Skip to main content

This job has expired

Stealth and Survivability Engineers and Scientists

Employer
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
Location
Salisbury, Wiltshire, IL
Salary
£25,052 - £38,066
Posting live until
15 Jun 2022

Job Details

Location

Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire

About the job

Summary

Can you make a plane disappear?
How do you hide a submarine?
What would you do to protect a tank?


Dstl (the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) works to harness science and technology to maximise the defence and security of the UK.

We are all about safety, passionate about innovation and enthusiastic about exploitation of R&D. If successful you will lead R&D projects to advance the capabilities of the UK's armed forces. With your experience, you’ll not only understand our systems and platforms but see the potential in them that others don’t.

You can look forward to a job working alongside partners in industry, academia and other government departments to research, develop, test and evaluate new ideas and to support current and future generations of UK military capability and UK prosperity

We are looking for engineers and scientists to join our Stealth and Defensive Aids teams.

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.

We particularly welcome female and ethnic minority applicants and those from the LGBTQI community, as they are under-represented within Dstl at these levels.

Job description

We have a number of roles within our teams working on Stealth and Defensive Aids and Survivability.

Depending on the area you join you'll do a mix of the following;

  • Help develop new means of protecting the UK’s armed forces from enemy attack
  • Provide technical leadership of research and development, working with subject matter experts across industry and government
  • Attend field trials of equipment and analyse the results
  • Model the impact of stealth and survivability measures
  • Work with UK MOD to define short, medium and long term capability goals
  • Work with international partners to ensure that the UK’s expertise is world-class
  • Produce reports to assess the survivability of UK or foreign aircraft

Responsibilities

Each role has different requirements;

Stealth Scientist

A degree in an appropriate scientific or engineering discipline e.g. Physics, Electronic/Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Maths etc, or other equivalent qualification.

Skills
Essential

  • Standard Microsoft operating systems and software packages

Desirable

  • Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
  • Computational ElectroMagnetics (CEM)-based modelling software
  • Numerical methods and data analysis techniques
  • Programming for task automation and / or rapid prototyping
  • Rapid prototyping and fabrication skills
  • UNIX- / Linux-based operating systems/environments

Low Observable Materials Engineer/Scientist

You will hold either a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or equivalent experience/qualifications with strong skills in one or more of the following areas:
materials science, engineering,
physical sciences with a deep understanding of research methods and experience in critical evaluation.

You'll need a good understanding in the areas of radar and electromagnetic materials encompassing radio frequency and microwave, infrared to UV spectral bands.

And will possess demonstrable knowledge and/or skill in a number of the following technical areas:

  • Physics or electrical engineering of electromagnetic (dielectric and magnetic) materials (radio frequency and microwave, infrared to visible bands);
  • Novel uses of materials in antennas, radomes or sensors
  • Camouflage, anti-reflection or absorbing coatings or structures
  • Related emerging science and technology developments

Aircraft Survivability Engineer / Scientist

As an Aircraft Survivability Engineer / Scientist, your focus will be on developing means of protecting aircraft from enemy attack, such as sensing the threat, use of advanced decoys or jammers and understanding how these systems can be integrated into the platform.

Essential Skills

  • Standard Microsoft operating systems and software packages

Desirable

  • Good written and verbal communication of technical matters to technical and non-technical audiences
  • Numerical methods and data analysis techniques
  • Understanding of systems engineering
  • Understanding of aircraft systems
  • Software development expertise

Acoustic Scientist

As an Acoustic Engineer with Physical Sciences Group (PSG) you’ll need;

  • a solid understanding of mathematics and/or physics,
  • some experience of acoustics, fluid dynamics, ocean-acoustic science or a related area,
  • an enthusiasm for both research and real world applications,
  • and an interest in problem solving,

You’ll work on a diverse and technically demanding programme of work to deliver acoustic capability in the Underwater Battlespace for UK Defence and its international partners.

You’ll will use your knowledge and experience to work closely with industry, academia, and international partners to design, develop, test and demonstrate mathematical or physical models, signal processing schemes, and algorithms, for passive and active sonar solutions, ocean acoustics and acoustic signature control solutions, to maintain UK advantage for the detection, classification, localisation, and tracking of mobile and static underwater targets, such as submarines and mines, and unfettered operation in the underwater environment.

