Cyber Solutions Scientists & Engineers Needed
Employer: Dstl
Location: Porton Down, Salisbury
Salary: £27,620 – £51,677
Closing date: 31 Jul 2023
Job Details
The Cyber Solutions Group is where we take cutting edge Defence and Security research across the cyber domain and operationalise the research into novel and unique capabilities. These solutions support the military and wider government in solving their real-world problems today with an impact and reach unique to the cyber domain.
We are seeing unprecedented demand to deliver engineering solutions to our Defence and Security partners as the world changes around us with faster and faster pace. Next generation is here today and Generation After Next is not far behind. We want people who can help us build our capabilities and join us in leading others into this exciting future.
We can promise you will see and work with technologies that very few get to see. We work across government with many partners meaning our work is varied and on any given day you might be solving problems in the laboratory, or with like-minded engineers and scientists from across UK government departments.
The impact of what we do for UK forces is rarely detailed in the media but widely recognised if you know where to look.
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.
In this role you will:
- Bring your background and thinking to guide the research of novel techniques and capabilities to work on a variety of exciting and challenging problems that owing to their sensitivity cannot be done elsewhere.
- Make a difference and have pride in what you do; our work improves the front-line capability of the UK Armed Forces, keeps British citizens safe and support national prosperity.
- Form links across Dstl, Government, industry and academia. We work with an array of partners both at home and abroad including the Armed Forces, other Government departments and industry.
- Develop your career in exciting new areas that are growing to meet ground breaking challenges.
- Support Group wide technical activities such as technical forums, monthly meets, lightning talks and the mentoring of junior staff.
We’re proud of our impartial status, doing things for the right reasons.
We are looking for someone who has:
The ability to identify a path where others have yet to explore, to solve problems nobody else has looked at, and being able to lead a team of engineers through this is valued highly. For our work, it is the first time it has been done, every time. We value mindset over skillset.
We don’t just need established engineers (but we do need you, too!). Applicants from non-engineering backgrounds either starting or working through mid-career conversion courses bring a wealth of extra talent and skills to our workforce.
We are passionate about this and we take regular recruits from various schemes such as Code First Girls, Cyber First, military schemes or just from interviewing a candidate with an interesting set of skills that can only be obtained through life experiences.
If you have the potential and drive to be one of us, but not yet all the skills for the profiles below, we do absolutely want to hear from you. Skills can be taught and we offer substantial technical training and support to that end. Mindset is what matters.
As part of the Cyber Solutions Group we offer a unique job experience.
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
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Changing and Improving
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £27,620, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £6,144 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Benefits
Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:
- Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.
- Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours (e.g. working a 4 day week/ 9 day fortnight), job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).
- Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.
- Where you work: Depending on your role, blended working may be available including remote working to suit you and your team. This can be discussed at interview.
- Annual leave:25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.
- Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid
- Learning and Development:Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.
- Facilities:Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
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 [email protected] and we will do all we can to support you.
Sifting will be taking place bi-weekly throughout the campaign, with successful candidates being invited to attend an online interview via MS Teams.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
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 (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).
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.
