Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker Engineers

At Dstl we protect lives. We take innovative Science and Technology (S&T) and use it to keep the country safe.

Dstl’s Weapons Systems Group is looking for passionate individuals to fill Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker Engineer roles at various levels. You will join our multi-disciplinary team and will have a unique opportunity to learn, develop and apply guided weapon RF seeker and datalink knowledge and experience on research and procurement projects. You will help provide technical advice to support government project teams, technical partnering of industry led research activities and development of the RF seeker and weapon datalink capability within the organisation.

We are looking for individuals with strong technical and analytical skills and leadership ability to help us develop innovative solutions. Working closely with our military customers and industry partners there are many opportunities for travel, trials and for staff secondments to industry and other Ministry of Defence (MOD) organisations. We recognise the outstanding skills and aspirations of our people and are able to present them with an unparalleled range of opportunities to develop both the UK’s military capabilities as well as their own.

Dstl’s Weapons Systems Group helps MoD by assessing, understanding and demonstrating new technologies and how systems can be integrated across environments (domains). We strive to create common, modular and re-usable technologies and systems. Our work includes guidance, navigation, control, novel and laser effects, human integration, networking and hypersonics. We also link with other technology and information programmes.

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.

A successful candidate will:
• Form and influence a network of technical specialists to support and advise them on the delivery of fit for purpose engineering solutions
• Engage closely with UK PLC engineering and science capabilities to form a cadre of industry partners who can support Dstl in answering some of our most pressing questions
• Understand the emerging technology picture, realise the threats and opportunities that it represents, and provide impartial advice to the end user on effective exploitation
• Communicate the potential benefits and the impacts on capability of these options to our Military Customers

In these roles you will
• Use your technical knowledge and skills to provide our customers with evidence-based advice and non-biased assessment of technology.
• Use your creativity and analytical skills to generate solutions to customer needs. You will anticipate and enthusiastically address challenges.
• Use your customer liaison skills to build strong working relationships with DE&S, end users (Armed Forces) and industry to ensure that requirements, specifications and delivered solutions are fit for purpose.
• Assist your colleagues with their development, share skills, knowledge and understanding across your team to build our capability.
• You may find yourself involved with setting requirements for work to be delivered by our industry partners, and working alongside them to ensure successful delivery.

At higher levels:
• You will lead and empower a team of Dstl scientists and engineers.
• You will be responsible for setting project technical direction, monitoring progress and mentoring project team members on technical issues where appropriate. You may look across projects to ensure a coherent approach is followed.
• You will help to assure the quality of work through appropriate application of standards, procedures and checks.
• You will take a leading role in customer engagement, understanding and deciding how to respond to their requirements.
• You have a good understanding of industry and their working practices, including partnering with industrial suppliers. 
• You will work closely with Dstl Project Managers to deliver to time cost and quality. You may also set technical objectives, manage project technical risks and to help identify levels of resource support required. You will support your local management in the maintenance and development of technical capability within the division.

You will have the passion and motivation to deliver pioneering, innovative capabilities into the hands of our front-line personnel. We want people who can employ a combination of deep technical knowledge along with good communication skills to work closely with the team and our customers, be they civilian or military.
If you have previous experience, we will look to you to drive innovation and delivery, and lead and develop those around you.

Essential Qualifications
You will have a degree or higher in a numerate subject area relevant to RF Seeker and datalink technology (mathematics, aerospace systems, avionics, physics, electrical or electronic engineering).

Essential Technical Skills
Level 4:
• You will have awareness of Radio Frequency systems e.g. radar, signal processing, communications etc.
• You will have the ability to apply a broad variety of analytical techniques to solve problems.
• You will have good interpersonal and communications skills (verbal, presentational and written).

Level 5, in addition to level 4:
• You will also have Radio Frequency systems expertise (radar, signal processing, communications etc.).

Desirable Technical Skills
Level 4:
• You will have system engineering skills.
• You will have the ability to think and work innovatively to overcome current and future problems facing defence..

Level 5, in addition to level 4:
• You will have an understanding of Electronic Warfare principles.

Essential Experience
No essential experience is needed for Level 4. However for level 5 you will have experience of working with RF seekers or related technology as well as experience of using software models and simulation tools.

Memberships
Opportunities to explore Chartership will be available to all candidates.
It would be beneficial if applicants were working towards or already hold Chartership and Membership of a relevant professional body, such as the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), or the Institute of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE).

At Dstl, our vision is to have a modern way of working efficiently, accommodating and enabling our people to create, collaborate and deliver innovative science and technology with our partners, working in a way they need to wherever they need to. This role is largely office based, but will involve travel to customer sites (e.g. Air Command) and also sites belonging to technology suppliers. Such sites may be outside of the UK!

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. Developed Vetting will also be required, in this case you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.

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

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

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

• Please state which Dstl Level you are applying for, these are listed below, the criteria for these roles can be found in the attached Job profiles.

  Using the job profile at the appropriate Dstl Level, please explain how your skills and experience meet

• Please provide an example of a relevant technical challenge you have overcome and describe how you approached solving it.

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: Full flexibility working options include alternative working patterns, compressed hours, job shares and annualised hours. Remote working may be available dependent on role.
• Flexible working hours: Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.
• 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.

The information pack can be found attached to the job specification on Civil Service Jobs. 

Our Diversity Networks

We have a number of support networks to ensure all employees feel supported at work. These include the following:

• Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Network
• Race, Faith and Culture Network
• Parents and Carer Support Network
• Alternative Working Network
• Gender Equality Network
• New Starters Network
• Enabled Network, for people with visible and non-visible disabilities.

This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.

Job contact :

• Name : Dstl HR Recruitment
• Email : Dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk