Defence Accident Investigation Branch - Maritime Engineer

The Defence Accident Investigation Branch (DAIB) sits within the Defence Safety Authority (DSA) and conducts independent, impartial and expert no-blame safety investigations across Defence. DAIB’s reports are produced for the DSA and provide evidence-based safety learning to support the prevention of future accidents. The Maritime Engineering Investigator provides specialist marine engineering expertise to support DAIB’s maritime accident investigation capability, particularly where engineering failure, system performance, maintenance, design, operation or technical assurance may be relevant to the occurrence.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. This role includes participation in the DAIB on call duty rota, for which an additional allowance is payable.

The postholder will be part of DAIB’s maritime investigation function and will contribute to triage deployments, Service Inquiries, Non-Statutory Inquiries, technical reports, safety recommendations and wider organisational learning. They will help ensure that maritime investigations are credible, technically informed, independent and able to identify evidence-based safety learning for the DSA and wider Defence.

The role is operationally important because DAIB maintains a 24/7 accident notification and response capability and must be able to deploy suitably qualified and experienced investigators at short notice. The successful candidate will therefore be expected to participate in DAIB duty arrangements, maintain deployment readiness and operate in challenging and sensitive environments, including accident sites and inquiry settings. As part of these responsibilities, there may be a requirement to work outside normal office hours, including weekends and public holidays, to support operational activity.

Key Responsibilities

• Deploy as a DAIB maritime engineering investigator in response to Defence accidents, serious incidents and near misses, including activity in the UK and overseas.
• Provide specialist marine engineering advice to DAIB triage teams, investigation leads, Service Inquiry panels and senior DAIB leadership.
• Contribute to evidence collection, preservation, analysis and interpretation, ensuring that engineering evidence is handled appropriately and used to support robust findings.
• Assess engineering systems, maintenance records, technical documentation, operating context, equipment condition and relevant organisational factors to identify possible causal or contributory issues.
• Produce clear, evidence-based engineering input for triage reports, technical reports, Service Inquiry reports, Non-Statutory Inquiry reports, safety investigation bulletins and other investigation products as required.
• Support the development of safety recommendations, ensuring that engineering-related findings are traceable, proportionate, technically sound and capable of supporting effective safety action.
• Engage with Defence maritime stakeholders, Front-Line Commands, technical authorities, project teams, regulators, original equipment manufacturers and other subject matter experts while maintaining DAIB’s independence and impartiality.
• Provide advice, mentoring and support to Service Inquiry panels and DAIB investigators on maritime engineering matters.
• Keep abreast of relevant maritime engineering developments, accident investigation practice, safety technology and investigative techniques.
• Support DAIB training, exercises, visits, presentations and continuous improvement activity as directed by SO1 Maritime or Head DAIB.
• Maintain personal readiness, professional competence and currency for DAIB deployment, including completion of mandatory training and participation in the duty roster.
• Act as a DAIB reviewer for safety recommendations from Statutory Inquiries and Non- Statutory Inquiries.

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 and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a Statement of Suitability of up to 750 words explaining why they are suitable for the role. The statement should provide evidence against the essential criteria and should specifically address:

• their marine engineering experience and how it is relevant to this role;
• how they have analysed complex technical information, identified relevant evidence, tested assumptions and reached clear evidence-based conclusions;
• how they have communicated technical matters clearly and credibly to senior or non-specialist audiences;
• how they have worked effectively with others in a multidisciplinary, operational or safety-related environment;
• how they would maintain professional judgement, independence and impartiality when supporting a Defence safety investigation; and
• their willingness and ability to deploy worldwide at short notice and participate in DAIB duty arrangements.

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV, Statement of Suitability and the following Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

If a high volume of applications is received, an initial sift will be based on the Statement of Suitability. Candidates who meet or exceed the agreed benchmark will then be sifted against the remaining CV and Behaviours, otherwise your application will be rejected.

Interviews will be conducted w/c 16 Nov at Boscombe Down. This date is subject to change.

At interview, candidates will be assessed against their Experience.

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.