About the job

Job summary

The Radiation Metrology Group provides specialized technical services for the regulatory testing of ionizing radiation monitoring instruments, as well as various projects related to the measurement of ionizing radiation.

As our Customer Services Supervisor, you’ll lead a team responsible for managing the orders and accounts of all Radiation Metrology customers. Your role involves handling new and existing customer inquiries, providing quotes, managing order changes, invoicing, and addressing general service queries. This administrative and management position is set in a scientific environment and requires a good understanding of business and customer care.

You’ll be a main point of contact for our valued customers. This includes dealing with inquiries, providing accurate quotes, managing order changes, and addressing general service queries. Furthermore, your responsibilities may extend to fulfilling emergency response obligations as a Category 1 responder for the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), including coordination with other government and regulatory departments.

As a supervisor, you’ll have responsibility for staff. This involves allocating resources, prioritizing work, and ensuring staff development and training. You’ll maintain documentation and liaise with other teams within Radiation Metrology, UKHSA Finance, and our customers.

This role will be based full time at our UKHSA Chilton office (Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RQ). No hybrid working is available due to the nature of the role.

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*

Working Pattern – Full Time, Part Time, Job Share, Flexible Working 

Job description

• Fully supporting all Customer Services Admin Officers in the team
• Prioritising workloads and work patterns as necessary to meet requirements
• Managing resources to ensure that Customer Services functions properly
• Holding regular office meetings to ensure that correct procedures are being followed and that any problems are resolved quickly and efficiently
• Monitoring staff development via appraisals, objective-setting and training
• Ensuring that working practice instructions and user manuals are updated
• Taking responsibility for overseeing the account maintenance of several special customers
• Supplying Senior Management with monthly financial income and credit information
• Giving feedback in regular office meetings and raising suggestions for improving working practices; meetings can be weekly, monthly or with any other agreed regularity
• Ensuring that the Customer Services team delivers an excellent level of customer service at all times i.e. reliable, prompt, courteous and clearly communicated
• Liaising with customers; responding to their queries and complaints in a timely manner and providing guidance to Customer Services Administration Officers on customer care issues as required
• Maintaining a professional business approach, and establishing continual lines of communication with existing and potential customers by telephone, correspondence, newsletter etc.
• Occasional attendance at conferences and exhibitions

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 750 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description):

Essential

1. 2 A-Levels + 5 GCSEs, or equivalent experience
2. Extensive experience of working in a commercial environment to include direct contact with customers.
3. Good understanding of business functions and financial processes
4. Experience of managing a team, to include staff appraisals and training junior staff
5. Ability to communicate effectively with customers and colleagues - orally and in writing
6. Attention to detail, ensuring accuracy – including data entry and quality assurance checks
7. Ability to form good working relationships with all stakeholders, and working flexibly within the team
8. Excellent organisational and planning skills, including prioritisation and time management
9. Competent computer skills (e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel and web-based products)

Desirable

1. General awareness of the hazards and uses of ionising radiation
2. Understanding of Data Protection legislation.
3. Good analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess complex situations, investigate queries and interpret results
4. Good degree of self-motivation and the ability to motivate others, work on own initiative, organising workload to set deadlines

Benefits

For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Benefits

• 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 average employer contribution of 27%
• Range of health and wellbeing support

Any move to UKHSA 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 Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Things you need to know

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – please do provide evidence of how you meet this. 

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This competition will involve an interview by video. 

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification. 

Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on the 17th of March 2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Shortlist: w/c 18th of March 2024

Interviews: w/c 1st of April 2024

Please note these dates could be subject to change. 

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)

Nationality requirements

Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

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 welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Security clearance level requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.  People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Complaint process:

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• 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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission. 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.