About the job

Job summary

Do you have experience working in a scientific environment? Have you worked with a team of technical staff before?  Do you have strong analytical and communication skills? Do you want to join a dynamic team that provides a vital service to thousands of employers and workers in the radiation industry?

If yes, then you could be a great fit for the role of Laboratories Supervisor at the Personal Dosimetry Service (PDS) of UKHSA Chilton.

PDS is a commercial service, approved by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), that measures and reports the radiation doses to employees working with ionising radiations in various sectors, such as industrial, research and medical. PDS uses passive personal dosemeters, which are worn by the workers and then sent back to PDS for analysis. PDS also contributes to UKHSA’s expertise and advice on radiation matters and generates a significant income for UKHSA. PDS has a staff of around 25 people and serves over 80,000 workers in the UK and abroad.

As a Laboratories Supervisor, you will be part of the laboratories team that supports PDS with ensuring the effective issuing and processing of customer dosemeters.  You will be responsible for supervising the day to day running of the PDS dosemeter laboratories, ensuring an efficient and smooth service for our 7000+ customers. This will involve planning, prioritising and participating in the routine work, allocating staff to tasks and ensuring issue and processing targets are met for an average of approx. 9,000 radiation dosemeters/week.

PDS also has an emergency response function for population monitoring in the event of a radiation incident. The Laboratory Supervisor will help the Lab in its response to an incident, liaising with Process Manager and other PDS staff as needed.

Your main duties will include:

• Line management up to 3 staff.
• Managing resources (staff and equipment) to ensure the service runs effectively, meeting issue and processing targets
• Effectively supervising staff in discharging the required laboratory tasks
• Monitoring and management of equipment
• Responding to and resolving customer queries

Based at UKHSA Chilton (Harwell Campus, Didcot, Oxford, OX11 0RQ) you will be expected to be based on-site on a full-time basis.

*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 (subject to business needs), Job Share, Flexible Working  

Job description

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

Use excellent communication skills:

• to work effectively as part of the PDS team to help provide excellent customer service
• to build excellent working relationships with colleagues and suppliers

Contribute to the general work of the group:

• Liaising with other colleagues, customers and suppliers as necessary.
• Providing information and advice to external customers (verbally and in writing)

Supervision of the Laboratory

• Manage resources (staff and equipment)
• Maintaining and Investigating routine and non-routine procedures
• Responding to and resolving customer queries and liaising with customers by phone, letter, email or in person; providing interpretation of results and advice on personal dosimetry

This will involve:

• Decision making on prioritisation of tasks
• Addressing problems e.g. in equipment maintenance/failure and workload of the Lab - by liaison with UKHSA colleagues plus external suppliers and proposing solutions.

Additionally to:

• Tasks such as daily QA checks, calibrating dosemeters and ensuring the laboratory runs efficiently
• Reviewing and developing laboratory procedures and input into quality documents, including maintaining approval for PDS under ISO17025 standard.

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.

Please see job description attached for full list of duties and competencies.

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1200 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

• 2 A-Levels + 5 GCSEs, or equivalent experience
• Experience of working in a scientific environment, including extensive experience of working in a commercial environment to include direct contact with customers.
• Experience of working in a team
• Excellent customer care skills, which includes the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to form good working relationships with customers, staff and suppliers, working flexibly within the PDS team
• Excellent organisational and planning skills; including prioritisation.
• Good analytical and decision-making skills
• Competent computer skills (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel and web-based products), including a good understanding of computer record functions and processes
• Physically fit/ able to carry out moderate lifting tasks
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Desirable

• Experience of managing a team, to include staff appraisals and training junior staff
• Experience in radiation protection and of working in an HSE approved Dosimetry Lab environment, with knowledge of IRR2017

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 – flexitime arrangements
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Range of health and wellbeing support
• Free on-site parking
• Generous annual leave allowance (starting on 27 days plus bank holidays, increasing with time in post)
• Financial Reward Scheme, based on performance
• Options for further training courses, qualifications

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 and statement of suitability. 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 in-person interview.

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. 

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Making effective decisions
• Changing and improving
• Leading and communicating
• Collaborating and partnering
• Managing a quality service
• Achieving commercial outcomes

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on the 31st 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: from the 2nd of April 2024

Interviews: w/c 15th of April 2024 – Likely to be Monday and Thursday.

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.