e.g., Degree, HND, HNC) in a Science, Engineering or Environmental discipline (or equivalent);
• Ideally you will have knowledge of the Defence maritime domain and experience of working with stakeholders external to your business area/organisation. Please use your Personal Statement to highlight your experience/skills in these areas.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,290, Ministry of Defence contributes £9,528 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, Experience and Technical skills.

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

The sift will be based around your CV and Statement of Suitability. Successfully sifted candidates will be invited to an interview. 

CV: Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.  

Personal Statement: Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability. (Word count 500)

At Interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours and Technical Skills:

Success Profiles Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

• HS&EP Functional Competency – Stakeholder Engagement – Basic Level

If you are invited for interview you will be assessed against your experience and the Civil Service Behaviours and Technical Skill listed.  A technical Framework will be sent out to candidates who are selected for interview.

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 Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

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.

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 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. 

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.