About the job

Job summary

Are you looking for an opportunity to apply your engineering skills in direct support of the Royal Navy (RN) front line? The RN Maritime Capability, Trials and Assessment (MCTA) organisation is looking for hard-working engineers and technicians to join our highly professional team of Trials Officers to go onboard ships in harbour and at sea, around UK and occasionally overseas, to inspect the ship-fitted guns and similar equipment in readiness for operations worldwide. This trials officer role is an exciting one conducting inspections and analysis on the full range of guns fitted to ships from Heavy Machine Guns through to 30mm Small Calibre Guns, with potential to extend into Phalanx and Medium Calibre Guns such as 4.5 Mk 8, and will bring you into contact with current and future RN ships and technologies.

MCTA is a fast-paced team of Military and Civil Servants led by a Royal Navy Captain, who face a constantly evolving vista of work carrying out assessment and assurance of equipment on aircraft carriers, warships, and smaller military vessels.

This role would suit applicants of an engineering / technical background with an interest in maintaining standards in guns fitted to ships and associated gun systems, with opportunities to broaden into OME and other equipment and systems. For external applicants the post is available as a permanent Navy Command Headquarters (NCHQ) civilian position.

The position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

This role delivers assessments of guns and gun systems, requiring high professional standards and through-career training and development.  This needs to be supported by the ability to work independently, and good leadership and communication skills that have been proven in a team working environment. This is a challenging but rewarding role that also provides the opportunity for personal development and the ability to improve and progress your career.

Whilst based in Victory Building in Portsmouth, the role is required to visit other locations around the UK and on occasions abroad to conduct assurance visits and progress meetings. Weekend working and nights away at sea and in other locations may be required.

There is also an option to base this position out of Grenville Block, HMNB Devonport, Plymouth with regular visits to Victory Building.

The main tasks of the Trials Officers are to:

• conduct inspections as a professional engineer with an extensive knowledge of the operation and performance of the systems relevant to the role.
• apply general engineering perspective to all trials.
• compile trials related defect lists, discussing with the shipbuilder/refitting authority/ ship to establish content, priority and liability.
• attend post trials meetings to assist in the agreement of responsibilities for defect rectification and outstanding trials, and to acquaint those authorities concerned with the assessment, conclusion and subsequent actions necessary to complete those inspections and trials.
• lead and assist in the compilation of Trials Reports, including proofing of section trial reports before sending for staffing.
• provide advice on trial contents and conduct to relevant authorities and ship staffs.
• conduct analysis of gun performance.
• conduct trials beyond the role’s primary area in support of the wider Weapons Systems group (WS Group) on, once qualified, other RN systems and equipment, including new capabilities.
• interact with a wide range of authorities and personnel to resolve problems and ensure that current MOD policies are followed in the conduct of day to day business.

The post holder is expected to have an informed opinion on matters that affect MCTA and the Directorate as a whole and contribute to initiatives to improve the conduct and cost of business activities.

Person specification

Applicants will need to hold a minimum of HNC/HND in engineering, such as General Engineering, Electronic Engineering, or equivalent.

Applicants need to hold a Full UK Manual Driving licence and be willing to drive MOD provided vehicles.

The successful candidate must be medically fit in order to conduct trials at sea. An ENG1 medical is required but can be conducted on completion of a successful interview.

The successful applicant will ideally have, or be willing to work towards, developing their knowledge on all equipment associated with Guns and gun systems.

We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of gender and ethnic group. Appointment will be based on merit alone.

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.

Civil Servant Eligibility

This vacancy is open to employees who already hold the substantive grade for the post and were appointed to the Civil Service on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent Civil Service post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioners’ rules.

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.

Please note that priority will be given to staff seeking level transfer who have been assigned Priority Mover status.

Candidates in their probationary period are not eligible to apply for vacancies within this department.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check.

See our vetting charter.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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 and Experience.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and during the selection process we will assess your experience for the role and seek evidence of the following behaviours:

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on the application form:

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving

Candidates will be required to provide:

• a CV to include job history, qualification details and skills.
• a Statement of Suitability of no more than 250 words showing their experience relevant to this role.

This vacancy will require selected applicants to attend an interview in Victory Building in Portsmouth.

Please note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly.

Applications must be completed by 23:55 on the closing date of the vacancy. Late submissions cannot be accepted.

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.

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

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.