Lead Offshore Surveyor

Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S); Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible & hybrid working

Generous pension contribution (~28.97%

Holiday entitlement 26.5+ days

Enhanced parental leave schemes

Discounts

Job summary

Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) seeks a Subsea Surveyor within SALMO Seabed Operations to deliver survey capabilities for UK defence projects. You will deploy at sea for several weeks per year, manage survey data, and guide the survey team from planning to execution while working closely with project managers ashore.

Role combines office-based engineering work with hands‑on sea deployments, offering flexible/hybrid working and strong pension benefits.

Qualifications

• Essential: IMCA accredited certification as an advanced ROV/AUV Pilot/Technician Grade I or equivalent, with offshore experience.
• 2‑yearly ENG1 seafarers medical and Royal Navy Sponsored Reserve eligibility (as applicable)
• Sole UK national and full UK driving licence required

Responsibilities

• Lead survey planning and execution for offshore seabed operations.
• Oversee deployment of AUV/ROV systems and manage survey data collection and analysis.
• Coordinate handover of data to shoreside analysis teams and support post‑deployment reporting.

Education

IMCA accredited certification as an advanced ROV/AUV Pilot/Technician Grade I or equivalent

Job description

Organisation: Defence Equipment & Support
Salary:£53,400 per annum (plus generous benefits)
Grade: Professional II
Working Pattern: Full time, Part time, Job Share, Flexible Working
Contract Type: Permanent

At Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), we supply and maintain vital equipment and services for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Together, we deliver a vast range of essential defence programmes, and strive for what's next. Because it helps keep our military at the top of their game and our nation safe – for today, and tomorrow.

DE&S has recently been integrated into the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. The NAD Group brings together key Ministry of Defence (MOD) organisations to unite expertise across science, technology, procurement, infrastructure, and support to provide integrated capabilities faster and more efficiently for our armed forces and our allies.This is an exciting new opportunity to enable better ways of working and empower greater collaboration across Defence. For further information about the NAD Group, please visit: National Armaments Director Group - GOV.UK

We offer 26.5+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of around 28.97%, to help work work for you.

Nationality, visas and vetting: For security reasons this role is open to sole UK nationals only.] [A ‘sole UK national’ refers to an individual who holds citizenship solely in the UK, without dual citizenship or nationality from another country. We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship.

This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 10 years and obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance . Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you have been recruited for. If it isn’t obtained or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn. Obtaining DV security clearance can be a lengthy process. You’ll join us once Security Check (SC) clearance is obtained, and then the more enhanced DV checks will continue after you’ve started your employment. If SC clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months, we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made.

SALMO is the MOD’s centre of excellence for marine salvage and emergency response. Our multidisciplinary team, ranging from Master Mariners and Naval Architects to Environmental Scientists and Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV) / Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) Operators, delivers critical support to UK Defence operations around the globe. Whether it's locating downed aircraft on the seabed, surveying wrecks, towing warships, or conducting emergency response drills, our work is as varied as it is vital.

What makes this role different?

Work on unique, non-commercial subsea operations that directly support UK Defence.

Operate and manage state of the art AUV and ROV systems.

A balanced role combining operational deployments (approx. 10–12 weeks per year) with shore based technical leadership.

Be part of a highly respected, multidisciplinary team renowned for technical excellence.

Long term career stability, exceptional pension, and structured development

‘Every day is different and I’ve had the opportunity to be part of some exciting projects: Bell from famous US destroyer sunk off Scillies returned to its owners’

What will your job include?

As a Subsea Surveyor within SALMO Seabed Operations (SBO), you will join a dynamic and enthusiastic team to deliver the survey aspects of the capability. You will be deployed afloat for circa 10 - 12 weeks per year, for both scheduled and unplanned surveys, to manage the collection and analysis of a range of subsea survey data types. You will use your experience with bespoke survey software packages to plan, prepare, and conduct both the overarching survey and individual missions, while reviewing and assuring the collected data to maintain the highest standards.

Whilst ashore, you will support the wider operational preparation by maintaining the readiness and availability of the survey equipment and software through regular servicing, fault finding and maintenance. You will support liaison with capability customers to develop schedules and plans for the survey season as well as regular communication with a variety of original equipment manufacturers. You will remain abreast of current and emerging technologies relevant to the capability and use your expertise and experience to support and advise both survey planning, operations and related tasks within SALMO and wider defence.

You will be combining office-based engineering responsibilities with hands‑on operational work at sea. In the office, you will collaborate closely with project and operational managers on activities such as procuring new systems, developing technical requirements, and producing engineering management plans and supporting documentation. At sea, you will take on the role of survey manager.

The role offers a good work life balance, only deploying at sea for a maximum of 120 days per year with the remaining time taken against leave, training and office-based activity at HMNB Devonport.