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 full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. For some roles 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:

  • Working Together
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Developing Self and Others

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

  • Which area of Stealth/Survivability are you interested in? and why
  • Please describe your top technical / engineering / science skill and how you consider this will fit in these roles.
  • What do you consider is the most innovative development in the area you are most interested in?

Benefits

For further information about working for Dstl and our benefits go to
our Recruitment page

And please check out our LinkedIn page  If you don't already do follow us to see what we are doing.

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

See our vetting charter.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

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.

We offer a guaranteed interview for all disabled applicants who provide evidence in their application of meeting the minimum essential requirements of the post, set out in the job description. You will be asked to indicate if you are applying under this scheme when you submit your application.

Dstl is participating the Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme. If you are a Veteran and meet the essential criteria for this position you will be offered guaranteed progression to the next stage of the assessment. You will be asked to indicate if you are applying under this scheme when you submit your application.

We actively encourage and welcome applications from those who work alternative working patterns (part-time, job share, term-time only etc.), Please be prepared to discuss this if you are selected for interview. You can also discuss your working pattern with the recruiting line manager or talent acquisition adviser at the application stage if preferred.

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

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.

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.

Attachments

20220404-Candidate_Info_Pack_s_PLSD Opens in new window(pdf, 1682kB)
20220323__Stealth_Role Descriptons Opens in new window(docx, 295kB)

Company

DSTL image

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is the science and technology arm of the Ministry of Defence. As part of the UK Government we do sensitive and specialist work that cannot be done anywhere else. We’re dedicated to keeping the UK safe and secure by using world-leading science and technology. Our work has one aim – protecting lives. Our experts make innovative scientific advancements, sometimes with international impact.

Why work for us
At Dstl, we bring together the best people with the best ideas and apply science and technology in unexpected ways. Our position in defence brings strong links to the armed forces, giving us access and insight to our military personnel and their operational challenges. The solutions we deliver cover everything from long-term research and analysis, through to rapid development in support of current operations with the potential to save lives. Working with other government departments, universities and businesses, we develop battle-winning technologies that support UK military operations – now and into the future.

At Dstl, you’ll find a workforce of respected scientists and professionals who specialize in many different disciplines. We value and champion collaboration, impact and innovation, and we work with some of the most talented professionals and academics in the world. To achieve our goals, we promote and support the use of flexible working patterns to enable staff to enjoy a healthy work/life balance.

We’re always looking for the best technical and scientific minds who are looking for a career with a difference. You’ll need a relevant qualification, a flair for solving problems and a passion for new technologies. Above all, you must want to make a difference now and in the future.

Training and development
We offer an extensive range of technical and professional training that’s relevant for your career and your future ambitions, delivered both in-house and externally. We’ll support you with Chartership and accreditation, and fund up to two professional memberships for you each year.

What we are looking for
Launch your career at Dstl as a:

  • Graduate: if you join Dstl as a graduate you will put theory into practise, applying what you’ve learnt to the real-world problems that we’re solving right now. You will be contributing to important projects and supported by mentors and leading scientists.
  • Student: we have 12- or three-month internships available to experience what a career in science means.
  • Apprentice: we offer apprenticeships, up to degree level, giving you the chance to earn while you learn.

We have a variety of roles advertised on our website all year round as well as graduate and apprenticeship opportunities.


Locations
UK; Porton Down (Salisbury, Wiltshire), Portsdown West (Fareham, Hampshire)

Number of employees
4800

Positions recently recruited for
Graduate engineer, graduate scientist, graduate statistician, graduate operational researcher and analyst, graduate project manager, analysts, scientist, engineer, cyber, software

Desired degree disciplines/class
A STEM degree

Pre-requisites
UK national and eligibility to work in the UK (for security clearance purposes)

How to apply
Apply online at www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk and search for Dstl

Closing date
All year round. Graduate and apprenticeships recruitment every autumn/winter

Contact
Tel +44 (0)1980 950000
E-mail dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-science-and-technology-laboratory

Company info
Website
Telephone
+44 (0)1980 618484
Location
Room G01 Building
5 Porton Down
Salisbury
SP4 0JQ
United Kingdom

Get job alerts

Create a job alert and receive personalised job recommendations straight to your inbox.

Create alert