DIO Quantity Surveying Graduate Scheme

Do you want to work for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and play a key role in keeping our country safe through caring for the Defence estate and those that depend on it? DIO is the estate expert for Defence, supporting the armed forces to enable military capability by planning, building, maintaining, and servicing infrastructure.
We employ approximately 4,900 staff from a very diverse range of professions including head office functions and specialisms such as Surveyors, Town Planners, Airfield Pavement Experts, Foresters and Construction Engineers. We work across the world, in Germany, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Norway, Poland, Kenya, Belize, Nepal and Oman.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week., As a Graduate Quantity Surveyor you will take part in a structured training scheme approved by the RICS, be fully encouraged and supported throughout the programme to gain knowledge and be provided with experienced supervisors and counsellors who will oversee
your work and provide guidance. You will have regular meetings with your supervisor/counsellor to discuss progress and update your Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) diary and Continued Professional Development (CPD) log.
There are 4 posts available across two of DIO’s business areas: Major Programmes & Projects (MPP) and Regional Delivery (RD).
Major Programmes & Projects
MPP are the capital infrastructure delivery specialists to the DIO & MOD. Based in the UK & overseas, our dedicated professionals are passionate about the work they do and the projects we deliver as an organisation. These include the development of runways and jetties, key refurbishments, accommodation for US forces and much more. MPP’s portfolio includes high profile and complex projects, with our major programmes in value over £1bn. We have 7 directorates, some which are directly aligned to our Front-Line Commands which strengthens our support in the delivery of Capital Infrastructure. Army, Air, Navy, UK-StratCom, United States Visiting Forces (USVF), Defence Continuity Team (DCT) and the Portfolio Office. All are diverse and unique, delivering excellence to our customers and stakeholders.
Regional Delivery
RD is a large, complex and geographically dispersed operation within the DIO covering circa 58,000 assets, across over 500 sites and 275,000 Ha of freehold and leasehold estate in the UK and a further 580,000 Ha overseas; with a multitude of £multi-million contracts to manage. We deliver soft and hard FM services - building, maintaining, and servicing – across the majority of MODs built assets in the UK and overseas; hard and soft FM services across MODs training estate, including feeding, accommodation, range bookings, targetry support, management of the rural training estate and tenanted estates; administration of UK and Overseas utility contracts, bill payments, and recoveries; and management of the USVF Built Estate comprising c.4503 assets.
Quantity Surveyors are highly trained professionals offering expert advice on construction costs. They are essential for life cycle costing, cost planning, procurement and tendering, contract administration and commercial management. The DIO employs approximately 50 Quantity Surveyors in the UK and abroad. They work on a range of fascinating multi-million pound projects covering a range of exciting programmes in the UK & overseas.

Person specification
During your time as a Quantity Surveying Graduate, you will:
+ Attain your professional membership to the RICS upon successful completion of the RICS Quantity Surveying & Construction APC.
+ Be supported by your DIO Line Manager, RICS APC Counsellor and Supervisor.
+ Undertake RICS APC Counsellor training upon successful completion, going on to support future DIO Apprentices & Graduates.
+ Have the opportunity to gain real world experience with external contractors/consultants.
+ Assist in all aspects of estimating and cost planning on the estate for various
+ Get involved with all aspects of pre and post contract Quantity Surveying duties.
+ Contribute to continually exploring ways to improve performance of the estate in connection with facilities management and new-build capital projects.
+ Build effective relationships with various internal and external stakeholders in order to effectively identify and respond to customer enquiries.
+ Support final account evaluation and agreement.
+ Provide early cost estimating on capital projects.
+ Provide cost assurance for our Technical Service Providers works., + An environment with flexible working options
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
+ A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Things you need to know

Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework and Government Property Career Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.
Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile and the Government Property Career Framework elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.
Stage 1:
Initial Application – You will be required to complete online Civil Service Numeracy and Judgement tests.
If you pass these tests you will move on to your full application in stage 2.
Stage 2:
At application stage you will be assessed against the following:
Behaviours:
+ Communicating and Influencing
Experience:
+ CV - including Job History, Full Qualifications and Previous Skills
+ Personal Statement - As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Personal Statement of 500 words, the purpose for this, is for you to showcase your relevant skills and experience against the role responsibilities. The statement is your opportunity to give examples of how you fit the requirements of the role.
When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.
Stage 3:
At interview you will be assessed against the following:
Behaviours:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Managing a Quality Service
Technical Skills:
+ Property Professional Expertise (Practitioner Level)
+ Commercial Acumen (Practitioner Level)
Application sifting is scheduled to take place on week commencing 11th November 2024 following advert closure. Interviews are currently taking place remotely and will be conducted week commencing 25th November 2024.
A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.
Once all interviews have taken place, we will make provisional offers to the successful candidates in December 2024 and begin your pre-employment checks. Please be aware these checks can take several months to complete, however we will remain in contact throughout the process.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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., + UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

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).

You must have, or will achieve by September 2025, the following Qualifications/Essential Criteria:
+ A RICS accredited degree in Quantity Surveying or Quantity Surveying & Commercial Management at 2:2 or above awarded within the last two years.
+ A full, valid UK driver’s licence.
You are encouraged to apply with your predicted grades. Evidence of the above qualifications will be required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made., A full, valid UK driver’s licence, A RICS accredited degree in Quantity Surveying or Quantity Surveying & Commercial Management at 2:2 or above awarded within the last two years., + Communicating and Influencing
+ Managing a Quality Service
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ Property Professional Expertise (Practitioner Level)
+ Commercial Acumen (Practitioner Level)

Alongside your salary of £29,500, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,546 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.