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.

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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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

Do you have the skills, experience and passion to support a tri-national, conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarine? If so, the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) are looking for Software Engineers to join our Submersible Ship Nuclear- AUKUS (SSN-AUKUS) team at MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol. 

The SSN-AUKUS team is responsible for the UK’s delivery of a trilaterally-developed submarine based on the next-generation design that incorporates technology from the UK, US and Australia. The UK and Australia will operate SSN-AUKUS as their submarine of the future, which will replace the Astute Class, support the Continuous at Sea Deterrent and provide defence with a globally deployable and sustainable SSN capability.

You will play a vital role in delivering and supporting the design of this mission with our allies. You will take the lead in developing software requirements and providing expert software engineering advice to the submarine enterprise. You will also be responsible for key deliverables and stakeholder engagement, ensuring integration of the submarine software meets contractual requirements.

By joining the SDA, you will have defined progression routes and opportunities to prosper as a professional. Training is readily available to stay abreast of emerging technologies and you will be working in an environment that encourages development of your role and your responsibilities. 

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

• Define software related requirements in accordance with the relevant policy, processes, standards and plans
• Provide technical assurance across software based systems to ensure they meet the specified requirements, standards and is delivered with robust supporting evidence to underpin assurance cases
• Provide technical advice to stakeholders on specifications and assurance of software systems
• Support design reviews and assessments for software systems to provide a view of technical maturity and risk

Person specification

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

• Relevant Level 4 (or higher) qualification or equivalent experience
• Chartered or Incorporated Engineer or has demonstrated equivalent knowledge, skills and experience
• Demonstrable experience of complex software management

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

• Technical Decision Making – Practitioner
• Technical Risk Management – Practitioner
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

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.

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.