About the job

Job summary

The Radiation Hazards and Emergencies Department (RHED) leads UKHSA’s emergency response and preparedness function in case of radiation and nuclear emergencies. It also provides advice and support to external organisations and central Government on issues surrounding emergency response and countermeasures to be taken.

The Radiochemistry  Group (RG) has a primary role to provide analytical measurements of environmental and biological samples to support emergency response advice, as well as providing commercial services to a broad range of customers.  The work is performed under accredited systems (ISO 17025, ISO 14001).

The postholder will be responsible for managing a team of staff within the Group, focussed principally, but not exclusively, on researching, developing, and applying radiochemical analysis methods, ideally including Inductively Coupled Plasma- Mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), supporting the RG’s primary roles. This involves developing and maintaining a range of suitable testing and reporting procedures for environmental, industrial, and emergency samples and ensuring staff are fully trained and competent in these procedures.

They will be responsible for the training of their Team ensuring training programmes are prepared, in place and adhered to, as well using their expertise and experience to provide on-the-job training to a range of staff members Reporting to the Radiochemistry Group Leader, the postholder will be required to act on behalf of the Group Leader on occasions. The postholder may also be asked to undertake more general corporate duties, in areas such as safety management, environmental management or radioactivity management

Location

Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. This role will be based at the Glasgow site, 155 Hardgate Road, Glasgow, G51 4LS. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

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

Job description

As the Principal Radiation Protection Scientist (Team Leader) your main responsibilities will include:

• Manage a team of staff working in radiochemical analysis, ideally including ICP-MS
• Contribute to current commercial contracts e.g. sample analysis, report preparation etc
• Project manage commercial contracts or developmental work within the group
• Contribute to the development of UKHSA’s radiation emergency preparedness and response arrangements
• Develop testing protocols for required analyte/matrix combinations for commercial and emergency samples
• Ensure the work of the team satisfies applicable QA requirements
• Work with the team to ensure new protocols are written and implemented, and staff competency has been demonstrated. Manage the accreditation process for new procedures as required
• Work with other Team Leaders and RG Group Leader to develop polices and business plans for RG
• Work with staff across RHED and broader RCE/UKHSA to ensure emergency testing procedures are integrated with broader ER response systems
• Undertake broader corporate tasks as directed by the Group Leader and/or Head of Department

 

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 1250 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

• Graduate level, or higher, in chemistry or a related discipline
• High level of experience in all aspects of radiochemical analysis, ideally including ICP-MS (laboratory processing and use of instrumentation)
• Good understanding of the principles of analysis, detectors, and instrumentation for a wide range of radiochemical processes, ideally including ICP-MS
• Experience of working in a formally accredited QA environment
• Experience in setting up and managing development or application projects to completion and evaluating effectiveness
• Ability to work on several separate tasks at the same time, often independently, whilst keeping to agreed deadlines often working under pressure with competing priorities

 

Desirable

• Full UK driving licence.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,824, UK Health Security Agency contributes £13,992 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. 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 role will involve an interview onsite at 155 Hardgate Road, Glasgow, G51 4LS. 

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.

 

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others

 

For further information on the selection process, please refer to the attached Candidate Pack.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 31st July 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 5th August 2024

Interviews: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

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.