About the job

Job summary

Modelling & Simulation (M&S) is growing in usage across Defence and this post presents an opportunity to join an expanding team in an exciting, technical discipline used for many different applications such as training, experimentation and decision support. The individual will get the opportunity to expand their knowledge and work closely with the Front Line Commands. 

The Defence Modelling & Simulation Office (DMSO) is responsible for driving M&S coherence across Defence, with Other Government Departments and Allies. The aim is to exploit investment, reuse and share resources, and promote interoperability. The DMSO Technical Authority primarily supports these aims through 2 teams – the Defence Simulation Centre (DSC) and the Technical Authority Support Team (TAST). The DMSO TAST provides impartial technical M&S advice and supports the DMSO Service Command Technical Authority (SCTA) representatives in their duties. The DMSO DSC is the single point of focus to coordinate and exploit M&S resources and to build and maintain corporate M&S knowledge. 

This role supports the Technical Authority Head in promoting M&S technical coherence, interoperability and reuse, in order to maximise effective use of M&S. The Main Objectives below are dependent upon the individuals of the team being identified as Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel (SQEP) by the TA Head.

This is an evolving team and the duties of the TAST may expand and adapt as it grows.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities.  Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions. 

Job description

- Provide impartial specialist M&S technical advice and guidance.

- Respond to appropriate enquiries passed to them by the DSC.

- Support SCTAs in the M&S policy compliance assess and assure process.

- Monitor and report on assessment and assurance activities for the TAST Hd.

- For any Test and Reference Systems, Database Generations Systems and other such technical equipment located in the DSC:

• Manage configuration, operation and support (but not provide support).
• Be conversant and knowledgeable about its operation.
• Understand how such equipment can inform how Defence employs M&S.

- Participation with standards development organisations (SDOs) including their development/maintenance of standards that could be used by M&S, primarily SISO and OGC, in order to gain awareness and influence activities on behalf of Defence.

- Assist with engagement of DMSO Industry Advisory Group (DIAG) and other outreach activities, e.g. visiting lecturing duties.

- Participate in Science & Technology (S&T) activities (supporting S&T lead as appropriate).

This is an evolving team, and the duties of the TAST may expand and adapt as it grows.

Person specification

The ideal candidate should be conversant and be willing to learn more about (not an exhaustive list):

• Constructive Simulations (CGFs, SAFs, Mission Data, etc)
• Distributed Simulation
• Synthetic Environments (T/VDBs, IGs, 3D models, etc)
• Extended Reality (XR)

 Standards Development Organisations / Forums including (but not limited to):

• Simulation Interoperability Standards Organisation (SISO)
• Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)
• Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
• Metaverse Standards Forum

These roles may require the incumbent to travel infrequently within the UK and internationally as part of the role.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,080, Ministry of Defence contributes £11,631 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 recruitment process will consist of two parts:

1. A written application containing your experience (a CV and a Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement)) and Behaviours drawn from the Civil Service Success Profiles.

At Sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours:

• Leadership

2. If your written application is successful, you will be invited to a face-to-face and or virtual via MS Teams interview where you will be tested against the Behaviours.

At Interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

3. If a large number of applications are received, they will be assessed initially against the Leadership behaviour and your CV and Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement). You will then be assessed against the other criteria if you have met the minimum scores.

4. Behaviours are assessed individually with a 250-word statement. The application form will indicate which behaviour is being assessed. We are looking for evidence using the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) methodology.

5. It is highly recommended you focus by providing one example for each behaviour. We would also advise you to use examples that best meet the criteria, even if they are a few years old, using the STAR methodology.

Situation: Briefly describe the background of the situation in which you found yourself.
Task: What you were required to do/chose to do.
Action: What actions you undertook to achieve the tasks. Make sure to use “I”, not “we” to explain how your actions led to results.
Result: Use facts and evidence to demonstrate the results that your actions produced. Explain whether it was a successful outcome, and if not, what you learned from the experience.

6. Please make sure you have consulted the HM Government ‘Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours’ document (available on Gov.uk) to ensure you have understood the relevant Behaviours for the appropriate grade.

7. Your experience will be assessed individually through your CV and a 500 word Statement of Suitability (Personal Statement).  

Please note:

• Sift to take place within 2 weeks of Advert closing.
• Interviews likely to take place within 2 weeks of Sift.

This job role is suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (your permanent duty station which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this).  If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.  The potential to become a Home Worker in the future can also be discussed.

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

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.