Graduate Acoustician

The Noise and Vibration Division (NVD) at the RAF Centre of Aerospace Medicine (CAM) delivers expert scientific support across the RAF and wider MOD on all acoustics-related matters. Our work spans conducting occupational noise and vibration surveys, modelling environmental noise, analysing complex data, producing detailed reports, and delivering specialist training. We play a crucial role in safeguarding personnel health and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. This dynamic and varied position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute directly to key MOD objectives – and that’s where you come in.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. Hybrid-working is supported, depending on the business need.

We’re looking for an enthusiastic individual to join our close-knit team, supporting and delivering two key areas of work:

• Occupational Noise and Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) Assessments – You will be part of a survey team evaluating aircrew exposure during flight and groundcrew exposure during aircraft maintenance. This vital work focuses on identifying and mitigating risks related to Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL), tinnitus, and other hearing impairments.
• Military Aviation Noise Contour (MANC) Production – Using specialist software, you will map environmental noise contours and assess the acoustic impact of aviation activities on local communities. These projects ensure compliance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and support Environmental Impact Assessments and planning decisions.

Beyond these core responsibilities, you will provide expert advice on a range of acoustics topics (including building acoustics) and support education by teaching and presenting on MOD courses. The Graduate Acoustician also plays a key role in equipment management, calibration and support.

The position may occasionally require short periods away from home (up to three weeks, with return visits at weekends). While most travel will be within the UK, there may also be opportunities for overseas visits.

Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) related degree.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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

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

Candidates will also be required to provide a Personal Statement of up to 250 words.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, Personal Statement and the following Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

In the event of a high number of applications, the sift will be based on the CV only.

At interview, you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Technical Skills:

• Applying Knowledge
• Regulatory Knowledge

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology could result in your application being rejected.

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.