Naval Overseer – Naval Architecture/Marine Structures

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. 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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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. We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship.

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 alongside industry partners in a dynamic shipyard environment, you will be part of an MOD team providing on-site technical oversight and assurance across naval vessel construction and trials, ensuring contractors meet contractual, quality, and performance requirements. Providing a visible National Armaments Director Group presence, you will cultivate a strong and collaborative working relationships with our industry partners working together to drive improvement in shipbuilding performance whilst maintaining independent assurance. As the local technical authority, you will identify and address defects or quality issues at the earliest opportunity, maintain continuous oversight of shipbuilding and maintenance activities and be empowered to make decisions on a local level to support programme delivery. 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 Type 31 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 exposure to the broadening of engineering expertise, establishing productive stakeholder relationships, fostering the communication and influencing skills required to operate effectively across Government and industry, and strengthening 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 Rosyth Royal Dockyard, Rosyth, Fife KY11 2YD. 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 Naval Architecture/Marine Structures aspects of ship construction and trials, acting as a MOD/NADG 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.
• Provide a professional opinion on assurance documentation associated with major evolutions such as float off, docking, and sea trials.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Can demonstrate the ability to provide technical advice and deliver successful Naval Architecture/Marine Structures outcomes.
• Have a relevant understanding of Naval Architecture/Marine Structures.
• As a minimum hold either:

o 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, plus with a Professional body/institution related to your discipline hold current professional registration at the level listed below;

o A Science, Technology, Engineering and/or Mathematics based qualification at RQF Level 3, plus a minimum of 3 further years of relevant professional experience;

o 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 Registr