SDA Central Environmental Management Team Head

Job summary

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent (CASD), and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence. At least one of four nuclear-armed submarines, supported by smaller attack submarines, is on patrol at all times: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

At the SDA, we strive to Support, Deliver and Aspire and put our values at the heart of our recruitment process. We believe that everyone should feel comfortable to be themselves and be supported to do their best work. As part of a diverse and inclusive workforce, our team will find a community to belong to. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and different perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

The primary delivery location for this position is Bristol Abbey Wood.

Job description

An environmental protection and sustainability specialist in a policy and assurance role plays a critical role in ensuring that the SDA has effective environmental policies, processes and management arrangements that support environmental protection and sustainability throughout the project lifecycle.

The post holder will lead the SDA's central environmental management team, providing senior environmental policy, assurance and technical leadership across the organisation. The role is responsible for improving and simplifying environmental management arrangements, ensuring they remain proportionate, effective and aligned with MOD requirements, including JSP 816, the MOD's environmental management system.

The post holder will work across SDA delivery teams, senior stakeholders and wider MOD partners to ensure environmental risks are appropriately identified, managed and evidenced. This includes developing and improving environmental policy, processes, assurance arrangements and performance metrics so that SDA can demonstrate effective environmental management and continually improve performance.

A successful candidate will lead the Central Environmental Management Team while providing strategic leadership across a broad range of environmental topics and programmes.

Tasks and activities

• Act as the Environmental Policy and Assurance SME for SDA.
• Lead the Central Environmental Management Team and provide senior environmental policy, assurance and technical leadership across SDA.
• Improve and simplify SDA environmental management arrangements to ensure they remain proportionate, effective and aligned to MOD policy and JSP 816 requirements.
• Ensure the SDA undertakes sufficient assurance of its environmental management system and project environmental management arrangements to identify risks, evidence compliance and drive continual improvement.
• Develop, maintain and improve environmental policy, processes, guidance and management system documentation.
• Provide informed environmental and technical advice to SDA Teams and senior stakeholders.
• Develop and utilise environmental performance measures and metrics to support informed decision making and improve organisational performance.
• Work with colleagues at all levels to ensure compliance with relevant legislation, regulations, MOD policy and SDA requirements.
• Contribute to corporate reporting requirements, including environmental governance and assurance reporting.
• Represent SDA at senior meetings, working groups and wider MOD environmental forums.
• Lead improvement initiatives arising from assurance findings, lessons learned and organisational performance data.
• Engage with wider MOD stakeholders regarding environmental protection and sustainability matters.
• Lead and manage environmental apprenticeship scheme members. Arrange and support placements and complete reviews.

As the post holder will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process. Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process, or in some cases result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment. Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage.

Hybrid and flexible working can be considered for this post. Successful candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before starting the role.

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by the SDA Recruitment Team. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team via the Help link.

Person specification

• Extensive experience of developing, operating or improving an Environmental Management System within a complex organisation.
• Experience of leading environmental professionals or multidisciplinary teams undertaking high-risk or high-consequence activities.
• Demonstrable experience of applying environmental management principles to deliver measurable improvements.
• Strong understanding of environmental legislation, regulatory requirements and environmental governance frameworks.
• Experience of using assurance activities, evidence and performance data to assess the effectiveness of environmental management arrangements and drive continual improvement.
• Ability to manage environmental risks proportionately, balancing compliance requirements, delivery priorities and available resources.
• Breadth of technical environmental knowledge across multiple environmental disciplines within an engineering or defence environment.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive organisational change.
• Understanding of JSP 816 and MOD environmental requirements, or the ability to rapidly develop this understanding.

Essential Criteria

• Relevant Level 6 (or higher) qualification or equivalent experience
• Management of an Environmental Team
• Expert Practitioner status in Environmental disciplines.
• Member of a relevant Professional Environmental or Engineering Institute

Memberships

Of a recognised environmental institute

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• SYSENV 1 Formulate Env policy and procedures (Expert)
• SYSENV3 - Technical authority, advice and guidance on environmental issues in the acquisition cycle (Practitioner)
• EFCF 2 Application of Analytical techniques (Expert)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £64,400, Ministry of Defence contributes £18,656 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