NAVY COMMAND - MCTA SONAR Systems Trial Engineer

Are you looking for an opportunity to apply your engineering skills in direct support of the Royal Navy (RN) front line? The RN Maritime Capability, Trials and Assessment (MCTA) organisation is looking for hard-working engineers and technicians to join our highly professional team of Trials Engineers to go onboard warships in harbour and at sea, around UK and occasionally overseas, to inspect RN SONAR Systems in readiness for operations worldwide. This trials officer role is an exciting one conducting inspections on the sophisticated SONAR & Navigation and Mine Hunting systems across all classes of RN warships, including Patrol Ships, T23 Frigates, T45 Destroyers and Queen Elizabeth Class. There are also opportunities to get involved in future RN ships and technologies, such as the new T26 and T31 frigates and autonomous vessels.

MCTA is a fast-paced team of Military and Civil Servants led by a Royal Navy Captain, who face a constantly evolving vista of work carrying out assessment and assurance of equipment on aircraft carriers, warships, and smaller military vessels.

This role would suit applicants of an engineering / technical background with an interest in maintaining standards in SONAR Systems and associated equipment, with opportunities to broaden into other equipment’s and systems assessed by MCTA.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

This role delivers the duties of an MCTA Trials Engineer for all relevant system related activities, including the maintenance of professional standards through training and development to deliver trials assessments as required by NCHQ, DE&S and Naval Authority (Navigation). This needs to be supported by the ability to work independently, and good leadership and communication skills that have been proven in a team working environment. This is a challenging but rewarding role that also provides the opportunity for personal development and the ability to improve and progress your career.

Whilst based in Victory Building in Portsmouth, the role is required to visit other locations around the UK and on occasions abroad to conduct assurance visits and progress meetings. Weekend working and nights away at sea and in other locations may be required.

The main tasks of the Trials Officers are:

To be capable of:

• conducting inspections as a professional engineer with an extensive knowledge of the operation and performance of the systems relevant to the role.
• applying general engineering perspective to all trials.
• compiling trials related defect lists, discussing with the shipbuilder/refitting authority/ ship to establish content, priority, and liability.
• attending post trials meetings to assist in the agreement of responsibilities for defect rectification and outstanding trials, and to acquaint those authorities concerned with the assessment, conclusion, and subsequent actions necessary to complete those inspections and trials.
• leading and assisting in the compilation of Trials Reports on completion of trials, including proofing of section trial reports before sending for staffing.
• providing advice on trial contents and conducts to relevant authorities and ship staffs.
• conducting trials beyond the role’s primary area in support of the wider Weapons Systems group (WS Group) on, once qualified, other systems covered by the Sensors Systems team including new systems being introduced into service, or (again once qualified) on other systems covered by WS Group.

Interacting with a wide range of authorities and personnel to resolve problems and ensure that current MOD policies are followed in the conduct of day-to-day business.

Minimum of HNC/HND in engineering, such as General Engineering, Electronic Engineering, or equivalent.

Open to UK nationals only.

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

As part of Defence Reform, Navy Command continues to review and evolve its Target Operating Model to support more agile ways of working. In this context, the role and responsibilities of this role may develop over time to reflect changing business priorities and opportunities.

At Sift, you will be assessed against the following;

• 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. This should be a maximum of 500 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential requirements for the role.

Evidence of the following behaviours:

• Making effective decisions
• Leadership

At Interview, you will be assessed against the following;

Behaviours:

• Making effective decisions
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

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.