About the job

Job summary

The Radon Group is a mix of both scientific and administrative staff working across three teams: Radon Dosimetry Team, Radon Programmes Team and Radon Services Team. This position is for an Administrative Officer in the Radon Services Team. The main objective of the Services Team is to provide radon information and services to our customers. This involves communication via the telephone, email and through our website www.ukradon.org. The team deliver the radon search and measurement services to a range of customers; householders, employers and landlords. The team are also responsible for the development, content and admin for the group website www.ukradon.org.

This role is within a busy administrative office and will assist colleagues with the day-to-day delivery of radon information and services including both commercial and non-commercial scientific projects.

Job description

The Radon Admin Officers are key members of the Radon Services Team within the Radon Group at UKHSA.

You will be:

• required to undertake admin tasks such as detector issuing, post processing, data entry, emails and phone calls with the public and professionals on a daily basis – no two days are the same.
• given opportunities to be involved in database development, attending events with the public and contribute to projects which improve systems and processes in the group.

We are a small, friendly and collaborative admin team and look forward to welcoming more team members.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Communication

• Identify calls that require specialist or detailed knowledge and ensure they are forwarded onto the relevant member of staff
• Ensure all enquiries are properly recorded and that paperwork and computer records are current and accurate
• Contribute to group meetings regarding any aspects of internal procedures or services. This may include issues such as service delivery, the scope of new services or the volume of work within the team
• Provide general advice on logistics for large radon measurements programmes

Service Delivery

• Ensure accurate input of data in accordance with group procedures relating to contacts with and measurements for customers
• Issue domestic and occupational measurement kits
• Answer and/or action incoming and outgoing telephone calls
• Raising invoices in MaPS, checking payment has been received and coding records to release test results
• Extracting, checking and coding measurement order records to ensure they conform to set formats, preparing the paperwork to issue measurement packs, liaising directly with clients regarding delivery and any other requirements
• Use the existing procedures to extract, check and issue measurement reports
• Processing the returned post. This includes checking returned measurement questionnaires to identify potential measurement errors or changes to the client information
• Optical Mark Read return measurement questionnaires, check the file for inaccuracies and import the data into the group’s main database
• Arrange pick-up and delivery of detectors for external laboratories
• Maintain time-scales required for each task to maintain set levels of service delivery

Professional development 

• Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan.  Attending internal / external training events
• To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety and information governance, and any other training, e.g appropriate roles within the RCE Emergency Plan

Key working relationships 

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include:

Internal

• Radon team members, administrative & scientific 
• Training Department
• Finance 
• IT Group
• Facilities 

External

• The General Public
• Solicitors
• Government officers
• Landlords
• Employers and Agents 
• Health and Safety Officers
• Surveyors and Builders
• Laboratories validated for radon measurements

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Educated to NVQ 3 level in a relevant subject or equivalent level of qualification or significant equivalent previous proven experience
• Experience of working in a busy administrative office providing customer support services and communicating information to members of the public
• Experience of working as part of a team and working to deadlines
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word and Excel
• Basic understanding of radon and radon issues as covered by the www.UKradon.org website
• Good numeracy - good attention to detail and data entry skills ensuring accuracy. As well as good written and verbal skills.  Capable and confident in using the telephone and able to explain technical information to lay people
• Able to work on own initiative, organising and prioritising own workload to set deadlines and managing pressure
• Good attention to detail and data entry skills ensuring accuracy
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Desirable criteria

• NVQ Level 4 + relevant experience or HNC/D + relevant experience in a customer orientated discipline
• Competent in the use of MS Access
• Understanding of Data Protection and handling sensitive information
• Good interpersonal skills and able to build good working relationships with clients and colleagues

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £24,291, UK Health Security Agency contributes £6,834 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

Selection Process Details

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your skills and capabilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Stage 1: Application & Sift 

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application) 
• 1000 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 together.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist. 

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

Please do not exceed 1000 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 a face to face interview at UKHSA Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ.

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview   

Interview dates TBC. 

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 hybrid working is not an option for this role. This role is based at UKHSA Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ.

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.

Disability Confident Scheme

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.

Reserve List

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.   

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

New 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.