We champion flexible ways of working. Whilst onshore, regular in-person on site attendance is required (this is expected to be approximately 60% of your working week) to promote the benefits of face‑to‑face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work‑life balance and business need. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

The role is operationally critical and comes with additional allowances under SALMO Terms and Conditions, https://bit.ly/SALMO-Terms-and-Conditions reflecting the importance and intensity of the work you’ll be doing.

For clarity, the SALMO RG allowances you’ll be eligible for:

Contactable Allowance £3,191.00 pa

Sea‑going‑leave (SGL) is accrued at a rate of 4 Leave Days for each 7 days embarked (additional to your Annual Leave Entitlement)

While deployed, direct the survey elements of the team, providing technical guidance to surveyors and maintaining the readiness, availability and effective use of AUV/ROV survey equipment.

Drive fault‑finding activity, assure survey planning, quality‑control collected data, and ensure survey outputs are securely stored, managed and transferred.

On return ashore, coordinate the handover of collected data to shoreside analysis teams, providing the context, updates and technical insight needed to support effective analysis.

Contribute to post‑deployment customer debriefs and the development of clear, evidence‑based survey reports.

Provide expert survey input to future mission planning, process improvement and capability development, acting as a technical point of contact for survey equipment, requirements and assurance.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

Lead Criterion– Have experience of providing technical advice and leading the delivery of successful engineering outcomes in small scale task and projects; and

Have a wide‑rang­ing and relevant technical experience in subsea activities or marine operations; and

Experience of managing marine operations with evidence of technical problem‑solving and risk management.

AND

Hold (as minimum)

• IMCA accredited certification as an advanced ROV or AUV Pilot/Technician Grade I or a Survey Engineer Grade I, or a recognised company equivalent, with at least 180 days of documented offshore experience and a minimum of 100 hours operating an ROV or AUV at Grade II level. All experience must be verifiable through a logbook.

AND

Be a Sole UK National

Full UK Driving Licence

Be able to satisfy requirements of:

2‑Yearly ENG1 Seafarers Medical (1)

Be enlisted as a Royal Navy Sponsored Reserve (1)

For recruitment purposes, external candidates do not need to hold these but must have no known reasons not to achieve this within 6 months of employment.

This role is subject to Retained Grade Terms and Conditions and differ from the DE&S standard Terms and Conditions.

For SALMO Retained Grade seeking promotion, please refer to Part 2, Section 10.2 of the SALMO Retained Grade Handbook.

Due to the nature of this role, you are:

Required to be fit to pass and maintain a two‑yearly ENG1 seafarers medical (no geographical limitations)

Required to enlist as a Royal Navy Sponsored Reserve

Expected to work extended hours as and when required in support of operational commitments

Required to live within 60 minutes travelling time of the base to which you are appointed

Required to hold an in‑date UK driving licence

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

Core Behaviour 1: Making Effective Decisions

Core Behaviour 2: Working Together

Technical Competence 1: ECF_01 Suitable Systems and Systems Thinking (Supervised Practitioner)

Technical Competence 2:

• ECF_03 Supportable Technical Solutions (Practitioner)

• Full time staff employed for less than 5 years are entitled to 26.5 days’ annual leave per year, rising to 31.5 days per year after 5 years of service
• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Market‑leading employer pension contribution of around 28.97%
• Annual performance‑based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded professional qualifications
• Support for progression
• Huge range of discounts

Enhanced parental leave schemes

Improving innovation and enriching our culture, diversity of thought is vital to our success. So whether you’re looking for a new opportunity, a next step, or a helping hand as you return from a career break, bring your experiences and help deliver for the defence of tomorrow. Here you’ll find a supportive, family‑friendly organisation to be a part of - and if you need any assistance with your application, just let us know.

Disability Confident:

Please note as a Disability Confident Leader we want to ensure you receive any reasonable adjustments that you need throughout the recruitment process. If you do require any reasonable adjustments, you can let us know on your online application under the section ‘Please indicate and give details of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the recruitment process.’

Conflicts of Interest:

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.

Please Note: In the event of a tied score at interview, the Order of Merit will be distinguished based on the ranking of the assessed behaviours and competencies below:

• 1st: Core Behaviour 1
• 2nd: Core Behaviour 2
• 4th: CV Review

In the event of a further tie using the method above, we reserve the right to utilise the Lead criterion, and/or and additional assessment.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Selection Process Details
Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

Pre‑sift- We will check your application to ensure that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.

Sift- Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills. Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.

Interview - If you're invited to interview, you will be assessed against the following:

CV Review

Core Behaviour 1

Core Behaviour 2

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact department via email: [e-mail]

Where a competition identifies more appointable candidates than there are available vacancies, a Reserve List may be created for other similar roles in the Civil Service. This may be used for up to 12 months to fill the same role or other similar roles with closely matching essential criteria without further testing of merit.

Offering at a lower level

If you’re not successful at interview, we may offer you a role at a lower level if this is a match for your skills and experience. If this applies to your application, you’ll be scored against criteria for the lower‑level role and offers will be made in merit order. If you accept this position, you’ll be able to take advantage of opportunities to develop your career as part of our team.