Defence Equipment and Support
Naval Overseers – Acceptance Team Leader
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Organisation: Defence Equipment & Support
Salary: £61,100
Grade: Professional I
Working Pattern: Full time, Job Share, Flexible Working
Contract Type: Permanent
Job Summary
At Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), we supply and maintain vital equipment and services for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Together, we deliver a vast range of essential defence programmes, and strive for what's next. Because it helps keep our military at the top of their game and our nation safe – for today, and tomorrow.
DE&S has recently been integrated into the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. The NAD Group brings together key Ministry of Defence (MOD) organisations to unite expertise across science, technology, procurement, infrastructure, and support to provide integrated capabilities faster and more efficiently for our armed forces and our allies. This is an exciting new opportunity to enable better ways of working and empower greater collaboration across Defence. For further information about the NAD Group, please visit: National Armaments Director Group - GOV.UK.
We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of 28.97%, to help make work work for you.
This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels]. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you’ve 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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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 SC security clearance can be a lengthy process, and we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made if the necessary security clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months.
Job description
This is your opportunity to join a flagship defence programme and be at the forefront of delivering the backbone of the Royal Navy’s future frontline surface fleet.
As a Naval Overseer, working in a dynamic shipyard environment you will play a pivotal role in developing and sustaining strong, effective relationships with our industry partners. Working collaboratively with BAE Systems and the MOD/National Armaments Director Group, you will support the delivery of shared strategic objectives, while also cultivating productive stakeholder engagement with Navy Command and our export partners. You will provide on-site technical oversight and assurance throughout naval vessel construction and trials, and proactively identify and address risks, apply constructive challenge to resolve shipyard quality and performance issues, and support the successful delivery of critical maritime capability. You will play a key role in managing delivery and indemnity risks, ensuring due diligence is applied throughout the build and support lifecycle, while also contributing technical expertise to testing, acceptance, and assurance activities to support the successful delivery of naval capability. The role offers the opportunity to participate in sea trials, spending time at sea and seeing first-hand how your work contributes to operational capability.
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The Type 26 frigate is a strategically important acquisition programme, contributing to the UK's defence prosperity agenda and strengthening international collaboration. This role offers excellent development opportunities for professional growth and to build experience supporting long-term career progression. The role will provide valuable experience in establishing productive stakeholder relationships, fostering the communication, and influencing skills required to operate effectively across Government and industry, and enhance your leadership capability.
If you’re effective at developing trusted partnerships, promoting collaboration, and finding practical solutions and thrive working with diverse stakeholders this is an exceptional opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the future capability of the Royal Navy. Join a programme that will leave a lasting legacy for UK Defence.
Working environment
This role is based within operational shipbuilding facilities and requires regular attendance aboard vessels under construction and trials. Successful candidates must be able to safely access all areas of a ship, including climbing ladders, negotiating narrow access routes, entering confined spaces, and working around scaffolding and temporary structures. Whilst the role is not primarily physically demanding, it requires a suitable level of mobility, agility, and resilience to safely undertake inspection, assurance, and oversight activities within an industrial maritime environment.
This is an on-site position based at the BAE Systems facility on South Street, Scotstoun, Glasgow, G14. The role offers a compressed working pattern of 8-hour days Monday to Thursday and a shortened day on Friday (37 hours/week), and there will be opportunities to support occasional night and weekend working.
What you'll be doing
- Lead the Type 26 Joint Assurance and Acceptance Team, setting clear direction, priorities, and expectations to ensure acceptance activity is planned, coordinated, and delivered effectively across the programme.
- Own and drive Type 26 ship acceptance, ensuring the project has coherent plans, appropriate evidence, and timely decisions to demonstrate that ships meet contractual, technical, and operational requirements.
- Provide senior leadership and professional judgement on acceptance risk, concessions, readiness, and compliance, ensuring issues are understood, prioritised, and escalated with clear recommendations where required.
- Work closely with naval overseers, project engineering teams, industry partners, ship’s staff and other MOD stakeholders to align acceptance priorities, resolve blockers, and maintain delivery momentum through build, test, commissioning, and trials.
- Assure the quality, completeness, and traceability of acceptance evidence, helping the programme make confident, auditable decisions on readiness, compliance, and handover.
- Develop a positive, inclusive, and high-performing assurance and acceptance culture, supporting team members to apply sound engineering judgement, learn from experience and contribute to continuous improvement.
Person specification
To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:
- Lead criterion: Can demonstrate previous experience in:
- Delivery of maritime projects; or
- Ship or offshore oil/gas structures construction; or
- Ship or offshore oil/gas structures maintenance / refit / upgrade: or
- Ship or offshore oil/gas structures operation.
- Demonstrable experience of providing technical advice at a senior level and leading the delivery of successful engineering outcomes in multidisciplinary projects.
- Wide ranging depth and breadth of technical experience in own specialism with knowledge and application of Systems Engineering approaches.
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As a minimum hold Chartered Engineer (CEng) registration, or an equivalent professional registration recognised by a licensed Professional Engineering Institution. Candidates who can demonstrate equivalent professional competence may be appointed, subject to achieving CEng (or an approved equivalent) by 31 December 2027. Overseas registrations are acceptable where they are recognised under the International Professional Engineers Agreement/Accord.
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Please note applicants who hold only Chartered Quality Practitioner (CQP) must also hold, as minimum, RQF Level 6 Engineering qualification or Engineering Technician (EngTech).
Please see the Professional Engineering Institution Equivalences for a list of approved equivalent professional registration as per the requirements listed above.
Note: Alternatives to RQF listed above (which cover England, Wales, and Northern Ireland only), are the Scottish SCQF; or an international equivalent qualification, which must be supported by a statement of comparability from UK ENIC.
Applicants should also consider their ability to work effectively and comfortably within an operational shipbuilding working environment.
In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:
- Core Behaviour 1: Making Effective Decisions (CSBC4)
- Core Behaviour 2: Leadership (CSBC4)
- Technical Competence 1: ECF 1.3 - Setting Technical Requirements, Evaluation and Acceptance (Expert)
- Technical Competence 2: ECF 3.4 - Technical Decision Making (Expert)
Offered benefits
- 25 days’ annual leave +1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King’s birthday
- Market-leading average employer pension contribution of 28.97%
- 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.
Further Information
- Civil Service Recruitment Principles: Recruitment Principles - Civil Service Commission
- Candidate Information Pack: https://bit.ly/DES-candidate-information-pack
- Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/DES-Terms-and-Conditions
- Civil Service Code: [The Code - Civil Service Commission](https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code
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