About the job

Job summary

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent, and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence.

Here you’ll find a community to belong to – whether that’s alongside project teams with a shared vision or as part of an employee network of like-minded individuals. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

Discover more about our work:

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.

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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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

Are you a Control and Instrumentation (C&I) Engineer excited by the opportunity to shape and define the some of the biggest and most complex defence programmes in the UK today? The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) are currently seeking an enthusiastic and driven C&I Engineer to join our team at BAE Systems, Barrow-in-Furness.

Within this role you will find yourself developing your experience and understanding of cutting-edge control and instrumentation systems. These will include software development, functional safety and security aspects, on a major UK defence project.

You will have direct liaison and involvement with aspects of the C&I design solutions. Along with working side-by-side with BAE Systems and SDA personnel, you will be part of a medium sized team focused on C&I. In this role you will also provide access to systems, components and tools that can be considered state of the art, providing the UK maritime with the best possible C&I solutions.

Growing your career as part of the SDA, we will provide you with diverse opportunities at the forefront of ensuring the delivery of crucial and significant projects. This could include supporting the Acquisition, Transition into Service and In-Service support of submarines in BAE Barrow. You will be supported by your manager and wider team to achieve your career goals and aspirations with mentoring available to fulfil your potential and funding for industry-recognised qualifications. The SDA is committed to supporting and funding professional membership and registration, and achieving and maintaining Chartered or Incorporated status is encouraged to progress in grade and enable future promotion.

At the SDA, we champion flexible ways of working to support work-life balance. Regular in-person attendance is required at your Primary Duty Station (Barrow-in-Furness), currently you will be expected to work a minimum of two days every other week on site at Barrow Shipyard. However, this may vary to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, your team and role. You will also be required to attend various other sites across the UK which expenses will be paid from your primary duty station.

What you’ll be doing

• Manage the delivery of all engineering aspects in area of responsibility as defined in the assignment specification or objectives including managing the acquisition safety aspects.
• Provide expert advice and guidance in own technical area to solve complex technical problems and identify application risks.
• Manage the technical requirements for the acquisition lifecycle stage of one or more project, programme, service or system.
• Monitor and implement any governance and assurance policies and procedures to ensure the ‘safe & professional’ status of the area led.
• Lead on the development of requirements related to own area of specialism including acceptance plans, performance criteria and draft specifications.
• Interface with industry as the intelligent customer both in a scrutiny role and supporting the identification of application risks.

Person specification

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

• Experience of providing technical advice and leading the delivery of successful engineering outcomes.
• Wide ranging depth and breadth of technical experience in control and instrumentation with knowledge and application of Systems Engineering approaches.
• Significant experience in the design and integration of programmable elements (software and/or hardware) in complex systems
• Demonstrable experience delivering complex control and indication systems in a highly regulated environment.
• Hold a Level 4 (e.g.,HNC or higher) qualification in an electronic, electrical or software engineering discipline, or have equivalent relevant experience

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

• EFCF 2 Application of Analytical Techniques Practitioner
• EFCF 3 Technical Requirements, Evaluation & Acceptance Practitioner
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving CSBC3

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.

3. 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.

Ready to join us as a Control and Instrumentation Engineer? Apply today.

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.