Location
Dstl Portsdown West or Dstl Porton Down
At Dstl, our vision is to have a modern way of working efficiently, accommodating and enabling our people to create, collaborate and deliver. To do this successfully in this job will require attendance at Dstl Porton Down & Dstl Portsdown West for 60% of your working time. Where business needs allow, and with the agreement of your line manager, there may be the option for a combination of workplace and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement.
About the job
Job summary
Do you have a background in Electronics, System Security Engineering or Military Systems? If so, this could be an exciting opportunity to be part of a team involved with varied and stimulating work engaging across a wide breadth of MOD and UK Defence suppliers. This post works on assuring the Capability Protection aspects of all UK Armed Forces domains and their capabilities. Exporting Defence equipment helps reduce the cost of equipping our own forces, but exposes our advanced technology to hostile analysis and proliferation. This post has responsibility for specifying, and helping to design, security features (such as anti-tamper) into military equipment so that it is protected from hostile analysis if lost on the battlefield and/or sold to foreign armed forces. This is called Technical Protection.
Capability Protection is the collective term for activities undertaken to protect the Operational Advantage (Op Adv) [battle-winning edge] and ensure the Freedom of Action (FoA) to acquire the equipment we need and use it as and when we choose, which are essential for, and integral to the effectiveness of our military capability. Achieving the necessary protection serves two distinct purposes. Firstly, reducing the risk that capabilities used by UK Armed Forces on operations may be unexpectedly overmatched, due to adversaries having accessed and intrusively analysed them to develop countermeasures or copies. Secondly, realising tangible benefits for UK prosperity by enabling exportability and reducing the chance that capabilities can be replicated for commercial or military advantage.
Dstl’s Technical Protection team is a key player in UK Defence Capability Protection, advising UK Government, its various agencies and industry partners on ensuring that the security measures in place provide the most protection possible. We pride ourselves on bringing people together to achieve remarkable things; seeing the bigger picture, identifying, and seizing opportunities, thinking creatively to solve difficult issues, and proactively helping Defence to understand and make choices.
Dstl recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion as people from diverse backgrounds bring fresh ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive working environment in which each employee fulfils their potential and maximises their contribution.
Job description
In this role you will:
* Use your domain, security and electronics skills to advise on what security elements are required for inclusion in system developments.
* Research technologies and expand your subject matter knowledge by rooting out and delving into published information, engaging with experts (internally and with external bodies such as international partners and academia) or learning activities.
* Meet and collaborate with product development teams, understanding their projects and providing advice to ensure their development includes the best security measures it can.
* Provide advice across Government and Industry, including potentially briefing senior officials, to ensure robust decision-making in your area of expertise.
* Lead other staff in the successful delivery of larger work areas.
* Develop your and your colleagues’ skills and knowledge to strengthen current and future capability in this area.
* Provide rigorous review of team processes and outputs to ensure the technical quality of our research.
* Use your knowledge and skills to identify opportunities for the Capability Protection team to enhance the security of the UKs defence products.
Safety
Accountable for ensuring safe and secure work:
* Must appreciate and be responsible for the health and safety of self and others; both understand and meet defined accountabilities as written in Dstl policy.
* Must demonstrate the expected HS (& EP) behaviours as defined by the Civil Service and Dstl and lead by example.
* Must ensure understanding and maintenance of appropriate training, experience and knowledge (i.e. competent / SQEP) for self and direct reports.
* Develop a working environment that is supportive of and champions the Dstl approach to security, health, wellbeing, safety and environmental (HSEP) management.
* Be aware of the downstream impact of their actions and the actions of their direct reports on those outside of their immediate control.
* Implement Dstl's policies and ensure compliance with the Management System.
Person specification
ESSENTIAL
A degree or advanced professional qualification in Security Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Communications Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Software Engineering, System Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Architecture, Information Technology, Science or Engineering with the appropriate technical / professional experience, OR an equivalent level of skills / knowledge / expertise.
ESSENTIAL SKILLS
* Knowledge and understanding of programmable electronics.
* Knowledge and understanding of security techniques (software, hardware, materials, cyber).
As well as:
* Ability to build effective relationships with a range of technical colleagues and senior stakeholders.
* Able to brief technical subjects to non-technical audiences at senior levels.
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE
* Experience delivering products and/or advice.
* Experience of using programmable electronics.
* Recent research experience.
* Experience of prioritising your work/tasks to ensure effective delivery.
Important Information
Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats. For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.
This role will require Developed Vetting will also be required, in this case you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Delivering at Pace
* Seeing the Big Picture
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
* Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
Benefits
Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:
* Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution. In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.
* Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours (e.g. working a 4 day week/ 9 day fortnight), job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).
* Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.
* Where you work: Depending on your role, blended working may be available including remote working to suit you and your team. This can be discussed at interview.
* Annual leave: 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.
* Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid.
* Learning and Development: Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.
* Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
This vacancy will close on 30th April 2025, applications will be sifted in tranches.
1st sift 7-11 April. 1st interview round 14-17 April.
2nd sift 2nd May. 2nd interview round 12-16 May.
We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so if at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only. This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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.
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
* Name: Dstl Recruitment Team
* Email: dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk
Recruitment team
* Email: dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk
Further information
Should you wish to raise a formal complaint about the Dstl recruitment process you should email dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk stating the nature of the issue. We will respond within 5 working days. If we are unable to resolve a complaint you have the option to refer this to the Civil Service Commission.
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