About the job

Job summary

UKHSA’s Environmental Hazards and Emergencies (EHE) Department is at the forefront of delivering expert scientific guidance to key stakeholders, including the government and the NHS, on the public health implications of environmental hazards and chemical exposures.

The post holder, based within the dispersed chemical and environmental hazards team, will respond to chemical & environmental hazard incidents and enquiries, which threaten people's health, through the provision of public health risk assessments. Such threats might involve chemical fires, chemical contamination of the environment, or the deliberate release of chemicals and poisons.

The postholder will contribute to the development of evidence and provision of expert environmental public health advice to government, multi-agency stakeholders and members of the public. Other responsibilities include the provision of training to stakeholders, and the public health response to a range of consultations.

The postholder will be expected to work both independently on allocated objectives, and as part of a team of scientists from across the department who maintain the incident response function on a day to day basis.  Excellent communication skills are required.

Job description

Main duties and responsibilities will include:

• Undertake environmental public health risk assessments for acute and chronic chemical and environmental hazard exposures to prevent or mitigate risks to the public   
• Critically analyse and interpret complex data to inform the public health risk assessments  
• Develop and effectively communicate expert and authoritative advice in relation to chemical and environmental hazards to key stakeholders including Government departments, emergency services and members of the public  
• Contribute to the UKHSA Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response arrangements as a Category 1 responder   
• Collaborate with stakeholders and multi-agency partners to ensure an effective and efficient public health response during emergencies  
• Collaborate with stakeholders and multi-agency partners to improve the evidence base in order to protect the population from identified chemical and environmental hazards  
• Translate scientific evidence and policy into practical applications .
• Address and manage responses to chemical and environmental hazard incidents that pose health risks.
• Conduct thorough public health risk assessments in cases of chemical fires, environmental contamination, or deliberate chemical releases.
• Provide environmental public   health training and teaching in   relation to chemicals and environmental hazards.

Person specification

For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Essential criteria

You will be assessed on all the essential criteria on the Job description.

• Good honours degree or equivalent in a scientific subject, or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Good post-graduate Master’s degree in a scientific subject or equivalent experience
• High level experience in the relevant scientific environment eg. environmental hazards, public health protection
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels, formally, informally, orally and in writing to UKHSA staff, and representatives from Government Departments and other organisations.
• Technical competence in analysing data coupled with good numerate ability and capable of analysing complex data.

Please read all the essential criteria on the Job description attached.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in the provision of training
• Comprehensive knowledge of project planning and management

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,716, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,172 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.

Stage 1: Application & Sift 

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on all the essential criteria on the Job description.  This will be in the form of 

• A CV/Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• A 1250 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The CV / Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview.

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on: The essential and desirable criteria's listed in the Job description and one of the behaviors- Communicating and Influencing.

Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered 

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment

Please do not exceed 1250 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

 Stage 2: Interview 

You will be invited to interview by video or face to face in London or Chilton (Oxfordshire).

Behaviours, strengths and technical experience will be tested at interview.

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

Candidates will be asked to participate in a session where they will be required to prepare and deliver a 10-minute presentation to the panel. This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment. The presentation will be designed to assess each candidate’s experience in line with the requirements of the role. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Making effective decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and others
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Interviews will be TBC. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location information 

Please note this role is not eligible for hybrid working and  will be based at 10 South Colindale UKHSA Site in Canary Wharf London. 

Eligibility Criteria

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

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.

Working for the Civil Service:

The Civil Service Code 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. 

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

 It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following: 

• life sentences 
• arson 
• sexual offences 
• hate and terror offences 

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role. 

 If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available

Starting salary

Entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.  

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase.  

Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

For further details please refer to the Information Sheet - Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.

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.