Costing Engineers/Estimators

Portsmouth, South East England, PO2 8BY : Andover, South East England, SP11 8HJ : City of Westminster, London (region), SW1A 2HB

Are you passionate about supporting the Defence of the UK? Do you want a stimulating role, offering great development opportunities and the chance to make a real difference? If so, CAAS could have the ideal career for you! A career with us offers stability, professional development, and the chance to work across a complete range of Defence projects that no other department experiences due to our privileged access to major programmes and projects.

We are currently recruiting Cost Estimators and Cost Engineers with posts offered at various CAAS locations. These roles offer opportunities to work at the cutting edge of analysis with high profile stakeholders and unique access to critical programmes and emerging military technology across the fascinating world of UK Defence, its allies and partners. We have the privilege to help secure the nation and protect its interests through leading cost management for MOD.

We also offer a great work-life balance in addition to an array of other benefits that come with being a member of the Civil Service. This is a genuinely exciting time to join the Ministry of Defence if you want to be at the heart of real Defence issues.

On a full-time basis these positions are advertised at 37 hours per week with alternative working patterns available.

CAAS operate a hybrid working policy where there is flexibility to split the working week combining working from home and spending a minimum of 40% in the workplace, unless exceptional circumstances apply and/or you are an existing contractual home worker.

These roles are crucial to the delivery of Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) critical friend support to Navy Command TLB under the CAAS Head Office & Joint Forces programme sub-portfolio of Navy Enterprise Support Services.

The Cost Estimator role is responsible for cost estimating and cost modelling activities within the CAAS cost management environment and will lead, supervise, and assure the preparation of cost estimates, development of cost models, portfolio analytics, and diagnostics.

As a Cost Estimating Senior Executive Officer (SEO), you will be the estimating lead for high-value, high-profile projects. Working in an agile manner across programmes, you will provide Subject Matter Expert (SME) advice and guidance on cost estimating, ensuring robust quality estimates are provided to customers to inform decision making by senior management.

The Cost Engineer role is to assess, assure and provide insightful analysis of costs to enable robust decision making and delivery of value to MOD stakeholders on engineering projects in the Submarine domain. The cost engineering team are tasked to provide independent cost assurance on projects, programmes and portfolios throughout the CADMID (Concept, Assessment, Design, Manufacture, In-service, Disposal) lifecycle. The SEO grade will lead assurance on projects up to and including Cat A (>£400M).

Please indicate your preference for Estimating or Engineering and location on your application

Posts may be subject to Naval Nuclear Propulsion Plant Information (NNPPI) and atomic clearance. This is not available for some non-UK nationals.

Responsibilities:

As an SEO Cost Estimator, your activities will include but are not limited to:

• Line management of potential Higher Executive Officer (HEO) staff and Placement Line Manager to members of the Estimating Capability Development Scheme (ECDS). You will be managing and assuring tasks, providing on-the-shoulder upskilling and leadership to build high performing teams.
• Championing the development of the cost estimating function and actively participating in functional events to aid the advancement of the function, the team and personal development.
• An independent assurer, providing technical and independent challenge to Cost Estimating approaches and/or outputs to determine the robustness of the estimate, identifying issues and providing credible observations and recommendations for improvement.
• A technical lead, responsible for representing CAAS to provide technical expertise and share Cost Estimating knowledge and experience

 Responsibilities:

As an SEO Cost Engineer, your activities will include but not limited to:

• Provide support to CAAS Navy Command Lead Cost Manager by undertaking technical assessments of supplier’s submissions of charging, labour and overhead rates, cost certificates and cost allocation methods.
• Develop cost estimates and risk analyses in support of project business cases.
• Assess prime contractor and subcontractor bids in line with statutory guidance on allowable costs and appropriate reporting standards.
• Brief and support negotiations to deliver value for money for MOD.
• Provide analysis and assurance advice on MOD approaches to internal cost and time budgets.
• Provide support to SRO on assessments of cost forecasts for project delivery.
• Undertake Earned Value and Risk analysis to develop an estimate at completion to provide insight to supplier performance on cost and schedule.
• This role may have line management responsibility.

 To be successful in these roles, in person you will be:

• A confident and effective communicator (both verbal and written) being able to tailor key messages according to your audience
• Have an eye for detail when working across large scales of data and being able to present complex findings and informed decisions
• A team player collaborating with different peer and stakeholder groups
• Proactive and take full responsibility for your portfolio
• Ambitious and driven to work autonomously
• Open and comfortable contributing innovative ideas

Level 5 Qualification in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) based subject or having completed an engineering apprenticeship or equivalent.

A proven track record and experience of cost estimating/engineering and analysis on a range of complex projects.

Relevant experience in leading and assuring cost estimates on projects/programmes.

Experience in presenting technical results and briefing recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Experience of line management or managing a delivery team.

Proficient in the use of Excel to analyse data.

Ex Service candidates will be deemed to have the necessary academic requirements if they have at least 4 years technical experience in the rank of Staff Sergeant or equivalent and have completed approved courses of technical training

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others

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

• Cost Engineering – Finance Competence Framework Section 7, Cost Estimating – Finance Competence Framework Section 8 – See attachment. Please note where MOD specific requirements are within the framework, we are content with candidates drawing equivalencie

Alongside your salary of £41,000, Ministry of Defence contributes
£11,070 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Professional and Personal Development of skills
• Flexi-time scheme upon completion of 6 months service
• Alternative working patterns
• 25 days paid 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 good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a gym and / or site shops.

  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. 

  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 by 31st December 2022. 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. 

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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Job contact :

• Name : Carol Dicks
• Email : Carol.Dicks103@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk