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 make 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’ve 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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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 interested in bringing your Nuclear Engineering knowledge into the defence sector to some of the most complex platforms in the world? If so, we have a fantastic opportunity to join the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) as a Nuclear Engineer at Barrow-in-Furness.

You will find yourself working on our Primary Build Mechanical role which will require you to provide build, test and commissioning support for the construction of the Dreadnought classes’ next generation naval nuclear propulsion plant. Along with this you will also be supporting the Joint Reactor Team and Systems Integration Group, who are responsible for resolving integration issues and progressing opportunity work to protect and improve the Dreadnought construction schedule.

You will be working within a small team of 5 people, which feeds into around 25 Nuclear Engineers and Project Managers with BAE and Rolls Royce. In this post you will be known as a technical lead on welding non-destructive examination (NDE) and standards applicable to the primary systems.

Growing your career as part of the SDA, we will provide you with the diverse opportunities at the forefront of ensuring the delivery of crucial and significant projects. You will be supported by your manager and wider team to achieve your career goals and aspirations with mentoring available to fulfil your potential. If not already achieved, you will be expected to gain Nuclear Introductory Course (NIC) and Nuclear Warship Support Course (NWSC) whilst in post. We will fund and provide you the support and guidance needed to help you achieve this.

At the SDA, 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.

What you’ll be doing

• Technical lead for novel build processes to support the construction of the PWR 3 Propulsion Plant
• Provide expert advice and guidance in own technical area to solve complex technical problems and identify application risks.
• Technical risk and opportunity management to expedite the dreadnought schedule.
• Providing engineering project management skills
• Build assurance to ensure primary propulsion systems meet the design intent.
• Management of a technical exchange

Person specification

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

• Level 4 qualification in a relevant engineering or discipline or equivalent experience
• Experience of providing technical advice and leading the delivery of successful engineering outcomes
• Wide ranging depth and breadth of technical experience in own specialism with knowledge and application of Systems Engineering approaches

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

• EFCF 3 Technical Requirements, Evaluation & Acceptance – Practitioner
• EFCF 5 Technical Risk Management – 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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Offering at a lower level
If you’re not successful at interview, we may offer you a role at a lower level if this is a match for your skills and experience. If this applies to your application, you’ll be scored against criteria for the lower-level role and offers will be made in merit order. If you accept this position, you’ll be able to take advantage of opportunities to develop your career as part of our team.

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.