About the job

Job summary

We are looking for Health & Safety Advisors In our Counter Terrorism & Security Division (CTS) if you have a background in Chemical & Explosives Safety we want to hear for you 

You will support the CTS Safety Team, which includes Senior Safety Advisors, to ensure a culture of continuous safety improvement which is related to delivery of science & technology projects, as well as the facilities and laboratories in which our staff operate. 

Commitment

Dstl’s Executive leadership are fully committed to fostering and leading a strong safety culture that delivers against our vision and enables our vital support to UK Defence and Security. In doing so,  we are looking to all our employees to embrace this intent and be a partner for success. If we all make that collective commitment it will allow our thinking and innovation in science and technology to flourish; if done correctly, the management of health, safety and wellbeing will enable the supercharging of Dstl’s scientific and technological prowess.

Our People are Dstl’s greatest asset; your health, safety and welfare are of paramount importance and Dstl’s Safety and Environment Management System is configured to ensure this. Everyone has a responsibility for their health, safety and welfare and that of their colleagues and others who may be affected by our actions. We encourage and empower all our employees so speak up when they have any concerns regarding Health, Safety and Wellbeing so we drive a Safety First approach.

Dstl recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion as people from diverse backgrounds bring fresh ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive working environment in which each employee fulfils their potential and maximises their contribution.

We particularly welcome female and ethnic minority applicants and those from the LGBTQI community, as they are under-represented within Dstl at these levels.

Job description

As a Health & Safety Advisor – specialising in Chemical and Explosives Safety, you will work closely with staff across the Counter Terrorism & Security Division (CTS), to give first line advice and provide assurance that all work is conducted in accordance with Dstl Safety Policies and Regulatory requirements.  

In this role you will:

•    Provide practical health & safety advice, specifically relating to chemical and explosives safety, to staff across CTS Division and our wider business. This may include advice on novel chemical mixes or explosives.  
•    Support Senior Safety Advisors as well as other specialist safety professionals in the delivery of safety compliance in high-hazard areas. Work in these areas may include chemistry, explosives, weapons, lasers or radiological hazards.   
•    Support the CTS Safety Principal in delivering an effective programme of audit and assurance identifying chemical and explosive safety related issues, whilst recommending and monitoring the delivery of corrective actions.
•    Support the CTS Division Safety Team in conducting fact finding and Division-led investigations to identify root causes, emerging safety trends and ensuring that lessons 

As a Health & Safety Advisor – Chemical Safety, you will work closely with staff across the Counter Terrorism & Security Division (CTS), for provide the first line of advice and give assurance that all work is conducted in accordance with Dstl Safety Policies and Regulatory requirements.  

In this role you will: 

•    Provide practical health & safety advice, specifically relating to chemical safety, to staff across CTS Division and our wider business. 
•    Support Senior Safety Advisors as well as other specialist safety professionals in the delivery of safety compliance in high-hazard areas. Work in these areas may include chemistry, weapons, explosives, lasers or radiological hazards.   
•    Support the CTS Safety Principal in delivering an effective programme of audit and assurance identifying chemical safety related issues, whilst recommending and monitoring the delivery of corrective actions.
•    Support the CTS Division Safety Team in conducting fact finding and Division-led investigations to identify root causes, emerging safety trends and ensuring that lessons are identified, captured and used to aid learning and prevention of recurrence of further chemical safety related incidents. 

Important Information

Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats. For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.

This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. For some roles Developed Vetting will also be required, in this case you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.

Please see full job descriptions attached at the bottom of this page 

Person specification

Health & Safety Advisor – Chemical and Explosives Safety

We are looking for someone who has:

•    A good knowledge of chemistry and explosives safety, with experience of providing practical health & safety advice to both technical and non-technical staff, to deliver safe and secure outcomes. 
•    Knowledge of COSHH regulations and explosives regulations. Providing practical safety advice to those involved in the procurement, storage, handing and disposal of chemicals and explosives. 
•    Practical experience of providing advice to those preparing COSHH assessments and explosive risk assessments. Knowledge of containment systems and ventilation systems or working in processing areas for the above mentioned hazards.   
•    Experience of supporting or conducting routine safety investigations, including root cause analysis, to identify resolutions and reduce the likelihood of further chemical or explosive related incidents occurring. 

Health & Safety Advisor – Chemical Safety

We are looking for someone who has:

•    A good knowledge of chemistry, with experience of providing practical health & safety advice to both technical and non-technical staff, to deliver safe and secure outcomes. 
•    Knowledge of the safe storage, handling, use and disposal of chemicals including COSHH regulations and supporting others preparing COSHH assessments. Knowledge of chemical containment and ventilation systems. 
•    The ability to build professional working relationships, providing safety advice and influencing others to bring our staff on the journey of continuous improvement. 
•    Experience of hazard preparedness, specifically relating to chemicals and in training others in this area.  

Please see full job descriptions at the bottom of the page 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,620, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £7,457 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.We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.

Sifting will take place week commencing the 15th January 24 with interviews to be arranged from the 29th January 24

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.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.

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.