Offshore Party Chief – AUV/ROV

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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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

• Lead deployed AUV and ROV operations that directly support UK Defence outputs.
• Act as the senior offshore focal point for safe, effective and well-coordinated seabed operations.
• Deliver varied survey, inspection, intervention and salvage tasks from commercial vessels.
• Combine offshore leadership with shore-based planning, technical input and capability development.
• Join a respected multidisciplinary team, with structured training and development to support your progression as a Party Chief.
• Benefit from career stability, an excellent Civil Service pension and additional SALMO allowances reflecting the operational nature of the role.

Balanced role combining Operational Deployments (8-12 Weeks per year) with shore based technical leadership.

As a Party Chief within SALMO Seabed Operations (SBO), you will lead deployed seabed operations using either Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) or Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) capabilities, with the expectation that you may deploy in support of both. You will act as the senior offshore focal point, responsible for coordinating the people, equipment, vessel interfaces, task planning, safety arrangements and operational delivery required to complete survey, inspection, intervention and salvage tasks.

You will lead deployed task management, including the daily Plan of the Day, 24-hour look ahead, risk management, task sequencing, vessel coordination and communication between the deployed team and the onshore support organisation. Working closely with vessel Masters, AUV and ROV teams, survey specialists, engineers, onshore managers and Defence customers, you will ensure activity is planned clearly, delivered safely and completed to the required technical standard. The work is varied and operationally important. You may support tasks ranging from seabed search and survey through to wreck inspection, subsea intervention and emergency-response activity. No two deployments are the same, and the role offers a unique opportunity to lead specialist teams delivering outputs that directly support UK Defence.

You will also contribute to shore-based preparation and improvement activity, including mission planning, post-task learning, equipment readiness, training, capability development and the continued integration of AUV and ROV ways of working 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.

This role is essential to operational success and, as such, rewards your commitment with attractive allowances (SALMO Terms and Conditions) that reflect the dynamic working conditions you’ll experience.

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

• Contactable Allowance £3,191.00 pa
• Sponsored Reserve Annual Bounty is: Year 1: £583.00, Year 2: £1,290.00, Year 3 & 4: £1,992.00, Year 5: £2,308.00
• For deployed periods disturbance allowance applies: Week day - £94 per day. Weekend - £158 Per day
• 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:

• Lead and manage deployed AUV and/or ROV seabed operations, setting clear priorities through the Plan of the Day, 24-hour look ahead and effective task sequencing.
• Act as the senior offshore focal point, coordinating vessel interfaces, task plans, launch and recovery activity, and operational/survey delivery with key stakeholders including and via Daily Progress Reporting and liaison with shoreside management.
• Lead deployed risk management, ensuring tasks are planned, briefed and delivered safely, with appropriate control measures, dynamic risk assessment and escalation where required.
• Provide technical oversight and assurance of survey, inspection, intervention and salvage deliverables, ensuring outputs meet the required standard and support Defence customer requirements.
• Manage and develop allocated team members, supporting performance, wellbeing, competence, training and readiness for deployment.
• Maintain oversight of deployed survey data governance, including quality assurance, quality checks, data handling and transfer arrangements.

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

• Lead Criterion – Have experience providing technical advice at a senior level and leading delivery of successful engineering outcomes in multidisciplinary projects.
• Have a wide-ranging depth and breadth of technical experience in subsea activities or marine operations.
• Experience managing complex / challenging work with evidence of technical problem solving and risk management.
• An Engineering, Science, Technical, Technology or Marine based qualification at RQF Level 4.
• And either Offshore Survey Party Chief certification, AUV Senior Survey Engineer, ROV Supervisor (R/RO2) Certification, ROV Superintendent Certification, Hydrographic survey qualification.
• Be a Sole UK National.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• Be able to satisfy requirements of: 2-Yearly ENG1 Seafarers Medical.
• Be enlisted as a Royal Navy Sponsored Reserve.

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

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

• Core Behaviour 1: Leadership
• Core Behaviour 2: Communicating and Influencing
• Technical Competence 1: ECF_01 Suitable Systems and Systems Thinking – Practitioner
• Technical Competence 2: ECF_03 Supportable Technical Solutions – Practitioner

Benefits:

• 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.
• Volunteering days.
• 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.