Job description for Occupational Health and Safety Senior Advisor

Are you an experienced Occupational Health and Safety Advisor with a strong background in high-risk environments? Are you looking for a role that is both challenging and rewarding, where your expertise will make a real difference to the UK’s Defence Industry? If so, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) have an exceptional opportunity for you to join our Defence Munitions (DM) team.

You will focus on Explosive Safety and Major Accident Control compliance, ensuring that our onsite arrangements safeguard people and the environment while meeting all legislative and departmental requirements. You will play a vital part in developing and enhancing our site safety and environmental management systems, providing timely, professional, and effective advice across all site activities, including explosives storage, processing, and movement. Additionally, you will be overseeing safety for cross-site operations such as explosive handling jetties and engineering workshops. You will hold formal delegated authority for key occupational health and safety activities, including Major Accident Control Regulations (MACR) and Explosive Safety Representative (ESR), while supporting roles such as Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor, Establishment Fire Focal Point (EFFP), and Radiation Safety Officer (RSO).

We champion flexible working arrangements. While 100% on-site attendance is required to foster the benefits of face-to-face collaboration, we offer flexible hours to support a healthy work-life balance. This role involves minimal travel to other locations across the UK for training and development opportunities, with transportation provided where necessary.

In return, we offer you the chance to work at a site of outstanding natural beauty with a culture of inclusiveness and teamwork. We are committed to supporting your personal and professional growth, offering guidance and opportunities to help you achieve your goals. You will also have the chance to collaborate and network with like-minded professionals across Defence Munitions and DE&S.

Following appropriate training and learning, you may be required to undertake rostered emergency response duties to ensure a desiccated 24/7 presence on site to support our emergency preparedness plans. Please note these plans and requirement are currently under review.

SC clearance: 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 for which you’ve been recruited. 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

• Provide competent Occupational Health and Safety advice and guidance on aspects including Safe Systems of Work pertaining to Explosive Safety and Major Accident Control.
• Develop and maintain an effective inspection/first line of defence assurance regime to assess compliance, issuing report and tracking actions through to completion.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships across the business, at all levels and with other relevant stakeholders such as Delivery Partners, Contractors, and other Defence organisations.
• Lead on accident/incident management within area of responsibility, including investigation, root cause analysis, identification of lessons learned and production of report.
• Deliver occupational health and safety subject matter expert (SME) support to Committees and Management Boards (as appropriate) such as compliance status, incident management, statistics/trend analysis, performance indicator assessments, and audit outcomes
• Lead on fire safety compliance across the site.

Person specification

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

• Minimum NEBOSH General Certificate or an equivalent Level 3 qualification in a relevant health & safety discipline – Lead Essential Criteria
• Relevant experience of providing technical advice and delivery of safety products and/or services.
• Relevant experience of working in a similar high hazard environment.

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

• Core Behaviour 1: Communicating and Influencing – CSBC3
• Core Behaviour 2: Delivering at Pace – CSBC3
• Technical Competence 1: Audit and Assurance (OHSEP) – Practitioner
• Technical Competence 2: Emergency Response – Practitioner

 Offered Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,429 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
• 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

• Civil Service Recruitment Principles: Recruitment Principles – Civil Service Commission
• Candidate Information Pack: https://bit.ly/DES-Candidate-Information-Pack
• Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/DES-Terms-and-Conditions
• Civil Service Code: The Code – Civil Service Commission

Any personal data that you provide during the Recruitment process will be treated in accordance with the MOD Privacy Notice which can be accessed here.

Please note as a Disability Confident Leader we want to ensure you receive any reasonable adjustments that you need throughout the recruitment process. If you do require any reasonable adjustments, you can let us know on your online application under the section ‘Please indicate and give details of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the recruitment process.’

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 (CV Review) listed above, as well as the Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. 

Please Note: In the event of a tied score at interview, the Order of Merit will be distinguished based on the relative importance of the assessed competencies as per the hierarchy below:

• 1st: Core Behaviour 1
• 2nd: Core Behaviour 1
• 3rd: Technical Competencies
• 4th: CV Review

In the event of a further tie using the method above, we reserve the right to utilise an additional assessment.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact department via email: DESHR-WSC-PMOCOMPLAINTS@mod.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Recruitment Complaints – Civil Service Commission