ROV Pilot Technician

Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S); Plymouth; Hybrid; GBP 48,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance and leave: 26.5+ to

Flexible and hybrid working

Enhanced parental leave schemes

Shopping discounts

Pension contribution ~28.97%

Job summary

Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) in the UK seeks a Senior Pilot Technician within SALMO Seabed Operations. You will deploy, operate and maintain work-class ROV systems to support UK Defence missions both offshore and onshore.

The role combines field deployments with shore-based technical outputs, offering a flexible and hybrid work model, exceptional pension contributions, and opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• Essential criteria include extensive experience leading engineering outcomes and subsea/marine operations.
• IMCA or equivalent advanced ROV certification with offshore experience.
• UK national status and security clearance requirements apply.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, operate and maintain SALMO’s work-class ROV systems offshore and onshore.
• Deliver safe subsea operations with readiness of equipment and accurate records.
• Provide technical judgment and risk-based decision making during ROV tasks.
• Lead or supervise shifts when required and support continuous improvement.

Skills

ROV operations

Technical leadership

Marine operations

Education

IMCA advanced ROV Pilot/Technician Grade I

Tools

Logbook verification

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.

Job description

Why join Salvage and Marine Operations (SALMO)?

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 outputs.

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

Long - term career stability, exceptional pension, and structured development.

As a Pilot Technician within SALMO Seabed Operations (SBO), you will join a dynamic and enthusiastic team to deliver a discrete capability within SALMO using cutting edge commercial ROV technology to provide deep water salvage outputs in support of SALMO and wider MOD objectives. You will be responsible for ROV operations, mobilising, operating and maintaining SALMO work class ROV systems both offshore and onshore.

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)

What you’ll be doing

Deploy, operate and maintain SALMO’s work-class ROV systems across onshore preparation, mobilisation, offshore operations and post-task recovery.

Deliver safe and effective subsea operations, ensuring ROV systems are ready, compliant and available to support investigations, inspections and underwater interventions.

Apply technical judgement in live operational environments, supporting problem-solving, fault diagnosis and risk-based decision making during ROV tasks.

Maintain operational readiness of specialist ROV equipment, including planned maintenance, testing, configuration control and accurate technical records.

Support mobilisation and demobilisation activity, ensuring equipment, spares, documentation and operating procedures are prepared for deployment.

Operate in line with industry best practice, safety requirements and applicable regulations, helping to maintain SALMO’s professional standards and technical assurance.

Act as Senior Pilot Technician or shift supervisor when required, providing direction to team members and supporting effective delivery during operations.

Contribute to continuous improvement of the ROV capability, identifying lessons, process improvements and equipment enhancements following operational activity.

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 Pilot/Technician 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 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.

Any personal data that you provide during the Recruitment process will be treated in accordance with the MOD Privacy Notice which can be accessed here.

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

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

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.