Specialist Instructional Officer Avionic Systems

Deliver academic instruction to military air engineering students on a Foundation Degree (BTEC Higher National equivalent) programme, focusing on the theoretical principles that underpin avionic systems. Subject areas include radar, communications, sensors, digital techniques, control engineering, and other related avionics disciplines. The role includes lesson preparation, delivery, assessment, and learner support, ensuring students develop the knowledge required for future military air engineering appointments.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week; however, the Ministry of Defence offers a range of flexibilities to enable a better work-life balance for employees. Alternative Working Patterns, in accordance with policy, can be considered where they can be accommodated by the business, although there may be occasions when a presence on site during standard working hours is required. All working patterns and flexibilities are subject to agreement with the Line Manager.

Have you built your career maintaining, operating or supporting military or civilian aircraft communication, radar, surveillance or avionics systems? Would you like to use your specialist knowledge to develop the next generation of Royal Navy aviation engineers while enjoying a stable Monday-to-Friday role with excellent benefits?

Applications are welcomed from suitably qualified candidates from both military and civilian aviation backgrounds, including military aviation, airline maintenance, aerospace manufacturing, defence industry, communications engineering, radar engineering, avionics support and aircraft systems integration.

The Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School (RNAESS) is seeking a Specialist Instructor Officer (Radar, Communications, and Secondary Avionics) to teach and develop training in aircraft communication, navigation, surveillance and avionics systems. The successful candidate will instruct military personnel undertaking career courses leading to either a Level 4 Certificate of Higher Education or a Level 5 Foundation Degree in Aeronautical Engineering, delivered by the Ministry of Defence and accredited by the University of Portsmouth.

The role has a primary focus on the theoretical principles and practical application of aircraft communication, radar and secondary avionics systems. Instruction will be delivered across subjects including:

• Radar Principles, Operation and Applications
• Airborne Surveillance and Radar Systems
• Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR), IFF and Transponder Systems
• Aircraft Communication Principles and Systems
• VHF, UHF, HF and Satellite Communications
• Navigation Aids and Aircraft Navigation Systems
• Data Transmission and Digital Networks
• Aircraft Sensors and Electronic Systems
• Avionic Systems Integration
• Fault Diagnosis and Systems Analysis

As a Specialist Instructor Officer, you will deliver engaging instruction to adult learners studying for promotion and future supervisory engineering appointments within Royal Navy Air Squadrons operating worldwide. Your expertise in communications, radar and secondary avionics systems will directly contribute to the operational effectiveness, mission success and engineering safety of Royal Navy aviation.

A Typical Week

A typical week may include preparing and delivering lessons on avionics principles, facilitating classroom discussions and problem-solving activities, supporting students with their learning, marking assessments, updating training materials, and collaborating with fellow instructors to develop course content. You will also contribute to the continuous improvement of training programmes, ensuring course material remains relevant to current aviation engineering practices.

Previous teaching experience is desirable but not essential. Full instructional training, mentoring and support will be provided for candidates who are new to teaching. A professional Defence Trainer qualification will be provided where required, alongside opportunities to gain recognised civilian teaching qualifications. You will join a supportive instructional team with access to experienced mentors, training managers, and a comprehensive trainee support network.

Teaching is conducted during the normal working week, typically 0800-1630 Monday to Thursday and 0800-1430 Friday, with training programmed for approximately 45 weeks of the year. Unlike many aviation engineering roles, this position offers regular working hours, no shift work, and an excellent work-life balance. This role offers the opportunity to combine technical expertise with the satisfaction of developing the Royal Navy's future aviation engineering leaders.

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 and Experience.

This application will require a CV. Please use this to provide examples of previous experiences that may be relevant.

Candidates will be required to complete a Statement of Suitability of no more than 500 words. Please provide experience relevant to the role.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

At sift, you will be assessed against:

• CV
• Statement of suitability

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile Behaviours:

• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others
• Communicating and Influencing

Candidates will also be required to deliver a presentation. Further information will be provided to candidates successful at sift.

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

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.