About the job

Job summary

Are you a skilled scientist looking to make a difference?

Can you deliver robust research that impacts the food on our tables?

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is looking for a Radiological Risk Assessor who can help us ensure that food is safe for consumers across the country and beyond.

Delivering high quality scientific advice and assessment, the risk assessment team enables the FSA to plan ahead, identify issues with regulated products, and address them directly, and effectively. The UK’s consumers, and those receiving UK export goods overseas, rely on our work to ensure the safety of what they eat.

Job description

Working with colleagues and external stakeholders, you will deliver risk assessments in relation to radiological food safety concerns. Whether you are exploring the impact of proposed discharges of radioactive materials into the environment, existing threats from legacy contamination, or even participating in nuclear emergency exercises, your work will play an important role in protecting the public.

You’ll be a skilled communicator who can work closely with others and deliver clear and direct advice that is considered and impactful.

If you are excited to put your existing expertise to use protecting the public, are a keen learner who will seek to constantly develop and enhance their understanding of the field and will be enthused to work collaboratively and effectively to support your team and the wider FSA in its work, apply for this exciting position today.

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 £32,505, Food Standards Agency contributes £8,809 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. 

• A scientific degree or equivalent in a physical, chemical, biological or environmental science
• Either a postgraduate qualification in a chemistry, physics or biology-based discipline (or closely related subject) or experience in radiological risk assessment or public health-related risk modelling.

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 criteria.

Essential criteria

Experience

• Lead criteria: An understanding and experience of radiological issues
• Experience of applying sound scientific knowledge and judgement, including experience in evaluating scientific studies and other technical information to generate robust advice
• Proven ability to effectively prioritise workload to meet challenging deadlines
• Proven record of engaging effectively and working collaboratively with experts and non-experts on issues both within and outside your areas of expertise
• Proven ability to communicate complex scientific issues to scientific and non-scientific audiences both verbally and in writing

Technical

• A scientific degree or equivalent in a physical, chemical, biological or environmental science
• Either a postgraduate qualification in a chemistry, physics or biology-based discipline (or closely related subject) or experience in radiological risk assessment or public health-related risk modelling.

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 Experience / Technical requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours Level 3

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.

Technical:

• A scientific degree or equivalent in a physical, chemical, biological or environmental science
• Either a postgraduate qualification in a chemistry, physics or biology-based discipline (or closely related subject) or experience in radiological risk assessment or public health-related risk modelling.

Experience:

• An understanding and experience of radiological issues

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 10th March

Sift: Expected to take place w/c 11th March

Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 25th 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.

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) Requirements (SC)

Appointment will be subject to the candidate having, or being able to achieve, National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) level.

All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years (although there are some exceptions e.g. if you have been serving abroad with HM Armed Forces).

Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

Checks will be made against:

• a departmental/company records check which will include, for example personal files, staff reports, sick leave returns and security records
• a check of both spent and unspent criminal records
• a check of credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
• a check of Security Service (MI5) records
• exceptionally, if there are any unresolved security concerns about the individual, or if recommended by the Security Service, the individual may also be interviewed
• in the event of any unresolved financial concerns, the individual may also be required to complete a separate financial questionnaire so that a full review of personal finances can be carried out
• checks may extend to third parties included on the security questionnaire.

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.

Candidates that do not pass the interview, but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

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. 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

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.