About the job

Job summary

Radon Programmes Support Scientist   

Grade: EO OUTER - £27,722 - £32,505

Location: Chilton, Didcot OX11 0RQ

Permanent Contract

Radon gas is a natural source of ionising radiation that affects the UK population. It comes from rocks, soils, building materials and water, and causes more than 1,100 lung cancer deaths every year in the UK. The Radon Group is a team of ~20 people with various skills: scientific, technical, logistical and business. We aim to raise awareness of radon, offer measurements and guidance on how to reduce radon levels in homes and workplaces, and conduct research and development to support our services. Our website www.ukradon.org features the radon potential map of the UK, which we created from radon measurement data from nearly 600,000 homes and local geology.

Location: Chilton, Didcot

Working Pattern – Full Time, 37.5 hours per week. Hybrid option available after initial training period

Job description

The Radon Group is in the Dosimetry Services Department in the Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards Directorate. As a Programmes Support Scientist, you will be involved in a variety of scientific and business tasks, usually within larger programmes.

Person specification

The Radon Programmes Team Scientist will be responsible for:

• Radon knowledge - acquiring detailed knowledge of radon sources, measurements and mitigation.
• Providing information - to householders and employers on radon (scientific support for Radon Services Team) – both written and verbal.
• Improving resources - contributing to articles for research journals and other publications.
• Planning and scheduling – Assist with and maintain appropriate systems to enable effective planning and scheduling. Experience of working across teams, establishing processes and working to deadlines.
• Monitoring and reporting – Assist in maintaining project controls and in producing project reports.
• Administration – Be responsible for project file management using robust version control. Organise key project meetings, and provide secretariat support using Microsoft Office tools
• Resources –Supervision of junior staff if appropriate.
• Stakeholder – Assist with maintaining the stakeholder log for internal and external stakeholders. Act as the focal point for project responses to external requests for information.
• Financial control – Assist with the monitoring of project spend and income, and contribute to the compilation of budgets. Maintains an accurate asset register for the project.
• Risks and Issues – Assist with and maintain risk and issue logs, escalating as appropriate.

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 the full list of duties and responsibilities.

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1000 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:

Essential Criteria:

Essential

• Degree / NVQ level 6 in science-related subject or equivalent experience
• Knowledge and experience of MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Knowledge of radiation and/or environmental protection
• Effective communicator, with written and verbal, with a range of stakeholders
• Self-motivated and able to work without close supervision
• Ability to work to deadlines or under pressure and busy environment

Desirable

• Ability to analyse situation and suggest improvements

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,722, UK Health Security Agency contributes £7,484 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

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised essential criteria – 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 ideally a face-to-face 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. 

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.  

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 14 Jan 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: 19th Jan 2024

Interviews: 29 Jan 2024

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

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.