Navy – Maritime Capability Trials and Assessment - Guns Trials Engineer

At Navy Command, we lead, support, and sustain the Royal Navy across every theatre of operations. We coordinate the people, platforms, and missions that keep the Fleet ready for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we uphold centuries of naval tradition while driving innovation that ensures the Royal Navy’s readiness to protect our nation and secure our future.

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 Officers to go onboard ships in harbour and at sea, around UK and occasionally overseas, to inspect the ship-fitted guns and similar equipment in readiness for operations worldwide. This trials officer role is an exciting one conducting inspections on the full range of guns fitted to ships from Heavy Machine Guns through to 30mm Small Calibre Guns, with potential to extend into Medium Calibre Guns such as 4.5 Mk 8 and will bring you into contact with current and future RN ships and technologies.

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 guns fitted to ships and associated gun systems, with opportunities to broaden into OME and other equipment and systems. For external applicants the post is available as a permanent Navy Command Headquarters (NCHQ) civilian position.

You'll be based at HMNB Portsmouth, one of the oldest and busiest naval bases in the world. It is home to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers (HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales) alongside destroyers, frigates, and specialist squadrons. As a vibrant hub of maritime power and innovation, Portsmouth sustains the Fleet and supports thousands of personnel.

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week.

This role delivers assessments of guns and gun systems, requiring high professional standards and through-career training and development. 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.

There is also an option to base this position out of Grenville Block, HMNB Devonport, Plymouth with regular visits to Victory Building.

The main tasks of the Trials Officers are to:

• conduct inspections as a professional engineer with an extensive knowledge of the operation and performance of the systems relevant to the role.
• apply general engineering perspective to all trials.
• compile trials related defect lists, discussing with the shipbuilder/refitting authority/ ship to establish content, priority and liability.
• attend 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.
• lead and assist in the compilation of Trials Reports, including proofing of section trial reports before sending for staffing.
• provide advice on trial contents and conduct to relevant authorities and ship staffs.
• conduct analysis of gun performance.
• conduct trials beyond the role’s primary area in support of the wider Weapons Systems group (WS Group) on, once qualified, other RN systems and equipment, including new capabilities.
• interact 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.

The post holder is expected to have an informed opinion on matters that affect MCTA and the Directorate as a whole and contribute to initiatives to improve the conduct and cost of business activities.

HND in 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.

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. (250 words)

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

At interview you will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving

This vacancy will require selected applicants to attend an interview in Victory Building in Portsmouth.

Suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly.

Applications must be completed by 23:55 on the closing date of the vacancy. Late submissions cannot be accepted.

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.