Technical Through Life Support (TTLS) Graduate Scheme
Please note that as of December the ‘Integrated Logistics Function’ is now called the ‘Operational Delivery Function’.
If you’re considering a career in Operational Delivery, DE&S offers you an opportunity like no other. The TTLS Graduate Scheme offers you the opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and experience through hands on learning and training.
TTLS practitioners work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders to effectively design and develop the acquisition of supportable equipment/products for managing a capability, equipment, or service through-life at affordable costs. This scheme will develop your skills and knowledge in the use of analytical, problem solving, organisational and project management skills to support us meeting customer requirements.
Read more about the Operational Delivery function.
About the scheme
When you come to DE&S, you’re joining a team that helps protect people all over the UK – and overseas too. We do that by providing cutting-edge tech, vehicles and equipment to the Armed Forces. Whether it’s the latest protective clothing for soldiers, or the smartest radar for new RAF jets, our projects keep UK military colleagues safe, so that they can protect life at home.
To do that, we need a real wealth of people from every background and skill set – all working together every day to do our best work.
Scheme structure
The scheme is a two-year development programme where you’ll rotate through placements providing you with the opportunity to learn about, and develop into, the role of a DE&S TTLS Practitioner.
Year one
You’ll start your first placement on arrival into DE&S where you’ll be provided with the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the organisation and start your onward career development. From here, you will start to build your knowledge, skills and experience as you support and deliver to our customers from within your placement.
Year two
You’ll continue your rotations throughout the business, moving into various roles to enhance and build on your development. You’ll also be working towards your professional qualification and preparation for your end of scheme assessment and onward business employment.
Roles and responsibilities may include
- Determining resource schedules for producing and maintaining the Integrated Logistic Support projects, including its Work Break Down activities for managing the whole life support cost, and reliability and maintainability estimate, to agreed milestones.
- Building and maintaining stakeholder and assurance community networks, for sharing and gaining Through Life Support knowledge, to become confident practitioners for influencing support decisions and user requirements, analysing concepts doctrine, forward and depth maintenance constraints or opportunities.
- Gaining a ‘Systems Engineering’ understanding so you can work with engineering colleagues in mapping user requirements and determining the system supportability requirements plus forward and depth logistic support arrangements.
- Supporting the production and validation of ILS Plans, Use Cases and associated deliverables.
- Gaining an understanding and the skills to be able to produce and monitor availability, reliability and maintainability estimates, drawing in mathematical and statistical knowledge to be able to be effective in supporting trials, tests, evaluations and demonstrations against the system project milestones.
- Gaining skills in technical report writing to influence the reader in adopting the recommendations for improving support or resolving a support weakness.
- Gaining knowledge in conducting Supportability Analysis (SA) and negotiation skills for recommending trade-offs, alternative support solutions and options.
- Being accountable to the Scheme Manager for successful completion of professional training and completion of placement objectives.
End of scheme
On successful completion of the scheme, you’ll move into a permanent role as a TTLS Practitioner.
Bespoke training
You’ll receive specialist TTLS Practitioner training and will work towards your Association for Project Management (APM) Project Management Qualification (PMQ).
Additional training may be provided towards obtaining the Institute of Asset Management (IAM) Certificate qualification.
Entry requirements
To apply for the scheme, you’ll need:
- five full GCSEs A-C or grades 9-4 (or equivalent) including English Language and Maths.
and
- a degree or will achieve a degree (2:2)
It is also beneficial to your application if you can demonstrate the following desirable criteria:
- Relevant experience demonstrating project or business skills achieved through internships, placements or employment.
- Ability and knowledge to interpret technical information
Help and support
There’s plenty of support available on this scheme. You’ll have:
- A dedicated scheme manager who’ll be responsible for coordinating your professional training and development throughout the scheme.
- A placement supervisor who’ll oversee your day-to-day management and provide on the job development opportunities.
Selection process
When applying, you’ll complete an initial online application and be required to undertake an online numerical, verbal and Civil Service judgement test.
If you pass all tests, you’ll then complete a full application and upload your CV (please note the specific CV requirements on the job advert).
Finally, the top scoring candidates will be invited to an assessment centre in Bristol.
This scheme is due to open in late 2023.
Benefits and discounts
We truly believe that DE&S is a great place to work, and we offer a unique experience for our graduates and apprentices.
We want to ensure that every single employee feels appreciated and fairly rewarded and being part of the Civil Service allows to offer a very unique and attractive benefits package including discounts on cinema tickets, sport and leisure and your weekly shop.
Discover all the ways we can help you make life easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Should you require support with the application process or require any technical assistance please contact the DBS team on 0800 345 7772.
A provisional offer informs you that you have been successful at interview subject to pre-employment checks. At this stage we will initiate the necessary pre-employment checks, such as security clearance and medical questionnaires. If you are an external candidate, you are strongly advised not to give notice to your current employer until pre-employment checks have successfully been concluded.
Your provisional offer will inform you of the pre-employment checks. The security checks, which are undertaken by National Security Vetting (NSV) Agency, usually take the longest to complete so you will be invited to commence this aspect once you have been informed that you have completed your interview, as this reduces delays. An invitation to begin the security clearance process is not a guarantee that you will be given an offer.
All candidates will be required to undertake security clearances to the level the role requires prior to commencing employment. Assuming the candidate completes their security forms and references are returned in a timely fashion, and that no further checks or documents are required, we would expect the individual to be advised that we are in the position to make a formal offer of employment and start discussions to agree an appropriate starting date.
The Disability Confident scheme aims to help employers make the most of the opportunities provided by employing disabled people. It is voluntary and has been developed by employers and disabled people’s representatives.
DE&S is proud to be Disability Confident Committed.
