Weapons, Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives (WOME) Assurance Officer

Thank you for considering the position of Weapons, Ordinance, Munitions and Explosives (WOME) Assurance Officer. This varied role is required to assure the delivery of strategically important WOME export contracts to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It will suit a flexible and confident quality assurance professional with WOME experience, able to represent HM Government across industry and with the export customer.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. Due to the nature of the role, job share arrangements may be considered, subject to the requirement that full-time hours are fully covered.

The MOD – Saudi Armed Forces Projects (MODSAP) is a unique and exciting environment in which to work and forms a crucial part of the strategic defence relationship between the UK and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

You will be joining MODSAP at a key juncture in the UK-Saudi relationship with Saudi Arabia undertaking an unprecedented programme of societal reforms, while facing continuing challenges to regional and national security. Consequently, it is a fascinating country wrestling with some strategic challenges as it seeks to develop its industrial and defence capabilities against a backdrop of an unstable region and increasing external scrutiny of its decisions and behaviours. UK defence, security and prosperity interests in Saudi Arabia remain substantial.

Female candidates, contrary to past restrictions, are welcome and encouraged to a country that is keen to unlock and utilise everyone’s capacity and capability, male and female alike.

The UK has a longstanding bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia which currently accounts for over a third of all defence exports from the UK, with MODSAP playing a key role overseeing delivery of services worth billions of pounds to the UK economy. It is a large, challenging and complex programme of work that has been running for 40 years and it is on these foundations that we must build – central to this is our strategy for the 2030s and beyond to capitalise upon the significant future opportunities within the defence and security relationship of both countries.

We have embarked upon a path to enact positive and lasting change from within, through internal organisational change and transformation, and enhanced HMG collaboration to meet the demands of tomorrow. Whether this is a through a re-focussed attitude, modernising our business processes, developing and enhancing relationships with our colleagues across Governments and industries, or sustaining and enhancing the commitments made by HMG to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is a rewarding challenge and unlike any other post in Government.

You will be supported by a diverse and high performing team, and by a senior management team who are committed to developing MODSAP as a great place to work, where staff are respected, valued and fairly rewarded for their contribution to the successful achievement of our common mission, where we also seek to nurture your skillsets, expanding on those where possible and broadening your horizons for the future.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder. Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Main Responsibilities:

• Management of Weapons, Ordnance, Munitions and Explosives (WOME) This will include contract planning activities and thereafter assurance of Prime Contractor performance against contracted standards, schedules and deliverables.
• Act as nominated Safety Assurance Officer (SAO) to provide assurance of the Prime Contractor’s Safety Management System performance. This will include reviewing risk assessments, compliance with relevant standards and adherence to relevant WOME engineering practices.
• Provide quality assurance support across the broader Systems portfolio which includes infrastructure, simulation and electronic warfare training services.
• Conduct of contractor audits in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, this will include a specific focus on explosive safety standards in maintenance and logistics facilities operated by the Prime Contractor.
• Provide advice to Royal Saudi Air Force and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Government Officials on WOME matters including training, technical, qualification & certification, safety & environmental good practice, policy, procedures / process, standards, operational test and evaluation.
• Provide assistance to the Royal Saudi Air Force and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Government Officials on continual improvement of WOME management, sharing lessons identified by the UK MOD, access to technical and logistics information and for official visits to UK MOD and industry sites.

The candidate must have:

• A recognised engineering or quality assurance qualification.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Professional registration at Incorporated Engineer standard through membership of an appropriate professional body such as IExpE or IET, etc.
• ISO 9001 Lead Auditor.
• Government Quality Assurance License.
• Project or programme management qualifications such as AMP PMQ, MSP or similar.

Open to UK nationals only.

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.

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV, and the following Technical Skills:

• WOME Functional Skills
• Quality assurance

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following Behaviours and Technical Skills:

Behaviours:

• Changing & Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating & Influencing
• Working Together

Technical Skills:

• WOME Functional Skills
• Quality assurance

Candidates successful at sift stage will be invited to interview.

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.