Defence Equipment and Support
Project Acceptance Engineer
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Organisation: Defence Equipment & Support Salary: £37,600 (plus generous benefits) Grade: Senior Technical Specialist 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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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
If you have a background in mechanical engineering or naval architecture, 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 alongside industry partners in a dynamic shipyard environment, you will provide on-site technical oversight of ship construction focusing on survivability and signature features, including acoustic, radar, and infrared. Drawing on your engineering expertise, you will ensure that critical survivability and signature design specifications are fully incorporated into construction, providing assurance that quality standards, technical specifications, and contractual obligations are met throughout delivery. Using your technical expertise and professional judgement, you will identify and resolve issues at the earliest opportunity, support timely decision-making, and help mitigate programme, performance and delivery risks while contributing to testing and acceptance activities. 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.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
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 exceptional development opportunities and hands-on experience, and will expand your engineering knowledge and skills, build relationships to engage effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across Government and industry, and foster leadership experience.
If you’re curious, hands-on and enjoy finding solutions to technical engineering challenges, this is an outstanding opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the future effectiveness of the Royal Navy and be part of 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
- Provide professional engineering oversight of ship construction and trials, acting as a MOD/ National Armaments Director Group representative in the shipyard and helping to ensure ships are delivered to the required contractual, technical, and quality standards.
- Undertake on-site ship build assurance and inspection activity, identifying and recording defects, quality shortfalls, and emerging issues early, and supporting timely resolution with the shipbuilder and MOD project team.
- Use engineering judgement to support local decision-making, provide clear recommendations, and escalate issues where required to help maintain delivery tempo while managing risk appropriately.
- Support acceptance and assurance activities, including attendance at key inspections, tests, trials, and readiness events, and contribute to the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance with agreed requirements.
- Work collaboratively with industry partners, ship’s staff and MOD stakeholders to maintain effective communication, understand delivery risks, and support continuous improvement and lessons from experience.
- Promote safe, compliant, and professional working in shipyard and trials environments, supporting the management of safety, environmental and indemnity risks within the scope of the role.
Person specification
To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:
- Have technical engineering experience in in a variety of maritime contexts (Lead Criterion).
- Have experience of providing technical advice and delivery of successful engineering or science outcomes.
- As a minimum hold:
- A Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics based qualification at RQF Level 6; or
- A Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics based qualification at RQF Level 4 and current professional registration with a body/institution related to your discipline at the level listed below; or
- A Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics based qualification at RQF Level 3, plus a minimum of 3 further years of relevant professional experience, or
- With a Professional body/institution related to your discipline, hold current professional registration at the level listed below, plus a minimum of 3 further years of relevant professional experience.
- Professional Registration List minimum level held Engineering Technician (EngTech), or Marine Engineering Technician (MarEngTech), or Marine Technician (MarTech)
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Please see the Professional Engineering Institution Equivalences [https://des.mod.uk/media/zqse2sex/nad-group-professional-engineering-institution-equivalences.pdf] 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 (CSBC3)
- Core Behaviour 2: Working Together (CSBC3)
- Technical Competence 1: ECF 1.3 - Setting Technical Requirements, Evaluation and Acceptance (Supervised Practitioner)
- Technical Competence 2: ECF 3.4 - Technical Decision Making (Supervised Practitioner)
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 [https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/]
- Candidate Information Pack: [https://bit.ly/DES-candidate-information-pack](https://bit.ly/DES-candidate-information-
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills