Project Acceptance Engineer

National Armaments Director Group; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days' annual leave + 1 day up to 30

Civil service pension support

Training and progression opportunities

Specialist allowances and discounts

Job summary

National Armaments Director Group is seeking a Project Acceptance Engineer to provide on-site technical oversight for the Type 26 frigate programme at a Glasgow shipyard. The role involves ensuring survivability and signature features are built per contractual and technical standards, with opportunities to participate in sea trials and field activities.

The successful candidate will bring a mechanical engineering or naval architecture background, experience in maritime projects, and a track

Qualifications

• Engineering background in mechanical/naval architecture.
• Experience delivering technical oversight in large-scale shipbuilding projects.
• Strong understanding of safety, quality, and contractual requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional engineering oversight of ship construction and trials at the shipyard.
• Undertake on-site ship build assurance, identifying defects and ensuring timely resolutions.
• Use engineering judgement to support local decision-making and risk management.
• Support acceptance and assurance activities including inspections, tests, and readiness events.
• Collaborate with industry partners, ship staff and MOD stakeholders to maintain communication.
• Promote safe, compliant, and professional working environments in maritime settings.

Skills

Engineering experience

Maritime/defence sector knowledge

Problem solving under pressure

Education

Engineering degree (RQF Level 6+ or equivalent)

Job description

Working Pattern: Full time, Job Share, Flexible Working

Contract Type: Permanent

Job Description for Project Acceptance Engineer

If you have a background in mechanical engineering or naval architecture, this is your opportunity to join a flagship defence programme and be at the forefront of delivering the backbone of the Royal Navy's future frontline surface fleet.

As a Naval Overseer working alongside industry partners in a dynamic shipyard environment, you will provide on-site technical oversight of ship construction focusing on survivability and signature features, including acoustic, radar, and infrared. Drawing on your engineering expertise, you will ensure that critical survivability and signature design specifications are fully incorporated into construction, providing assurance that quality standards, technical specifications, and contractual obligations are met throughout delivery. Using your technical expertise and professional judgement, you will identify and resolve issues at the earliest opportunity, support timely decision-making, and help mitigate programme, performance and delivery risks while contributing to testing and acceptance activities. The role offers the opportunity to participate in sea trials, spending time at sea and seeing first-hand how your work contributes to operational capability.

The Type 26 frigate is a strategically important acquisition programme, contributing to the UK's defence prosperity agenda and strengthening international collaboration. This role offers exceptional development opportunities and hands‑on experience, and will expand your engineering knowledge and skills, build relationships to engage effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across Government and industry, and foster leadership experience.

If you're curious, hands‑on and enjoy finding solutions to technical engineering challenges, this is an outstanding opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the future effectiveness of the Royal Navy and be part of a programme that will leave a lasting legacy for UK Defence.

Working environment

This role is based within operational shipbuilding facilities and requires regular attendance aboard vessels under construction and trials. Successful candidates must be able to safely access all areas of a ship, including climbing ladders, negotiating narrow access routes, entering confined spaces, and working around scaffolding and temporary structures. Whilst the role is not primarily physically demanding, it requires a suitable level of mobility, agility, and resilience to safely undertake inspection, assurance, and oversight activities within an industrial maritime environment.

This is an on‑site position based at the BAE Systems facility on South Street, Scotstoun, Glasgow, G14. The role offers a compressed working pattern of 8‑hour days Monday to Thursday and a shortened day on Friday (37 hours/week), and there will be opportunities to support occasional night and weekend working.

What you'll be doing

• Provide professional engineering oversight of ship construction and trials, acting as a MOD/ National Armaments Director Group representative in the shipyard and helping to ensure ships are delivered to the required contractual, technical, and quality standards.
• Undertake on‑site ship build assurance and inspection activity, identifying and recording defects, quality shortfalls, and emerging issues early, and supporting timely resolution with the shipbuilder and MOD project team.
• Use engineering judgement to support local decision‑making, provide clear recommendations, and escalating issues where required to help maintain delivery tempo while managing risk appropriately.
• Support acceptance and assurance activities, including attendance at key inspections, tests, trials, and readiness events, and contribute to the evidence needed to demonstrate compliance with agreed requirements.
• Work collaboratively with industry partners, ship's staff and MOD stakeholders to maintain effective communication, understand delivery risks, and support continuous improvement and lessons from experience.
• Promote safe, compliant, and professional working in shipyard and trials environments, supporting the management of safety, environmental and indemnity risks within the scope of the role.

Person specification

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

• Have technical engineering experience in in a variety of maritime contexts (Lead Criterion).
• Have experience of providing technical advice and delivery of successful engineering or science outcomes.
• As a minimum hold:
• A Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics based qualification at RQF Level 6; or
• A Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics based qualification at RQF Level 4 and current professional registration with a body/institution related to your discipline at the level listed below; or
• A Science, Technology, Engineering, and/or Mathematics based qualification at RQF Level 3, plus a minimum of 3 further years of relevant professional experience, or
• With a Professional body/institution related to your discipline, hold current professional registration at the level listed below, plus a minimum of 3 further years of relevant professional experience.
• Professional Registration List minimum level held Engineering Technician (EngTech), or Marine Engineering Technician (MarEngTech), or Marine Technician (MarTech).

Please see the Professional Engineering Institution Equivalences for a list of approved equivalent professional registration as per the requirements listed above.

Note: Alternatives to RQF listed above (which cover England, Wales, and Northern Ireland only), are the Scottish SCQF; or an international equivalent qualification, which must be supported by a statement of comparability from UK ENIC.

Applicants should also consider their ability to work effectively and comfortably within an operational shipbuilding working environment.

AND

Be able to satisfy requirements of and obtain ENG1 seafarer medical fitness certificate. 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.

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

• Core Behaviour 1: Making Effective Decisions (CSBC3)
• Core Behaviour 2: Working Together (CSBC3)
• Technical Competence 1: ECF 1.3 - Setting Technical Requirements, Evaluation and Acceptance (Supervised Practitioner)
• Technical Competence 2: ECF 3.4 - Technical Decision Making (Supervised Practitioner)

Alongside your salary of £37,600, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,892 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 25 days' annual leave +1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King's birthday
• Market-leading average employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Annual performance‑based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded 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.