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Operational Researchers

Employer
Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
Location
Fareham, Hampshire, UK
Salary
£25,052 - £54,683
Posting live until
18 Sep 2022

Job Details

Summary

At Dstl we test, analyse and understand new ways of operating and new capabilities for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in an increasingly challenging future. We are Operational Researchers who use both qualitative and quantitative analytical approaches to inform policy and procurement decisions, supporting strategic and operational decision makers across government.

Our work has impact on defence thinking both now, and far into the future.

Do you have knowledge and experience of applying Operational Research (OR) skills and techniques (such as Data Analysis, Interviews and Workshops, Systems Thinking, Programming, Modelling and Simulation) and the ability to choose and apply the best techniques for the task at hand? We are looking for people to help the MOD make decisions based on good quality, objective evidence which you will provide through leading Operational Research tasks. By applying innovative, critical thinking and analytical skills you will help to identify, quantify and overcome current and future problems facing Defence. 

We need people with a degree or vocational experience in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) discipline and experience in leading small teams. An appropriate postgraduate qualification would be desirable, as would membership/accreditation of a relevant professional body, or knowledge of Defence.

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

In this role you be working on high-impact, interesting and exciting, customer-facing work strands and build strong networks with our partners.

This work will provide opportunities to work with a range of MOD and cross government partners, wider industry and academia, providing successful applicants routes and opportunities for career progression. You will use your existing skills, but will also enhance your skillset as we are passionate in building your understanding of different techniques through varied training opportunities and hands-on experience. We also champion joining relevant professional membership opportunities, particularly those focussed in OR.

We conduct OR and provide advice to the MOD in a range of areas:

  • Logistics and Medical Support
  • Communications and Command & Control
  • Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance,
  • Cyber
  • Directed Energy Weapons

Whilst you will join a team focussed on one of these areas, you will have the opportunity to work across all of them, broadening your knowledge of Defence. Ideally you will have knowledge of one of these areas. However, if you don’t please don’t let that stop you applying, we can introduce you to these areas.

All roles will be based at Dstl Portsdown West. However, a role at Dstl Porton Down may be considered.

Dstl strongly encourages blended and flexible working. This means working at a mix of our sites and from home. We will empower you to undertake your duties at the most appropriate location for the task, but you must also be aware that for some of our roles (due to classification) the majority of your time will be expected to be on site. You may also be required to travel to other Dstl and MOD sites as required.

Level 4, 5 and 6 roles will require the individual to support a variety of studies across a range of supported programmes. Typically, the role will be split across two or more studies at any one time.

At level 4, you will:

  • Undertake independent pieces of work with minimal guidance or as part of a small team, anticipating and solving non-routine problems in order to contribute to customer deliverables.
  • Build strong networks within Dstl and more widely and be able to effectively communicate your work with stakeholders, including customers.

At level 5, you will:

  • Lead work strands, including crafting and scoping requirements, developing technical approaches, and delivering through others
  • Work collaboratively with Industry and Academia by partnering with them to improve technical quality and ensure outputs meet customer needs

At Level 6, you will:

  • Autonomously guide and direct the work of others in order to ensure delivery and exploitation of high impact science, technology and analysis
  • Provide rigorous review of approach and outputs to ensure the appropriate robustness of research delivered to customers
  • Influence senior partners to ensure cross-government decision-making is underpinned by evidence

Responsibilities

We are looking for someone who has:

  • A motivation to apply innovative, critical thinking and problem solving to overcome current and future problems facing Defence
  • The ability to apply a wide range of both hard and soft analytical techniques to a breadth of problems
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to understand requirements and explain findings
  • Experience of building relationships and developing strong networks
  • Self-motivation and ability to work under own initiative, leading tasks and work effectively as part of a team on a number of studies
  •  The ability to work collaboratively (across functional areas, with customers and suppliers)

Skills:

Essential:

  • Experience of conducting Operational Research through Qualitative and/or Quantitative Analysis techniques
  • Consultancy and Facilitation
  • Leadership (for L5 and 6 roles)

Desirable:

  • Data Science
  • Systems Thinking
  • Decision Making
  • Data Visualisation
  • Soft Systems Modelling and Simulation
  • Modelling
  • Statistics
  • Programming (e.g. R / Python / SQL)

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.

Work location:
Dstl is strongly encouraging blended and flexible working either at one of our sites or from home or both. We want to empower you to undertake your duties at the most appropriate location for the task, however you will be allocated a Dstl site as a base. You may be required to travel to other Dstl and MoD sites as required.  

Behaviours

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

  • Working Together
  • Changing and Improving
  • Leadership
  • Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

We'll provide a great range of benefits including;

  • Fully flexible working, including alternative working patterns, annualised hours, compressed hours and job share, to name a few.
  • Flexible Working hours, a 12 month reference period and the ability to bank hours. Up to 37 hours can be taken in any calendar month.
  • Excellent learning and development to ensure everyone fulfils their potential.
  • Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.
  • Chartership and accreditation support.
  • Pension.
  • Generous annual leave, with the ability to buy and sell up to 5 days holiday per year.
  • A competitive salary. Onsite gyms and restaurants.Staff discounts for high street and online shopping, restaurants and days out.

Our Diversity Networks

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 have a number of support networks to ensure all employees feel supported at work.

These include the following;

  • Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Network
  • Race, Faith and Culture Network
  • Parents and Carer Support Network
  • Alternative Working Network
  • Gender Equality Network
  • New Starters Network
  • Enabled Network, for people with visible and non-visible disabilities.

For further information about Dstl please check out our LinkedIn page 

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 and Experience.

Sifting will be taking place bi weekly with successful applicants being invited to attend an interview either online or face to face.

Applicants invited to interview will undergo a combined Technical and behaviour based interview which will assess their experiences and behaviours relating to the requirements detailed in the attached job profile.

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 :

Recruitment team :

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.

Reference number

230910

Salary

£25,052 - £54,683

Salary will be dependent on skills and experience - Level 4 Salary: £25,052 - £36,214 / Level 5 Salary: £32,626 - £44,719 / Level 6 Salary: £40,514 - £54,683.

Grade

Higher Executive Officer
Senior Executive Officer
Grade 7

Dstl Levels 4, 5 & 6

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

DSTL - Cyber & Information Systems Division - Joint Enablers Group

Type of role

Intelligence
Logistics
Operational Research
Other

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed Hours

Number of posts

15

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

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