Job description for Salvage Electrician

Why join SALMO? SALMO is the MOD’s centre of excellence for marine salvage and emergency response. Our multidisciplinary team, ranging from Master Mariners and Naval Architects to Environmental Scientists and Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV) / Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) Operators, delivers critical support to UK Defence operations around the globe. Whether it’s locating downed aircraft on the seabed, surveying wrecks, towing warships, or conducting emergency response drills, our work is as varied as it is vital.

The Salvage Electrician plays a critical role within SALMO operations, ensuring safe, reliable, and compliant electrical services across vessels, salvage platforms, mobile plant, and specialised equipment. You will install, maintain, fault-find, and repair electrical systems in demanding environments, often within time-critical operations including wreck clearance, towing/lifting evolutions, de-watering/pumping, and emergency response.

This role suits a hands-on electrician with strong marine/industrial experience, excellent safety discipline, and the ability to work flexibly at sea and on projects of national importance.

Please note:

• You will be expected to work at salvage/dive sites, at sea and in exposed environments.

In addition to your core role and responsibilities as a diver, supervisor, maintainer, you will have the opportunity to support all other areas of SALMO, as and when required. This may be in the form of underwater engineering support, welding/tooling, seabed survey and ROV. There may also be the opportunity for regular deployments within the UK, abroad and afloat, leading as a focal point of the dive team, instilling best practice in operations as well as the shore-based management role.

What’s in it for you? This is more than just a job; it’s a chance to make a real impact. The role is operationally critical and comes with additional allowances under SALMO Terms and Conditions, reflecting the importance and intensity of the work you’ll be doing.

What you’ll be doing

• Requirements – Support the generation and maintenance of technical documentation. This includes safe systems of work and Diving related Risk Assessment.
• Technical Data – Preparation of equipment, operational planning and documentation, safe systems of work, HSE regulation and system maintenance plus associated review.
• Legislation/Policy – Working in a highly regulated area, differentiate and comply with relevant legislation, regulation, policy, processes, and standards, by acting as the safety focal point and be responsible for the day-to-day management of all aspects of maintenance and supervision both ashore and afloat.
• Risk – Delegated to lead operational tasks and activities associated with maintaining capability as required, identifying, managing, and escalating all associated risk as appropriate.
• Stakeholder Management – Collaborate with on-site clients, representing DE&S.
• Support – Act as the engineering safety focal point and be responsible for the day-to-day management of all aspects of engineering maintenance and supervision both ashore and afloat. This may include providing Project Manager/Operational Task Manager for simple activities.
• Technical Discipline – Provide support in other diverse activity to both SALMO and wider Defence outputs.

Person specification

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

• Have experience of providing technical advice and delivery of successful subsea activities or marine operations; and
• Have technical experience of marine operations in a variety of contexts; and
• Hold (as minimum) either:
  • An Engineering, Science, Technical, Technology or Marine based qualification at RQF Level 6; or

• • A Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Marine based qualification at RQF Level 4, plus with a Professional body/institution related to your discipline hold current professional registration at the level listed below; or

• • A Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Marine based qualification at RQF Level 3, plus a minimum of 3 further years of relevant professional experience; or

• • With a Professional body/institution listed below, hold current professional registration at the level listed below, plus a minimum of 3 further years of relevant professional experience; or

• • STCW 1 OOW Unlimited (STCW) or STCW OOW Engineer, or Electro-Technical Officer (ETO) III/6 (Unlimited).

• • In date Surface Supplied Diving qualifications that comply with Schedule 1 or Schedule 2, of the HSE Diving at Work Regulations 1997 List of Approved Diving Qualifications1 plus 3 years diving experience (supported by a logbook)

Professional Registration List (minimum levels provided)

• Engineering Technician (EngTech) or
• Registered Science Technician (RSciTech); or
• Marine Engineering Technician (MarEngTech); or
• Marine Technician (MarTech).

And:

• Be a Sole UK National; and
• Full UK Driving Licence; and
• Be able to satisfy requirements of:
  • 2-Yearly ENG1 Seafarers Medical 2., and
  • Be enlisted as a Royal Navy Sponsored Reserve 2.
  • Annual HSE Dive Medical 2, and
  • Dive Aptitude test 2.

1) STCW = International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.

2) For recruitment purposes, external candidates do not need to hold these (including no prior commercial diving experience) for interview but must have no known reasons not to achieve this within 6 months of employment; successful candidates must pass the HSE Dive Medical and undergo a dive aptitude test prior to being offered the role.

This role is subject to Retained Grade Terms and Conditions and differ from the DE&S standard Terms and Conditions.

For SALMO Retained Grade seeking promotion, please refer to Part 2, Section 10.2 of the SALMO Retained Grade Handbook.

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

• Core Behaviour 1: Making Effective Decisions – CSBC 3
• Core Behaviour 2: Working Together – CSBC 3
• Technical Competence 1: ECF_02 Safety Management – Awareness
• Technical Competence 2: ECF_03 Supportable Technical Solutions – Supervised Practitioner

 Offered Benefits

• Full time staff employed for less than 5 years are entitled to 26.5 days’ annual leave per year, rising to 31.5 days per year after 5 years of service
• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Market-leading employer pension contribution of around 28.97%
• Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded professional 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/DES_Candidate-Information-Pack
• SALMO Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/SALMO-Terms-and-Conditions

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.

Disability Confident:

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 ranking of the assessed behaviours and competencies 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 the Lead criterion, and/or and 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