BM 1

HMS VICTORY is the Royal Navy’s oldest and most famous warship. She has a dual role as the Flagship to the First Sea Lord and as a living museum to the Georgian Navy. She is best known for her role as Lord Nelson’s Flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. She is situated in a Tier 1 public arena in Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth and is one of the countries most loved visitor attractions.

The Boatswains’ Mate plays a pivotal role in her presentation, safety and security to an audience of 400,000 visitors per year. This includes the general public, MOD, Civil Service, Tri Service, Foreign and Commonwealth dignitaries, VIP and VVIP guests.

HMS VICTORY presents a unique opportunity which is not encountered in any operational platform; therefore, you will need to be a critical thinker with a flexible approach. This position requires you to watch keep in a structured and stable watch bill. The Post holder will be accountable to the Officer of the Day (OOD) for their Primary Purpose.

 PURPOSES

Primary Purpose.

To assist the Quartermaster in maintaining ceremonial, fire safety and security duties in the vicinity of the gangways as directed by the Officer of the Day.

To support all major whole ship ceremonial occasions (eg Trafalgar Day) VIP and VVIP attendance and state visits. This will include periods of off watch rotation.

 Secondary Purpose.

To assist the management team in all aspects of support to whole ship functions, both ceremonial and social including those directed/hosted by the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The post holder is accountable to the Officer of the Day for their primary purpose. To the Whole Ship Coordinator for their secondary purpose and to the Chief Quartermaster for their competence and certification.

AUTHORITY

The post holder holds the authority to act according to all incidents presented, follow laid down emergency procedures and make main broadcast pipes and assist the Officer of the Day and the NMRN staff to evacuate the ship.

TASKS

The post holder is to carry out the following tasks.

To adhere fully to all instructions contained within the rounds pack.

With a certificate of competence be fully conversant with all fire alarm panels, test procedures and actions to be taken in the event of activation under the authority of the OOD.

To conduct periodic safety and security rounds of the ship iaw the rounds log.

To be fully conversant with all emergency procedures inc IED, suspicious package, unattended baggage, evacuation and casualty.

Monitor all personnel entering/leaving the ship via both gangways.

 Assist with the set up and stow of the Senior Rates Mess prior to and following all functions (approved by the OOD)

To assist with the set up and stow of any areas of the ship (ie Senior Rates Mess, Lower Gun Deck, Great Cabin) designated for handover ceremonies, certificate or medal presentations and functions.

To ensure that the QM’s Lobby and Scullery areas are cleaned during the silent hours.

Assist the bar manager with all associated stores/embarkation onboard/disembarkation and stocktake as required.

Collect/issue official mail as required.

Be competent with a Bosuns Call for piping the side/still during VVIP/VIP functions (Great Cabin Dinners) and official Foreign, Commonwealth and Tri Service guests.

Have sufficient knowledge of HMS VICTORY, her unprecedented history and Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson in order to answer questions if asked by members of the public or visiting guests and to conduct guided tours as directed by Executive Officer.

To act as duty bar person for all official functions in the Senior Rates Mess during periods of off watch as directed by the WSC (this is a voluntary task which will have its own roster).

To carry out the daily air waves check with Semaphore Tower operations room.

ESTABLISHMENT DUTIES

The post holder will carry out the following Establishment Duties:

A rotational sequence of a week of day duties (0630 – 1630 Tuesday to Monday) followed by a week of night duties (1630 – 0630 Tuesday to Tuesday) which culminates in two weeks leave. Then the rotation is continued.

This sequence will be interrupted periodically by the WSC/CQM to allow the BM to work as Senior Rates daywork mess person and allow for the staggering of Christmas and New Year periods.

Must be an OR2 of ANY specialisation.

OR4 applicants, if successful, will only be paid as and normally wear the rank of OR2.

Must be serving as a member of the Reserve Forces or have served with the Regular Forces.

COMPETENCIES

The post holder is to be a

Applicants will undergo an initial eligibility sift. Successful applicants will have their details forwarded to the Post Sponsor to arrange interviews. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised accordingly.

Following interviews; the successful applicant will be informed that they are the Preferred Candidate with details being sent to the CM RES FTRS Cell who will continue the recruitment process. Unsuccessful applicants will be advised accordingly.

Once the recruitment process is complete then the Preferred Candidate will be invited to take up FTRS.

The start date is the anticipated one however, applicants should be aware a number of factors will potentially impact on this including the completion of pre-employment checks, medical category confirmation and the award of a Security Clearance. The start date could therefore be adjusted as appropriate – earlier for a fully qualified person with their and the employers agreement, or later if approvals cannot be immediately completed.

INITIAL COMMITMENT LENGTH WILL NORMALLY BE 24 MONTHS WITH THE POTENTIAL TO EXTEND

NB: Where the Anticipated Start date has already passed, the start date will be ASAP

Eligibility for FTRS/ADC

Any member of the Maritime Reserves (RNR, RMR) or the Royal Fleet Reserves (RFR) (Ex-Regular Reserve) may volunteer to undertake a period of FTRS/ADC in accordance with the following:

Maritime Reserves:.

Members of the Maritime Reserves require a Final Date in Service beyond the expected period of the commitment they are applying for. Applicants who do not have sufficient service remaining are to submit an application for EOS with transfer to List-4 status prior to applying for the role.

