Health & Safety Manager

At Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), we supply and maintain vital equipment and services for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Together, we deliver a vast range of essential defence programmes, and strive for what's next. Because it helps keep our military at the top of their game and our nation safe – for today, and tomorrow.

DE&S has recently been integrated into the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. The NAD Group brings together key Ministry of Defence (MOD) organisations to unite expertise across science, technology, procurement, infrastructure, and support to provide integrated capabilities faster and more efficiently for our armed forces and our allies. This is an exciting new opportunity to enable better ways of working and empower greater collaboration across Defence. For further information about the NAD Group, please visit: National Armaments Director Group - GOV.UK

We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of 28.97%, to help make work for you.

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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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.

We are seeking an experienced, proactive and highly motivated Health & Safety Manager to join the management team at Defence Munitions Crombie.

This is a key leadership position within a complex, safety-critical defence environment, covering road, rail and marine logistics offering an opportunity to influence safety performance, operational effectiveness and organisational improvement.

You will have a dual responsibility leading a dedicated team providing professional health and safety and comprehensive business support across the establishment while supporting the wider management and day-to-day management of the site.

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate sound operational judgement, strong leadership skills and a practical, proportionate approach to managing risk.

This role is primarily 80-100% site based at the DM Crombie, in a remote area with no public transport options so it is essential that you have a full UK driving licence. Please note any travel to sites other than your Primary Duty Station will be subsidised.

The successful candidate must be able to safely access all relevant operational and estate areas across the site, including woodland and locations with uneven terrain. While the role is not primarily physically demanding, it involves undertaking inspections and other infrastructure oversight activities outdoors in variable and occasionally adverse weather conditions. The successful candidate must therefore be able to undertake these activities safely, with reasonable adjustments considered where appropriate.

After appropriate training and experiential learning, you will have the opportunity to undertake rostered Duty Control Officer and Duty Officer in Charge duties, ensuring a dedicated 24/7 presence and on-call system. These rostered commitments also attract additional renumeration.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead and develop a high performing team covering health, safety & environment, risk management, local communications and depot support to deliver solid backing on a day-to-day basis to multiple stakeholders, while fostering a strong safety culture and continuous improvement.
• Provide expert safety assurance and advice on all site activities, including explosives storage, processing, and movements.
• Oversee compliance with health, safety, environmental, radiation, fire, and dangerous goods regulations.
• Manage explosive safety licensing and work safety approvals, ensuring all operations meet stringent safety standards.
• Lead accident prevention, reporting, investigation, and implementation of lessons learned.
• Oversee the maintenance and development of appropriate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), dashboard reporting, risk registers and preparing management information (MI), including provision of business intelligence and analysis for management meetings.
• Coordinate Major Accident Control Regulation (MACR) activities, liaising with emergency services and regulatory authorities.
• Manage delivery of tasking on time and to MOD standards, leading the team to achieve key performance indicators.
• As part of the site senior management team, you will provide ongoing support and considered advice and guidance on safety and business-related support, acting as an escalation point and reporting to the Head of Establishment.
• Collaborate with Defence Munitions and National Armaments Director Group stakeholders, local trade unions, and staff representatives.

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)

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

1. Pre-sift - We will check your application to ensure 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 - Interview questions will assess the following behaviours and technical competencies:

• CV Review
• Core Behaviour 1
• Core Behaviour 2
• Technical Competencies

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 2
• 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 criteria, and/or an additional assessment. Please note for this specific assessment, the Lead Criteria will be:

Relevant work experience across a similar role in a high hazard environment

Please Note:

In the event of high volume of applications, the selection panel reserves the right to increase the overall pass mark. Please refer to the candidate pack for more information.

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 (NAD-Recruitment-Complaints@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

Offering at a lower level

If you’re not successful at interview, we may offer you a role at a lower level if this is a match for your skills and experience. If this applies to your application, you’ll be scored against criteria for the lower-level role and offers will be made in merit order. If you accept this position, you’ll be able to take advantage of opportunities to develop your career as part of our team.

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