Positioning & Timing Scientists & Engineers - Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS)

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Dstl

Positioning & Timing Scientists & Engineers - Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS)

Full-Time 40000 - 60000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible

At a Glance

Tasks: Join a team innovating in positioning and timing technologies for UK defence.
Company: Dstl is at the forefront of UK defence innovation, ensuring operational effectiveness.
Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, excellent pension contributions, and generous annual leave.
Other info: This role requires UK nationality and security clearance.
Why this job: Make a real impact on national security while collaborating with diverse teams.
Qualifications: Curiosity and a strong technical foundation in relevant fields are essential.

The predicted salary is between 40000 - 60000 £ per year.

Positioning & Timing Scientists & Engineers - Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS)

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Positioning & Timing Scientists & Engineers - Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS)

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Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury,Wiltshire, SP4 0JQ
At Dstl, our vision is to have a modern way of working efficiently, accommodating and enabling our people to create, collaborate and deliver. To do this successfully in this job will require attendance at a Dstl location; Government Departments including wider MoD or Delivery and Mission Partner’s premises for a minimum of 60% of your working time. Where business needs allow, and with the agreement of your line manager, there may be the option for a combination of workplace and home-based working.This is a non-contractual arrangement.
Job Summary
Join Dstl and be part of the UK\'s defence innovation engine. As a Positioning and Timing (PNT) Scientist, Engineer or Analyst, you will play a vital role in safeguarding the UK’s freedom to operate in a GPS-contested world.
Our team develops the science, technologies, and tools that underpin independent, assured, and resilient positioning and timing capabilities—ensuring the UK remains operationally effective even when satellite-based systems like GPS are unavailable or compromised.
Dstl recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion as people from diverse backgrounds bring fresh ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive working environment in which each employee fulfils their potential and maximises their contribution.
Job Description
What You’ll Do

Lead and contribute to cutting-edge research into alternative PNT technologies.
Work collaboratively across government, industry, and academia to identify, mature, and evaluate novel PNT solutions.
Guide the technical direction of research programmes and provide high-quality advice to senior stakeholders.
Develop robust simulation and assessment tools, support trials, and champion innovation.
Present findings at national and international forums, and publish reports for diverse technical audiences.
Mentor early-career staff and help shape future UK Defence capabilities.

What You’ll Do

Lead and contribute to cutting-edge research into alternative PNT technologies.
Work collaboratively across government, industry, and academia to identify, mature, and evaluate novel PNT solutions.
Guide the technical direction of research programmes and provide high-quality advice to senior stakeholders.
Develop robust simulation and assessment tools, support trials, and champion innovation.
Present findings at national and international forums, and publish reports for diverse technical audiences.
Mentor early-career staff and help shape future UK Defence capabilities.

Person specification
Who We’re Looking For
You don’t need to be a PNT expert—we’ll support your learning. But you do need to bring curiosity, energy, and a strong technical foundation in one or more of the following:

Sensing and data fusion (e.g. Kalman Filters)
Electromagnetic signal propagation
Cryptography and cybersecurity
Communications or electronic warfare
Systems/software engineering or simulation environments
AI/machine learning applications to sensing and decision-making
Mathematical modelling (trigonometry, calculus, statistics)

You Should Be

Technically adept and enthusiastic about solving real-world problems.
A confident communicator and team leader.
Comfortable working across multiple research stages (TRL 1–6).

You’ll Also Need To Demonstrate Experience In

Developing or directing technical solutions.
Delivering advice to military or civil clients.
Conducting or overseeing scientific and technical research.
Managing complex projects and collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams.

Important Information
Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats. For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.
This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. For some roles Developed Vetting will also be required, in this case you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.
Behaviours
We\'ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Delivering at Pace
Working Together
Leadership
Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

Leadership

Alongside your salary of £46,900, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £13,586 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Benefits
Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:

Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.
Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours (e.g. working a 4 day week/ 9 day fortnight), job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).
Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.
Where you work: Depending on your role, blended working may be available including remote working to suit you and your team. This can be discussed at interview.
Annual leave: 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.
Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid
Learning and Development: Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.
Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.

Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.
Sifting will take place week commencing the 18th August 2025 with interviews to be arranged from 8th September 2025, interview will consist of a combined technical & behavioural interview to include a 10 minute presentation, details of which will be provided at invite to interview.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.
This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission\'s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission\'s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact

Name : Dstl Recruitment Team
Email : dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Further information
Should you wish to raise a formal complaint about the Dstl recruitment process you should email dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk stating the nature of the issue. We will respond within 5 working days.

Seniority level

Seniority level
Entry level

Employment type

Employment type
Full-time

Job function

Job function
Research, Analyst, and Information Technology
Industries
Defense and Space Manufacturing

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