Deputy Chief Environmental Safety Officer

Job summary

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) is one of the four Military Commands operating in the UK and overseas, including locations in Europe, Operational Areas, Far East, Middle East, Cyprus, Gibraltar and South Atlantic. The purpose of the Safety Centre is to enable CSOC to deliver its outputs whilst protecting Health, Safety and the Environment across a complex Defence organisation.

The CSOC Safety Centre is primarily based at MOD Abbey Wood North in Bristol. The duty station for this post will be MOD Abbey Wood North. Flexible working arrangements have been established, which support alternative working arrangements; however, the post is integral to the Safety Centre, and the successful candidate will be required to attend the Bristol office on a regular basis.

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week and is intended to be full-time and therefore part-time or job share can only be considered if full-time cover can be achieved.

Job description

A vacancy has arisen within the CSOC Safety Centre team for the Deputy Chief Environmental and Safety Officer (Dep CESO) role. We are looking for a talented, enthusiastic, experienced individual to join the team and provide expert safety and environmental management advice and guidance at all levels within the organisation. The role provides an opportunity to influence all our areas of operation whilst utilising their experience and knowledge to provide advice and guidance, maintain and improve current Safety, Health and Environmental Management practices and better protect our personnel and the environment.

The post holders will be expected to be prepared to travel on a regular basis both within the UK and overseas to support work strands, gain experience of the diverse work environments beyond a standard office-based safety role, within the team’s area of responsibility and advise colleagues on relevant HS&EP matters. Travel may require being away from home – in UK or overseas for periods of up to 3 weeks.

Person specification

The Deputy CESO role is a leadership and advisory post supporting delivery, assurance and continuous improvement of HS&EP across CSOC. The post holder will be required to:

• Provide professional Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Protection guidance to CSOC sub-organisations, Heads of Establishment and other stakeholders, supporting delivery of CSOC Command Plan objectives and ExCo priorities.
• Lead the day-to-day coordination of CESO team tasks, including setting priorities, allocating work, resolving delivery conflicts, tracking progress through Agile ways of working, and escalating risks or delays where required.
• Lead and support audits of HS&EP management systems, including planning audit activity, acting as Audit Team Leader when required, coordinating audit teams, engaging with auditees, and ensuring findings are clear and evidence based. This will involve UK and overseas travel.
• Represent the Safety Centre at MOD-wide HS&EP meetings, working groups and committees, including influencing discussion, sharing CSOC perspectives, briefing outcomes to the team, and turning relevant actions into practical follow-up activity.
• Provide peer support to Safety Centre team members and promote a positive HS&EP culture by coaching colleagues, sharing good practice, supporting problem solving, and engaging with the wider CSOC HS&EP community.
• Deputise for CESO during periods of absence or when requested, including providing leadership direction, maintaining oversight of key issues, representing CESO at relevant meetings, and ensuring urgent decisions or actions are progressed.
• Line manage five HEO staff and act as countersigning officer for one EO, including setting objectives, supporting performance and development, providing regular feedback, and helping build resilience across the team.

Essential Qualifications:
Level 3 certificate in Occupational Health and Safety

Desirable Qualifications:
Level 6 Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety
Level 3 Certificate in Environmental Management
Lead Auditor Qualification (to be achieved within 6 months of taking up the post)

Qualifications

Level 3 certificate in Occupational Health and Safety

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• · Hazards and Risks - The ability to identify hazards, undertake risk assessments and prioritise the need for action.
• · Organisation and Culture - The ability to plan, lead and effect positive safety and environment cultural change: securing commitment and buy-in, thereby promoting a positive long-term vision.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Opportunity for overseas travel
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years' service
• On-site gymnasium (for a small monthly fee for membership of Civil Service Sports Club)
• On-site catering
• Cycle Loan (Advance on Salary)
• Defence Discount Service
• Defence Sports & Recreational Association (DSRA)
• On-site Nursery (MOD Abbey Wood South, Bristol)

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.