The role can be based at either MOD Main Building, London or Abbey Wood, Bristol.
If based in Bristol, you will be expected to travel frequently to MOD Main Building London, as this is where the core of the team are based. The nature of the role will also require occasional travel to other Nuclear Enterprise locations (and potentially overseas).
Job Summary
Are you a dynamic leader ready to take on a challenging and rewarding role at the heart of national security? The Defence Nuclear Enterprise is seeking an adaptable and visionary leader to drive a multi-disciplinary portfolio spanning
Safety
(including Environmental Protection, Climate Change, and Sustainability),
Security
,
Emergency Planning & Response
, and
Enterprise Digital
. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of critical functions that our protect people, our assets, and ensure capabilities are both "safe to operate" and "secure by design."
As
Director of Security and Safety
, you will represent the Defence Nuclear Organisation at senior Ministry of Defence forums, acting as the lead advisor on safety and security. You will lead three diverse units, shaping and inspiring a team of over 100 professionals from a variety of disciplines. Your role will be pivotal in ensuring the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based advice, driving innovation, and challenging existing frameworks to deliver long-term improvements in complex safety, security, and regulatory environments.
We are looking for a leader with a proven track record of driving reform and delivering tangible results in security, safety,
or
regulatory environments. While expertise in all three areas is not required, you'll need to demonstrate adaptability, curiosity, and a commitment to developing your expertise across these complementary sectors. Whether your background is in national security, public safety, environmental regulation, critical infrastructure, or another relevant field, this role offers a unique opportunity to broaden your expertise and make a lasting impact on some of the most complex challenges facing the UK today.
The Vacancy Holder Tom Wipperman will be offering an online Q&A session on
Wedneday 15th October 2025 between 10:15 to 11:00
to provide an overview of the role and welcome any questions you may have. Please access the meeting by clicking
here
. Please note this is not part of the formal assessment process. If you have any issues accessing the session, please contact: People-CivHR-
Job Description
The current responsibilities of the role include:
* Leadership of a multi-disciplinary function of around 100 people, empowering and developing people to enable them to reach their potential.
* Develop a robust enterprise approach to safety, environmental protection, climate change and sustainability, emergency planning and response, security resilience and digital ensuring that our partners across the Defence Nuclear Enterprise work together to achieve the best outcomes for nuclear and defence. You will also need to be prepared to advise Ministers on all aspects of security and safety across the Enterprise.
* Maintain effective governance across safety, security and emergency planning performance and risk within the Defence Nuclear Enterprise driving a risk-based approach to change and improvement.
* Oversee the development and delivery of security and safety policy, including the identification and development of policy specifically required for the Enterprise.
* Oversee and drive the delivery of safety and security change and improvements linking this directly to risks and issues identified, and tracking benefits delivered and evidenced through the assurance/regulatory functions. Report progress to Ministerial-chaired Defence Nuclear Board.
* Develop strong, healthy and constructive relationships with statutory and defence regulators to reform and drive appropriate regulatory reform to ensure regulatory appetite balances appropriately with delivery and national security, as well as value for money and growth that enables the nuclear programme to be delivered safely and securely.
* Lead the strategic relationship with the internal and external regulators, including the Office of Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency, the Defence Safety Authority. You will also need to work closely with Intelligence Agencies, Defence Intelligence and National Technical Authorities ensuring the Enterprise is advised and supported.
* Be part of the Strategy Group leadership team (with policy and strategy, finance, enterprise portfolio), supporting our people and forming a collaborative, high performing culture.
* Develop the Enterprise Digital sphere, working closely with our partner organisations to ensure the capabilities for our people and our programmes and effective and efficient.
The Current Responsibilities Of The Role Include
* Leadership of a multi-disciplinary function of around 100 people, empowering and developing people to enable them to reach their potential.
* Develop a robust enterprise approach to safety, environmental protection, climate change and sustainability, emergency planning and response, security resilience and digital ensuring that our partners across the Defence Nuclear Enterprise work together to achieve the best outcomes for nuclear and defence. You will also need to be prepared to advise Ministers on all aspects of security and safety across the Enterprise.
* Maintain effective governance across safety, security and emergency planning performance and risk within the Defence Nuclear Enterprise driving a risk-based approach to change and improvement.
* Oversee the development and delivery of security and safety policy, including the identification and development of policy specifically required for the Enterprise.
* Oversee and drive the delivery of safety and security change and improvements linking this directly to risks and issues identified, and tracking benefits delivered and evidenced through the assurance/regulatory functions. Report progress to Ministerial-chaired Defence Nuclear Board.
* Develop strong, healthy and constructive relationships with statutory and defence regulators to reform and drive appropriate regulatory reform to ensure regulatory appetite balances appropriately with delivery and national security, as well as value for money and growth that enables the nuclear programme to be delivered safely and securely.
* Lead the strategic relationship with the internal and external regulators, including the Office of Nuclear Regulation, the Environment Agency, the Defence Safety Authority. You will also need to work closely with Intelligence Agencies, Defence Intelligence and National Technical Authorities ensuring the Enterprise is advised and supported.
* Be part of the Strategy Group leadership team (with policy and strategy, finance, enterprise portfolio), supporting our people and forming a collaborative, high performing culture.
* Develop the Enterprise Digital sphere, working closely with our partner organisations to ensure the capabilities for our people and our programmes and effective and efficient.
Person specification
* Experience of developing and delivering innovative solutions and long-term improvement to address complex safety, security or regulatory challenges.
* Knowledge of the essential practices required within a safety, security or regulatory environment and/or knowledge of the security environment and how to identify, manage and treat risk. Demonstrate adaptability and a strong curiosity to develop expertise across all three environments.
* Proven experience in a number of leadership roles, able to build, inspire and motivate multi-functional teams and drive inclusion to create a supportive and resilient environment that delivers high performance.
* The ability to think strategically and analytically; responding quickly to complex changing circumstances and high-pressure situations, maintaining integrity and a clear view of overall priorities and maintaining the view over the long term. Comfortable making evidence-based decisions and setting direction without having the full picture.
* A confident, highly capable and persuasive communicator who can command the confidence of a range of Board level stakeholders and senior officials across defence, government and industry.
* Experience of leading and driving reform, ideally in a regulatory environment or area, working to influence across government to agree and implement policy and practical change.
Alongside your salary of £100,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £28,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
* Learning and development tailored to your role
* An environment with flexible working options
* A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
* A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Selection process details
To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process no later than
23:55 Sunday 26
th
October 2025
and will involve providing the two documents outlined below via the Civil Service Jobs portal:
* A CV (no more than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
* A Personal Statement (no more than 2 pages) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role.
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
External candidates who join the MOD and are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
For further information about the role and full application process, please refer to the candidate pack attached below. If you wish to receive any material in a different format for accessibility, then please contact People-CivHR-
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
Security
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (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 meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (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.
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 : SCS Recruitment Team
* Email : People-CivHR-
Recruitment team
* Email : People-CivHR-