SDA Quality Assurance Engineer

Ministry of Defence

Apply before 11:55 pm on Monday 28th October 2024

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Details

Reference number

373226

Salary

£37,100 - £39,000

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Job grade

Other

Senior Technical Specialist I

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

MOD - Submarine Delivery Agency

Type of role

Engineering

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time

Location

MOD Abbey Wood, Filton, Bristol, Avon BS34 8JH

About the job

Job summary

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent, and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence.

Here you’ll find a community to belong to – whether that’s alongside project teams with a shared vision or as part of an employee network of like-minded individuals. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of around 27%, to help make work work for you.

Nationality, visas and vetting: For security reasons this role is open to sole UK nationals only. [A ‘sole UK national’ refers to an individual who holds citizenship solely in the UK, without dual citizenship or nationality from another country. We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship.

This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 10 years and obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you have 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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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 DV security clearance can be a lengthy process. You’ll join us once Security Check (SC) clearance is obtained, and then the more enhanced DV checks will continue after you’ve started your employment. If SC clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months, we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made.

Job description

Are you passionate about ensuring the highest standards in quality assurance? Do you want to play a crucial role in supporting the UK’s nuclear deterrent? If so, we are looking for a Quality Assurance Engineer to join our team and enhance the quality and reliability of our critical defence systems.

Joining our Trident Systems Project Team (TSPT), you will be deployed in delivering effective through-life support for the Trident Strategic Weapon System, Strategic Weapons Support System, Dreadnought build programme, and the Continuous At Sea Deterrent. The TSPT ensures that these critical systems are maintained, upgraded, and operated to the highest standards, ensuring the UK’s strategic defence capabilities remain robust and reliable.

As one of our Quality Assurance Engineers, you will work across multiple submarine programmes supporting the audit programme, ensuring conformance with TSPT’s policies and procedures. You will collaborate with senior managers and stakeholders on quality assurance and improvement interventions, developing and delivering quality assurance to industry standards. Our more senior engineers will also be on hand to mentor and develop you, helping you to improve your skills and progress your career.

The successful applicant may be eligible for a Trident Specialist Allowance (TSA) or Trident Chartership (TCA) if eligibility criteria are satisfied. TSA and TCA are non-contractual, non-consolidated, discretionary payments which may be withdrawn at any time.

At the SDA, we champion flexible ways of working. Regular in-person attendance is required (this is expected to be a minimum of 40%) to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

You will be required to travel to various UK locations, including, dockyards, suppliers’ sites and submarines. You may also be involved in trials, international engagement, and collaboration as part of your role. At SDA, we are passionate about professional development and welcome applications from those who hold or are currently working towards their professional membership of Quality Organizations (CQI, IRCA). If you have not yet had the opportunity to pursue this, we are keen to support you in your continued professional development.

What you’ll be doing

In this role you will be responsible for developing and delivering quality assurance through audit, inspection and quality improvement initiatives.

Key responsibilities will include:

Conducting audits of the quality management system to establish compliance with JSP 940 – Policy for Quality. Coordinating the activities of internal auditors and providing stewardship for their training and development
Conducting external audits at defence establishments in the UK and overseas as required, including participating in deep maintenance period inspection activities as required
Ensuring quality-related risks and opportunities are captured and managed, including communicating technical risks to the Lead Quality Assurance Engineer
Assisting the quality group with delivering quality assurance surveillance in support of risk management, supplier assurance, verification, validation, and acceptance
Conducting quality investigations, root cause analysis, internal process performance improvement activities, and supplier escalation or intervention. Developing quality assurance supporting tools and desk instructions
Undertaking Government Quality Assurance by endorsing quality requirements in MOD contracts

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

Hold a relevant HNC (i.e., Level 4 or higher) qualification in an engineering discipline, OR demonstrate equivalent experience
Hold an ISO 9001:2015 qualification or have ISO 9001/AS9100 experience, OR equivalent experience
Have experience in quality assurance engineering gained from involvement with multiple projects and domains

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

Technical Requirements, Evaluation & Acceptance (Supervised Practitioner)
Technical Risk Management (Practitioner)
Communicating and Influencing
Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,100, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,747 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

25 days’ annual leave +1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King’s birthday.
Flexible and hybrid working options.
Market-leading average employer pension contribution of 27%.
Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards.
Access to specialist training and funded qualifications.
Support for progression.
Huge range of discounts.
Volunteering days.
Enhanced parental leave schemes.

Improving innovation and enriching our culture, diversity of thought is vital to our success. So whether you’re looking for a new opportunity, a next step, or a helping hand as you return from a career break, bring your experiences and help deliver for the defence of tomorrow. Here you’ll find a supportive, family-friendly organisation to be a part of - and if you need any assistance with your application, just let us know.

#LI-Hybrid

Further Information

Candidate Information Pack: http://bit.ly/SDA--Candidate-Information-Pack
Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/DES-SDA-Terms-and-Conditions

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

Pre-sift - We will check 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.
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.

Interview - If you're invited to interview, you'll be assessed against the Sift categories listed above, as well as the Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification section of this advert.

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

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.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.