SDA Safety Lead

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 (CASD), and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence. At least one of four nuclear-armed submarines, supported by smaller attack submarines, is on patrol at all times: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

At the SDA, we strive to Support, Deliver and Aspire and put out values at the heart of our recruitment process. We believe that everyone should feel comfortable to be themselves and be supported to do their best work. As part of a diverse and inclusive workforce, our team will find a community to belong to. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and different perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Please note that a minimum of 4 working days per week will be required due to volume of tasks. Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

The primary delivery location for this position is Bristol Abbey Wood.

Please note, due to the level of security, this role is reserved for UK nationals only.

Hybrid and flexible working can be considered for this post but will need regular workplace attendance due to security constraints. Candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before submitting an application.

Job description

This advert is for two separate nuclear safety engineer roles within the Submarine Deliver Group’s (SDG) Nuclear Propulsion Delivery Team (NP-DT). Both roles work directly on the SSN-AUKUS (SSNA) programme, although for two different departments within NP-DT, each are described below.

The SSNA Programme - Submarine Nuclear AUKUS (SSNA) will replace the Astute class hunter-killer submarines from the 2040s. SSNA is at a pivotal stage in her design development and safety justification. In terms of the reactor plant delivery programme; long-lead components are currently under manufacture and in a few years the programme will transition into the in-yard build phase for the first platform of the class, followed by plant commissioning, and finally exiting the build-yard to commence through-life operations in defence of the nation through the 2nd half of the century.

Role 1 – NP Safety (assurance focused role)

The Safety Department of the NP-DT is seeking to recruit a dedicated and motivated engineer to perform the role of ‘Safety Assurance Manager’ for the SSNA programme.

The advertised role works within a section of ~10 engineers who manage nuclear safety assurance for all future reactor programmes, and currently has line management responsibility for two civil servants, and coordinates additional contractor support.

The job holder will receive Approval Authority delegation for the nuclear safety case, as such this is an ‘assurance’ focused role (assessing and approving the safety case), as opposed to a ‘delivery’ focused role. In addition to assessing and approving the safety case (with the support of SMEs), the job holder will have to recommend to management the acceptability of the programme conducting certain manufacturing activities, ahead of design approval of those components. The job holder will also contribute to various nuclear safety management arrangements, within the NP-DT’s policy suite.

The job holder is likely to receive conflicting advice for various parties within the enterprise, and will have to (with authority) decide the ultimate position/direction to take on behalf of the NP-DT. The post holder must be confident in this type of scenario, and able to act decisively, particularly as the job holder will chair meetings attended by stakeholders across the enterprise. The job holder will also lead engagements with our regulator (DNSR) on behalf of NP-DT for the SSNA scope of work, where the NP-DT’s position on the relevant subject must be robustly justified, fundamentally to demonstrate that we have reduced risk and doses As Low Risk as Reasonably Practicable ( ALARP).

Role 2 – SSNA Project Safety Lead (delivery focused role)

The Primary Propulsion Safety Lead will oversee development of the Nuclear Safety and Environmental Cases (written by Rolls-Royce) in accordance with relevant management arrangements and to meet challenging project programmes. They are responsible for collaboration between the Whole boat Safety Case, relevant Site Safety Cases and the Nuclear Safety Case, ensuring coherency across the Cases to minimise the risks to achieving Regulatory Approvals.

This is not a purist safety role, and reaches further into the project engineering aspects than many core safety roles may do. It can therefore be filled by either someone with either Engineering or Safety background, subject to success at interview.

Responsibilities include:

• Stakeholder engagement to guide safety and environmental document content prior to issue
• Management of safety assurance, including resolution of issues and regulatory findings raised against the safety campaign
• Management of Hold Points that will enable release to manufacture of Long Lead Items
• Developing the relationship with the Platform safety and environmental team;
• Ensuring platform supporting systems are delivering their inputs to the Naval Reactor Plant safety case
• Ensuring propulsion inputs are delivered in support of the whole boat safety and environmental cases.
• Representing SSNA Primary Propulsion at Safety Management Meetings and Environmental Working Groups

As the post holder will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process. Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process, or in some cases result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment. Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage.

This post is on the MOD Civilian Nuclear Post Control List (PCL) and may attract the Nuclear Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA). This is a discretionary allowance. The post being listed on the PCL does not mean that the post holder will have an automatic entitlement to receive the RRA. The NSQEP RRA is not a contractual allowance and can be amended or withdrawn without notice in line with MOD Main and Submarine Delivery Agency policy.

This post attracts the NSQEP recruitment retention allowance of up to £16,000 per annum. This allowance is discretionary and is dependent on a candidates ability to successfully demonstrate and evidence their competence, qualifications and experience to an independent panel of Subject Matter Experts.

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by the SDA Recruitment Team. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team via the Help link.

Person specification

Essential Skills

• Chartered or Incorporated Engineering professional affiliation or has demonstrated equivalent knowledge, skills and experience.
• Member of a relevant Professional Safety Institute or equivalent body.
• Extensive experience of system safety policy and in system safety management tools & processes.
• Substantial experience in a system safety role and experience of developing a safety management system.
• Knowledge acquired from recognised system safety training courses.
• Relevant Level 4 (or higher) qualification or equivalent experience.

Memberships

Member of a relevant Professional Safety Institute or equivalent body.

Evidence of the Qualification/Licence/Membership will be required at interview.

All qualifications/licences/memberships declared must be held at point of application and be in date.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• SYSSAF 3 Complies with Sys Safety requirements - Practitioner
• EFCF 2 Application of Analytical techniques - Practitioner
• EFCF 4 Technical Decision Making - Practitioner

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• SYSSAF 3 Complies with Sys Safety requirements - Practitioner

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,700, Ministry of Defence contributes

£14,108 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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 employer contribution of 28.97%

Discover My Benefits :

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD:

• https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/
• Things you need to know
• Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

At Sift, you will be assessed on your;

Personal Statement - This should be a maximum of 1000 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential and desirable requirements for the role. Candidates will be required to provide job history and qualification details.

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Technical:

• SYSSAF 3 - Complies with System Safety Requirements - Practitioner

At Interview, you will be assessed on;

Personal Statement/ Experience - The panel will ask questions about your personal statement. Exploring your Past Experiences, Key Achievements or Qualifications.

Behaviours:

• Leadership

Technical:

• EFCF 4 - Technical Decision Making - Practitioner
• EFCF 2 - Application of Analytical techniques - Practitioner

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours here and the Technical Skills Framework and Success Profile documents attached.

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is se