Job description for Mechanical Engineer

Are you a Mechanical Engineer looking for a challenging and rewarding career? Do you want to work with cutting-edge submarine systems and tackle unique engineering challenges? If so, this might be the right role for you.

We are looking for a Mechanical Engineer to join our Platform Equipment Delivery (PEDT) team. PEDT is accountable for providing assurance that equipment is safe to operate and fit for purpose, monitoring and implementing governance and assurance policies and procedures to ensure the ‘safe and professional’ performance of Royal Navy assets.

In this role, you ‘ll lead the development of requirements, including acceptance plans, performance criteria, and draft specifications. Working with various stakeholders is critical to our success, and you ‘ll interface with industry as the intelligent customer, both in a scrutiny role and supporting the identification of application risks.

Please note, some of these roles may require occasional travel to naval bases and ports in the UK and overseas.

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.

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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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

What you’ll be doing

As one of our Mechanical Engineers, you ‘ll manage the delivery of all engineering aspects in your area of responsibility, providing expert advice and guidance to solve complex technical problems and identify application risks.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Certifying the completion of engineering activities to meet the Authority requirement
• Delivering engineering decisions and providing technical advice, within delegated authority, guaranteeing design intent is maintained and any deviations have gone through due process
• Providing assurance of progress against delivery of engineering activities, recommending remedial action where required
• Ensuring engineering practice is undertaken in accordance with the safety case
• Acting as intelligent customer
• Identifying and overseeing risks, engaging with the relevant stakeholders to ensure risk mitigation and underpinning the certainty of project delivery

Person specification

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

• Hold a relevant HNC (i.e., Level 4 or higher) qualification in an engineering discipline, OR demonstrate equivalent experience.
• Be a Chartered or Incorporated Engineer, OR has demonstrated equivalent knowledge, skills and experience
• Have experience of providing technical advice and leading the delivery of successful engineering projects or activities
• Wide ranging depth and breadth of technical experience in mechanical engineering, OR a closely related discipline

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

• Technical Decision Making – Practitioner
• Technical Requirements, Evaluation & Acceptance – Practitioner
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,200, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,384 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 25 days’ annual leave +1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King’s birthday
• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Market-leading average employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded qualifications
• Support for progression
• Huge range of discounts
• Volunteering days
• Enhanced parental leave schemes

Improving innovation and enriching our culture, diversity of thought is vital to our success. So whether you’re looking for a new opportunity, a next step, or a helping hand as you return from a career break, bring your experiences and help deliver for the defence of tomorrow. Here you’ll find a supportive, family-friendly organisation to be a part of – and if you need any assistance with your application, just let us know.

Further Information

• Candidate Information Pack: https://bit.ly/SDA-Candidate-Information-Pack
• Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/DES-SDA-Terms-and-Conditions

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. When two (or more) candidates are on equal interview scores, positions will be offered based on the scores assessed at interview, in this order – 1st) Technical competence, 2nd) CV Review, 3rd) Behaviour one, 4th) Behaviour two.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.