Subsea Vehicle Engineer - AUV/ROV in Plymouth

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.

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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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.

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. 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.

As a Subsea vehicle engineer within SALMO Seabed Operations (SBO), you will join a dynamic and enthusiastic team to deliver a discrete capability within SALMO using cutting edge commercial AUV and ROV technology to provide deep water salvage outputs in support of SALMO and wider MOD objectives. You will be responsible for overseeing the management and execution of subsea surveys using both AUVs and ROVs. The team currently operates Kongsberg Hugin AUVs and Perry Slingsby Work Class ROVs to support salvage and wreck management tasks.

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 engineering manager, overseeing the launch, recovery, and maintenance of systems. You will also use your technical expertise to operate, troubleshoot, and repair subsea systems while providing line management for junior engineers during deployments.

The position is ideal for an experienced AUV or ROV technician or engineer seeking a more varied role in a stable environment, or for a hands-on project engineer looking for a new and exciting challenge. 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, 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:

• Operate, maintain and assure all mechanical, electrical, electronic and software systems across AUVs, ROVs, Launch and Recovery Systems and ancillary equipment, ensuring assets remain operationally ready and all maintenance, modifications and configuration changes are fully recorded.
• Shape and maintain AUV and ROV technical requirements to support both new capability acquisition and in-service system performance.
• Develop, review and continuously improve Standard Operating Procedures and Risk Assessments covering the engineering aspects of ROV and AUV operations.
• Lead engineering activity for defect rectification, design change and technical investigations, working closely with MOD stakeholders and industry partners to sustain and enhance subsea capability.
• Ensure safe, compliant and effective operation of all equipment in line with policy, engineering standards and Original Equipment Manufacturer guidance.
• Manage, coach and develop ROV/AUV engineers, monitoring competence, supporting professional growth and building operational resilience across the team.
• Support the Lead Engineer and delivery team in managing safety, security and environmental artefacts that underpin procurement, assurance and operational delivery.

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 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.
• OR Be professionally registered with a Professional body/institution related to your discipline, as either: Incorporated Engineer (IEng); or Registered Scientist (RSci); or Incorporated Marine Engineer (IMarEng); or Registered Marine Scientist (RMarSci).
• 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