Job description for Safety Engineer

Are you a Safety Engineer ready to tackle some of the most complex engineering challenges in the world? Do you want to play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and success of the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines? If so this may be the perfect new role for you.

If you have a desire to learn, make a difference and begin a long and varied career, you could be deployed to deliver within our busy and dynamic Nuclear Propulsion Project team (NPPT). NPPT are tasked with delivering efficient and effective management of submarine reactor plants, ensuring they are safe and available for the Royal Navy’s strategic defence tasks. Combining a nuclear reactor, service personnel, and explosives in a hazardous environment, we ensure that systems and equipment meet design intent and are always operationally safe and functional. Our commitment to safety engineering is key to our success.

You will act as a Safety Case Manager within a collaborative team and you will work independently and autonomously, fostering personal and professional growth. You will build strong working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders and industry partners to maintain regular engagement with our industry regulator.

You will be inducted into a hybrid working, fair, and ethical environment that promotes personal development and career progression, enriching your future and career in engineering. Our more senior engineers will also be on hand to mentor and develop you, helping you to improve your skills and progress your career.

Successful applicants may have the opportunity to travel to various UK locations, including shipyards, dockyards, suppliers’ sites, and submarines. You may also get involved in trials, international engagement, and collaboration as part of your role.

This post may be eligible for the NSQEP Recruitment Retention Allowance of up to £12000 per annum. This allowance is discretionary and will be dependent on a candidate’s ability to successfully demonstrate the necessary competency, qualifications, and experience to an independent panel of Subject Matter Experts.

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 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 a Safety Engineer, you will have engineering responsibilities relating to submarine safety across all phases of project lifecycles. You will work as a project authority to provide subject matter expertise, ensuring existing systems and equipment undergoing change remain safe. You can expect to work in a multi-disciplinary team of engineers as well as project managers, commercial cost engineers, scientists, and deep technical specialists.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Reviewing and assessing new and existing safety documentation against Safety Policy, including safety case reports and safety management plans
• Assessing impact of equipment changes, safety alerts and safety justifications to support the commissioning and approval of equipment
• Providing specialist advice on the application of safety arrangements
• Advising internal personnel, industry safety teams and senior management on safety matters
• Representing the team at internal and external meetings, for example change boards, safety related working groups, safety committees, and other safety meetings

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 Engineering or have equivalent relevant experience
• Have experience of providing technical advice and delivery of safety products or services
• Have experience of working in a highly regulated industry (such as nuclear, oil and gas, energy, rail, automotive, defence, maritime OR a similar industry)

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

• Technical Decision Making (Supervised Practitioner)
• Applies knowledge and complies with safety requirements, procedures and regulations (Practitioner)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,100, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,747 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 27%
• 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.