DIO - Senior Structural Engineer

Whittington WS14 9PY, London SW1A 2HB. Andover SP118HJ .Please note other locations may be considered but not guaranteed. Job Summary Do you want to work for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and care for the Defence Estate? DIO enables Defence to live, work, train and deploy, all with sustainability in mind. From net carbon zero accommodations to runways for the F35 fighter jets; our outputs are unique in the UK and across the globe! Learn much more about DIO in our Candidate Information Guide attached. DIO recognises that a diverse workforce is at the heart of different insights, ideas and innovation. A workforce diverse in background and life experience produces trusted public services and better decisions. We want our people to be curious and continuously strive for improvement, collaborative in an inclusive culture, ambitious and resilient and committed to Defence, empowered and able to challenge so you can play a key part in shaping the direction of our organisation. About DIO View our YouTube video to see more about our work Why Join Us At the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), we’re passionate about creating and maintaining an estate that supports the UK’s Armed Forces to live, work, and train effectively. As a forward-thinking and responsive organisation, we adapt to the evolving needs of Defence, delivering everything from major infrastructure programmes to essential day-to-day facilities management. We take pride in being Defence’s trusted infrastructure partner—bringing expertise, innovation, and a relentless customer focus to everything we do. Our teams are driven by a shared commitment to delivering value for money while continuously seeking smarter, more proactive solutions. Working collaboratively, we foster a culture that is capable, curious, and committed to excellence. About Technical Services Our Technical Services function is at the heart of DIO’s in-house consultancy capability, providing specialist expertise across the MOD and wider Defence community. Bringing together a diverse range of disciplines, the team includes: Building Engineering Infrastructure Contracting & Planning Infrastructure Engineering Environmental Management, Protection & Sustainability Health & Safety Portfolio Office Technical Services offers a breadth of professional skills spanning construction, engineering, safety systems, environmental management, sustainable development, access and recreation, and the historic and natural environment. By combining technical excellence with a deep understanding of Defence’s needs, we play a critical role in shaping safe, sustainable, and high-performing infrastructure across the Defence estate. Open to sole UK nationals only. Job Description The Senior Structural Engineer plays a pivotal role within the DIO Structures Team, providing expert technical leadership and specialist advice to ensure the structural safety and resilience of the MOD estate worldwide. As part of the MOD’s intelligent client function, you will deliver high-quality professional advice across the full asset lifecycle covering the procurement, design, construction, inspection, maintenance, and refurbishment of a diverse and complex portfolio of infrastructure. This is a varied and technically stimulating role, with responsibility for a wide range of assets, including historic pre-World War structures, modern Defence facilities, and contemporary modular buildings. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, including the Building Safety Team, supporting the assessment and assurance of higher-risk buildings in line with the Building Safety Act and UK regulatory requirements. You Will Play a Key Role In: Investigating structural defects and failures, contributing to incident investigations and producing technical reports and Safety Alerts to drive organisational learning. Providing specialist structural advice on temporary works, ensuring they are safely designed, assessed, and implemented in accordance with UK standards and MOD policy. Supporting site-based activities, including inspections and assessments across the Defence estate, requiring regular travel and independent site visits. Acting as a trusted technical advisor, ensuring compliance with UK design codes, legislation, and industry best practice. The Senior Structural Engineer plays a pivotal role within the DIO Structures Team, providing expert technical leadership and specialist advice to ensure the structural safety and resilience of the MOD estate worldwide. As part of the MOD’s intelligent client function, you will deliver high-quality professional advice across the full asset lifecycle covering the procurement, design, construction, inspection, maintenance, and refurbishment of a diverse and complex portfolio of infrastructure. This is a varied and technically stimulating role, with responsibility for a wide range of assets, including historic pre-World War structures, modern Defence facilities, and contemporary modular buildings. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams, including the Building Safety Team, supporting the assessment and assurance of higher-risk buildings in line with the Building Safety Act and UK regulatory requirements. You Will Play a Key Role In: Investigating structural defects and failures, contributing to incident investigations and producing technical reports and Safety Alerts to drive organisational learning. Providing specialist structural advice on temporary works, ensuring they are safely designed, assessed, and implemented in accordance with UK standards and MOD policy. Supporting site-based activities, including inspections and assessments across the Defence estate, requiring regular travel and independent site visits. Acting as a trusted technical advisor, ensuring compliance with UK design codes, legislation, and industry best practice. Person specification Essential Skills & Experience Proven experience in the design and/or construction of steel and reinforced concrete structures. Working knowledge of masonry, timber, and modular construction methods. Strong understanding of UK structural design standards, codes, and legislation (e.g. Eurocodes, Building Regulations, British Standards). Experience operating within a UK-based engineering or construction environment, applying relevant regulatory and compliance frameworks. Knowledge of sustainable construction practices and their application within infrastructure projects. Experience in structural inspection, assessment, or defect investigation would be advantageous. Essential Requirements Full, valid UK driving licence – this role requires regular independent travel to sites across the Defence estate. Civil/Structural Engineering Degree BEng/MEng Ability and willingness to undertake site visits across the UK Desirable Skills And Experience: Knowledge of BS5975 and experience with temporary works. Experience with accident and incident investigations. Experience with structural software, including Tekla Structural designer and Robot Licences Full UK Driving License for site visits. Qualifications Civil/Structural Engineering Degree BEng/MEng Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Making Effective Decisions Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: Knowledge and Understanding of Engineering Knowledge Design, development and solving engineering problems 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. Highly competitive Pension Scheme Alternative working practices such as working from home 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave Most sites have free car parking, Sports & Social Clubs, Gym, on site shops and subsidised canteens To learn more about our full range of benefits, view our Candidate Information Guide attached. Employment Hours The post advertised is for 37 hours net, however the Ministry of Defence offers a range of flexibilities to enable a better work-life balance for employees. Flexible working, Part-time working and Job Share working patterns will be considered. Where business needs allow, this role may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working, therefore you must consider if any of the above locations are within a reasonable travelling distance. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business (i.e., detached duty) or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements. 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. MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights. Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework and Competency Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit. Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted on the personal statement. Please provide your evidence for behaviours using the STAR Technique using the attached information on how to apply. Situation: Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand. Where are you? Who was there with you? What had happened? Task: The recruitment panel will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in. What was the task that you had to complete and why? What did you have to achieve? Action: What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information of what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use “I” rather than “we” to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit for something that you did not do. Result: Don’t be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures easily understandable. What results did the actions produce? What did you achieve through your actions, and did you meet your goals? Was it a successful outcome? If not, what did you learn from the experience? Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths. When providing your evidence please ensure that you avoid acronyms and company specific jargon. Experience : At application you will be assessed against the following: CV - detailing Job History, Previous Skills and Experience Personal statement 500 max word count At interview you will be assessed against above, plus the following: Behaviours: Making effective decisions Technical: Knowledge and Understanding of Engineering Knowledge Design, development and solving engineering problems Application sifting is scheduled to take place shortly after the advert closes. Interviews are currently taking place remotely via MS Teams, this will be confirmed with the successful candidates who are invited to an interview. A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs. To Assist With Your Application Please Find Attached Below: DIO Candidate Information Guide DIO Candidate Information Guide - Accessible Version Competency Framework The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: [email protected] . As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn. The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment. The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. 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. 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. 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. 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. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) 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 : Name : Structures Team Email : [email protected] Recruitment team Email : [email protected] Further information Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: [email protected].