EOS with transfer to List-4 Applications are to be submitted to (NAVY PEOPLE-CM RES CPO) Nicholas.Hatton869@mod.gov.uk with a cc address of (NAVY PEOPLE-CM RES FTRS WO1) Daz.Bale225@mod.gov.uk, stating the specific role applied for, for which an EoS with transfer to List-4 is sought. FTRS applications received that do not have a concurrent EOS with transfer to List 4 application in progress will be rejected during the initial sift process.

Applications for EOS with transfer to List 4 status will not be accepted within 8 weeks of the applicant’s current Final Date in Service.

RFR (Ex-Regulars):

Ex-Regular personnel whose RFR liability has run out will be re-instated in the RFR to take up FTRS/ADC.

Applicants undertaking a period of FTRS/ADC must be suitably qualified by rank/rate, specialisation, qualifications and experience to fill the posts for which they apply.

Applications will be accepted from reservists who hold a rank/rate one or more above the advertised rank/rate or hold a rank/rate one below the advertised rank/rate.  

• Applicants one rate below may be interviewed at the discretion of the FTRS Cell/Line Manager and may be employed in the acting higher rate (excluding the advertised rate of WO2 or WO1) if they are suitable, qualified, meet current promotion regulations in all respects and are selected to do so. Otherwise, may be given the opportunity to carry out the role in their substantive rank/rate; the payment of Substitution Pay (SUPA) may be considered by the employer.
• Applicants of a higher rank/rate prepared to serve in a position at a lower rank/rate than their current or former substantive rank will wear uniform, and be paid, at the Upper Rank/Rate’ level appropriate to that of the position on JPA. Exceptions will not normally be considered.

Ex-Regular Reserves of an equivalent rank from the Army or Royal Air Force are required to join the Maritime Reserves (RNR/RMR) before being eligible to apply.

Applications from those above normal FTRS/ADC retirement age (60) will be considered by exception.

Medical/Dental

Applicants must also be medically fit, and meet the minimum medical category required for the level of commitment, to fulfil the duties which their Commitment will require them to undertake.

• A medical form to confirm MedCat and suitability to be employed is required to be returned within 2 weeks of commencing the role, or the commitment may be revoked.

Personnel who have been discharged via the RN Medical Board of Survey (MOBS) or the RN Medical Employability Board (MEB), do not have a RFR liability and are therefore unable to be considered for any FTRS/ADC/VERR role.

Only personnel on FTRS(FC) commitments will be entitled to the full range of Service Medical and Dental support. Those on lower levels will be entitled to emergency medical support whilst on duty.

Pension Issues. 

Personnel who qualify for a service pension should take financial advice from Defence Business Services (DBS) Reserves/Re-employment Pensions Department on the effect that undertaking FTRS service has on their pension, EDP, Resettlement Grant or Terminal Benefits.

Additional guidance can also be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans. Of particular note is reference to the ‘Effect of Re-employment’ on Commutation and, for those leaving on a ‘preserved’ pension, the Resettlement Grant. Other organisations such as the Armed Forces Pension Society or the White Ensign Association may also be able to offer advice, but it is stressed that only DBS can provide an authoritative answer.

Transition between TCoS. 

Personnel taking this appointment from other TCoS should consider the impact on any accrued entitlements, such as leave, resettlement etc and should seek specialist guidance where required as certain entitlements are TCoS specific and may not be retained or transferred on transition between TCoS. 

Naval Core Training (NCT), Individual Training Requirement (IRT) and Defence Mandated Training (DMT)

 Personnel on FTRS commitments are required to maintain currency in NCT, IRT and MDT in alignment with the rest of the RN/RM. The successful applicant will be expected to complete all modules and have them recorded on JPA within 2 months of commencing employment. This is an employer’s responsibility to monitor. 

• RNFT/PES

Personnel on FTRS Limited/Home/ADC/VERRs commitments are exempt the RNFT/PES, unless they are a member of the RNR/RMR who should remain in date.

 Annual Salary and Leave. 

Pay will be in accordance with the pay scales published for the Armed Forces annually, and as governed by JSP 754.  Leave entitlement is detailed in JSP 760. Note, you are not able to carry forward leave from a Regular commission/engagement when commencing an FTRS Commitment or from one FTRS Commitment role to another FTRS Commitment role.

Allowances.

Entitlement to allowances is in accordance with JSP 752 however the following should be noted:

Get you Home (Travel)                  Only paid to qualifying personnel on FTRS(FC)

Home Duty Travel                          Only paid to qualifying personnel on FTRS(FC), and those on FTRS(LC), (HC) and ADC are eligible to HDT if they are assigned to Inner London (defined as a five mile radius of Charing Cross). 

Accommodation.

Personnel serving on FTRS(FC) TCoS are entitled to Single Living Accommodation (SLA) and Service Families Accommodation (SFA) as per Regular entitlements. 

Personnel serving on FTRS(LC/HC)/ADC TCoS are only eligible to occupy surplus Single Living Accommodation (SLA), at non-entitled rates.

Personnel serving on VeRR TCoS are not entitled to service accommodation.

Applications for this job are to be submitted via SERVE please click the APPLY button below.