Technical Specialists

Would you relish the opportunity to use your skills and experience to keep the UK safe and secure?  

Do you want to work with world-class scientists and engineers on exciting projects that you wouldn’t be able to work on anywhere else?

Do you want to develop your career in exciting new areas that are growing to meet cutting-edge challenges?

If so, we want to see your CV.

We are seeking individuals with  experience and/or  relevant qualifications from academia, private and public sectors (including the armed forces) to provide technical specialist advice in the following areas:

• AI, Data Science & Informatics;
• Cyber Security and Vulnerabilities;
• Communications & Networks
• Electromagnetic Activities, including electronic surveillance and attack;
• Information Systems, including Command & Control.
• Operational Research;
• Sensing (including Position, Navigation and Timing; Radar; and Quantum)
• Space Systems.
• Information Assurance/Information Security

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.

We particularly welcome female and ethnic minority applicants and those from the LGBTQI community, as they are under-represented within Dstl at these levels.

In this role you will:

• Work on and/or lead a variety of interesting and challenging problems that, owing to their sensitivity, cannot be done elsewhere.
• Make a real difference; our work improves the front-line capability of the UK Armed Forces, keeps British citizens safe and supports national prosperity.
• Form links across government, industry and academia; we work with an array of partners both in the UK and abroad including the armed forces, other government departments and industry.

We are looking for the following skills and experience:

AI & Data Systems Group:

• AI and Machine Learning;
• Data science research and development;
• Systems engineering (applied to data / information / intelligence challenges);
• Data Engineering, architectures and standards;

Electronic Warfare Technology & Enterprise Group:

• Experience of working in the Electronic Warfare, Electromagnetic Spectrum management and Electromagnetic Activities fields.
• Experience of Radio, Radar, Communications, Software and Electronics Engineering.
• Experience of Systems Architecture tools (Archimate, TOGAF etc) and techniques including experience of capturing and developing complex requirements across a diverse range of stakeholders.
• A proven track record of academic achievement particularly in a research based role specifically around Physics, Electronics Engineering and Digital Signal Processing.
• A personal interest and knowledge in the analogue world of the electromagnetic environment particularly hobbies and interests such as software defined radio, FPGAs and embedded systems, signal processing and RF propagation.

Space Group:

• Coding experience in one of Matlab or Python
• Optical communications experience
• Data analysis experience
• Space systems analysis and modelling
• Planetary Radiation Science
• Signal Processing

Cyber Technologies Group:

In the Cyber Technologies group we are looking for creative problem solvers who like to understand how a system works and how it can be broken. You are likely to have technical skills and experience in one or more of these areas:

• Developing and/or analysing software, firmware or protocols to identify vulnerabilities
• Software & Firmware Development in C / C++ / Python / Assembler / VHDL or another programming language
• Analogue and/or digital electronics or RF comms associated with Software Defined Radio (SDR)
• Systems requirements & analysis

Sensing:

• Curiosity – both for your chosen profession and the wider world.
• Enthusiasm – be keen to get stuck in and expand your horizons.
• A pro-active can-do attitude – try hard, fail fast, learn quick and succeed.

Cyber Security & Safety Group:

• Cyber Security Research
• Applied Maths/Statistics
• Coding of AI/ML Algorithms
• Robotic/Autonomous Control Systems
• Complex Software Assurance

Joint Enablers Group:

• Ability to demonstrate achieving impact through using Operational Research/Decision Analysis tools and techniques
• Knowledge and application of one or more Operational Research skills and techniques such as: Problem Structuring; Systems Thinking; Optimisation; Simulation Modelling; System Dynamics; Causal Mapping; Multicriteria Analysis; Queueing Analysis; Statistics; Data Science
• Ideally experience or interest in one of the following areas: Information Management and Systems; Cyber and Electronic Warfare; Intelligence; Communications Systems; Sensing; Command and Control; UK Military Domains.

C4 Systems:

The armed forces operate in all domains, which include; maritime, land, air and space. They face some of the most difficult communication and information systems challenges imaginable. We are looking for interest and skills in the following categories:

• Communications Engineering
• Network architectures and Engineering
• RF Engineering
• Information Security and Assurance
• Computer Science
• Electronic Engineering
• Software Engineering
• Command and Control

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.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Skills Area Of Interest

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: Working options include alternative working patterns, compressed hours, job shares and annualised hours
• Flexible working hours: Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.
• Annual leave: A generous annual leave allowance starting at 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: Encouragement and support on charterships, accreditations and access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Paid memberships with 2 relevant bodies/institutions. Employees have access to Civil Service Learning.
• Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.

The information pack can be found attached to the job specification on Civil Service Jobs.

Diversity 

We have a number of support networks to ensure all employees feel supported at work. These include the following:

• Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Network
• Race, Faith and Culture Network
• Parents and Carer Support Network
• Alternative Working Network
• Gender Equality Network
• New Starters Network
• Enabled Network, for people with visible and non-visible disabilities.

We are proud supporters of Women in Data®.  Connect, engage and belong to the largest free female data community in the UK – visit: www.womenindata.co.uk to join our community.