About the job

Job summary

Thank you for expressing an interest in SDA Chief Engineer and Head of Engineering Function role at the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA).

Our Agency is central to the UK Government’s £178 billion equipment plan for the British Armed Forces, and is responsible for the procurement, in-service support and decommissioning of all UK nuclear submarines. 

The nuclear submarine programme is a national endeavour and one of the largest UK investment programmes in existence, of critical strategic importance. We design, build, support and dispose of a unique piece of military hardware which must take its crew to sea for months at a time, keeping them there in safety, whilst powered by a nuclear reactor and, in some, housing ballistic nuclear missiles. This is what makes a nuclear submarine the most complex machine that the United Kingdom makes and supports; this means we need people with exceptional skills to successfully deliver the programme.

We are looking to appoint the role of Chief Engineer and Head of Engineering Function. The role holder will be the senior engineer within the SDA providing professional guidance, direction and leadership to the engineering function across the Agency. The SDA employs c1100 engineers and c200 operation delivery staff working closely with our Industrial partners on everything from submarine design and maintenance, through to quality, safety and environmental issues. The post is an important opportunity to lead a transformation in the way Engineering is delivered to best support our programme outcomes. This includes defining how our workforce is managed and supported, and leading the efforts to attract, develop and retain a diverse and highly talented workforce to deliver our immense and complex equipment programme.

This is a Senior Leadership Group role that has responsibility to ensure that the highest quality Engineering outcomes are delivered throughout the SDA by a motivated, capable and agile workforce. 

Job description

This role provides senior leadership and oversight to engineering assurance activities within the SDA, alongside delivery of all aspects of the engineering and operation delivery functional management. This ‘whole Function’ role includes responsibility for teams managing policy, process and tools; safety, environment and quality; assurance of engineering outcomes; and the development of the cadre of c1100 SDA engineers, c200 operation delivery staff including responsibility for our growing Graduate and Apprentice programmes.

The postholder will be required to engage with a wide range of stakeholders both internal and external to Government. Internal to the SDA, they will work very closely with delivery projects ensuring that they are properly staffed with competent and capable engineers and assuring the engineering quality of project decisions, artefacts and outcomes. The role will work closely with the Defence Nuclear Enterprise ‘skills team’ to define and ensure the sustainable delivery of the skills and capabilities required by the SDA and the wider DNE today and in the future.

They will be required to maintain best practice and rigour in engineering management and operational delivery across the SDA and to provide leadership and influence across the DNE, including working closely with our Industrial Delivery Partners.

The following responsibilities, whilst not an exhaustive list, are required for successful execution of the role:

• Lead the Engineering Function to deliver assured engineering capability and capacity to the business.
• Provide Engineering Services for SDA including Safety Management, Quality Assurance, co-ordination of Second Party Assurance, policies, procedures and tools, environmental compliance and future sustainability, and the associated overall organisational and management arrangements.
• Delivery and future development of the SDA’s Engineering and Technical Strategy.
• Leadership of engineering and technical transformation Programmes and lead on interfaces with external initiatives to deliver ‘Best for Enterprise’.
• Work with external partners, institutions and bodies to further the aims and reputation of the SDA’s Engineering capability.
• Lead and develop the SDA’s Technical trainees' schemes and the technical learning and development portfolio.
• Interface with major suppliers on equipment safety policy and certification.
• Contribute to strategic transformation initiatives both within SDA and wider MOD
• Maintain an awareness of emerging technologies and techniques and identify their application to a major service or delivery area.
• Leadership and resolution of emergent engineering and safety related issues from across the SDA.
• Deliver both Product and Occupational Safety and Environmental assurance and audit.
• Provide support, safety and engineering input to business cases and investment proposals.
• Lead on the capacity and capability of the Operations Delivery Function.
• Coordination of pan enterprise nuclear liabilities.

Person specification

It is essential that you provide evidence and examples in your application against each of the Essential Criteria listed below. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate success in the following areas: 

Essential Criteria:

• Significant successful experience in an engineering / technical discipline across different phases of the product lifecycle including major project/portfolio delivery.
• Chartered Engineer status.
• Experience of proven leadership within complex organisations and working with senior stakeholders, facilitating and influencing decision-making and seeking innovation.
• Demonstrable successful experience in delivering beneficial change and transformation.
• Demonstrable commitment to Diversity and Inclusion.
• A sound knowledge and experience of safety management systems and delivery within complex, hazardous and regulated environments. 
• An ability to successfully lead, empower staff,  and develop highly capable talent in cross-functional teams, including exerting significant influence both within and outside direct line management.

Desirable Criteria: 

• Submarine technical / engineering experience and knowledge related to submarine structures, systems and equipment.
• Previous experience of engineering functional management, policy and procedure development.
• Experience in Quality and Environmental management.
• Experience recruiting, developing, inspiring and managing technical talent.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This is an external competition open to candidates with a background in either the public or private sector. ​

To apply for this post, you will need to submit ALL of the following documents, to DESHR-SCSRecruitment@mod.gov.uk by 23:59 on Wednesday 14th February. We ask that all documents are submitted in a Microsoft Word format.

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps.

2. A Supporting Statement (no longer than two pages) outlining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience match the requirements of the Essential Criteria listed above.

3. A completed Diversity Monitoring Form. All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence, will not be provided to the selection panel and will not affect your application in any way. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select 'prefer not to say’.

4. A completed Conflict of Interest Form.

5. A completed Disability Confident Form – if applicable.

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 developed vetting (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.