About the job

Job summary

The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1400 people. We play a critical role in protecting public health and consumers’ wider interests in food across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our vision is an important one - to drive change, delivering “food you can trust” and working towards a healthier and more sustainable food system.

Do you have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work well as part of a team?

Can you work on your own initiative and towards tight deadlines? 

If so, this is an exciting opportunity to join the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

Seeking to support those working towards the qualifications required by the FSA’s Food Law Codes of Practice, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) offers an internship programme for students in the Environmental Health professions. This is a fantastic opportunity to build your understanding of the FSA and our work whilst developing vital contacts throughout the Agency.

Working to support policy delivery teams, enforcement experts, scientists and front-line inspectors, the successful candidate will have an opportunity to learn about, and actively engage with, the inner workings of the FSA. As a forward-thinking organisation, we’re looking for people who can help us rise to the challenges ahead.

Whether you’re assisting on research projects, commenting on policy documents, or engaging with external stakeholders, the Environmental Health Intern role offers an exciting opportunity to get involved with a government department and internationally respected regulator. 

Candidates should be confident communicators who can actively engage with others to work well as part of a team and get the most out of their time with the FSA. If you are brimming with initiative, excited by the work that we do, and eager to learn as much as you can, apply today for this unmissable opportunity.

This post is advertised as a 12-month internship.  Candidates that are already established Civil Servants or from non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will come to the FSA on a Loan basis and will need to request permission from their Home Department for the Loan prior to applying for this job. 

Note for FSA employees:

You must seek approval from your substantive manager before applying for any non-permanent vacancy, this includes applying for a new post during an existing temporary posting.  Please note that if applying for a temporary post within the FSA or elsewhere on promotion, successful appointment will not automatically result in a permanent promotion - you will revert to your current substantive grade at the end of the Fixed Term or Loan period (unless funding has been approved to make the post permanent).

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £21,809, Food Standards Agency contributes £5,888 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack. 

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.  

Technical: You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role. 

Candidates will either be at a suitable stage in completing or hold one of the following;

• Degree or equivalent in Environmental Health (accredited by Chartered Institute of Environmental Health or the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland)
• Higher Certificate in Food Control awarded by the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB) or CIEH
• Higher Certificate in Official Control awarded by the Scottish Food Safety Officers Registration Board (SFSORB)
• A Certificate of Registration awarded by the EHRB to practice as an Environmental Health Practitioner
• A Diploma in Environmental Health awarded by the EHRB or the REHIS
• Advanced Professional Certificate in Food Hygiene and Standards Control (APC) awarded by CIEH
• Masters Degree in Environmental Health

Or,

• Environmental Health Practitioner (Integrated Degree) Apprenticeship

If you cannot answer yes to this question – you will not be able to proceed further with your application.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential and desirable criteria. (Desirable criteria will only be assessed in the event of a tie between candidates).

Essential criteria

Experience

• Lead criteria: Good interpersonal skills and a demonstrable ability to work as a team and build effective working relationships
• Proven ability to use own initiative to prioritise effectively and work to tight deadlines
• Effective communication skills with a broad range of colleagues and stakeholders (verbally and in writing)
• Computer literate with proficiency in a full range of general computer software (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel

Lead Criteria

An initial sift may take place on just the identified Lead Criteria indicated.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Civil Service Behaviours Level 1

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 25th February

Sift: Expected to take place from 26th February

Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 11th March

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application.)

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

The FSA is dedicated to a policy of equal opportunity for all.

Being truly reflective of our society and building a culture where everyone can perform at their best is critical to the work of the FSA. We are looking to recruit from the widest possible talent pool and encourage candidates to apply from a diverse range of backgrounds. We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer and are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment and selection process and beyond. All appointments are made on merit.

Please be assured that diversity or socio–economic information requested during the course of your application plays absolutely no part in our selection processes and is not seen by anyone assessing applications.  Any information provided is anonymised and used for statistical purposes only.

We actively review the deployment of talent on a periodic basis in the interests of optimising personal development and the achievement of business plans.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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

Reserve List

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.

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

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.