Air Portability Trials Technical Author

The Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit (JADTEU), based at RAF Brize Norton, is Defence’s specialist organisation for testing, evaluating and assuring the safe movement and delivery of people and equipment by air. Its military and Civil Service specialists assess how vehicles, equipment and supplies can be carried inside fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, delivered by parachute, or carried beneath helicopters. The unit also assesses parachuting and helicopter troop insertion and extraction equipment. JADTEU turns the evidence from this work into approved clearances, instructions, procedures and technical publications that help Defence introduce, operate and sustain capability safely and effectively for military operations worldwide.

As a Trials Technical Author, you will develop information from equipment trials into accurate, easy-to-follow technical publications. You will work with trial specialists, photographers, illustrators and equipment owners to combine written instructions, photographs and diagrams into approved documents.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

• Work with trial specialists to create and update instructions that explain how vehicles and equipment must be secured for safe transport by aircraft.
• Work with trial specialists to collect the correct technical text, measurements, photographs and diagrams.
• Use Adobe InDesign software to turn approved material into clear and consistent PDF publications.
• Check documents for accuracy, clarity, version control and compliance with the unit’s publication process.
• Maintain registers that track new publications, document numbers, amendments and outstanding changes.
• Update existing instructions when equipment, aircraft information or trial findings change.
• Help update aircraft loading and transport manuals used for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
• Arrange the approved release and distribution of publications through Ministry of Defence information systems.
• Keep supporting records and archive completed task files so that decisions and changes can be traced later.
• Provide task information and basic statistics for management reports.
• Maintain enough knowledge of the wider technical author team’s work in other areas of the Unit to provide cover when required.

Open to UK nationals only.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a Personal Statement (750 words).

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV and Personal Statement and the following:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Further information:

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

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