About the job

Job summary

Diverse Perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We look forward to receiving your application.

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.

Within the Chemical Explosives and Microbiological Hazards Division (CEMHD) of HSE, our Human Factors Specialists ensure employers across Great Britain work safely – touching on a whole range of essential industries with thousands of workers. In this role, you can utilise your considerable technical knowledge and practical experience to influence not only individual employers but whole industry sectors.

This role will make the most of your Human Factors knowledge, whether that’s inspecting a workplace or investigating the cause of a fatal incident. Our HF roles are unique and suit those who enjoy variety and a challenge, whilst having the support of the widest range of health and safety experts in Britain.

The core part of your work will be in regulating onshore major hazards industries, such as chemicals, explosives and downstream oil & gas industries. The role will at times also require you to apply your knowledge to a range of other industries such as manufacturing, fairgrounds and quarries.

You will need to apply your experience and knowledge to identify risk and underlying issues on site, (often from first principles) make effective decisions on the adequacy of existing control measures and persuade and influence people at all levels to achieve compliance with the law.

The role will also give you the chance to collaborate with technical specialists from multiple other disciplines, e.g., mechanical engineering and process safety, allowing you to broaden your skills and knowledge in a diverse and stimulating environment.

Job description

The role will predominantly involve you undertaking site inspections, as well as assessing the adequacy of safety reports for upper tier COMAH sites.  You will also be part of investigation teams seeking out accident and incident root causes, and identifying recommendations to ensure that lessons are learned. Part of your role will require you to act as an expert witness, giving your specialist opinion on human factors aspects of accidents and incidents.

You will be required to contribute to the production and revision of HF guidance and standards for HSE and other industry bodies and will be required to prioritise continuing professional development for yourself and other members of the HF Team. 

Inspections and investigations may take you to sites across Great Britain, thus requiring regular travel and overnight stays. Part time working hours are available for this role. We can accept part time applicants who can commit to working a minimum of 30 hours per week.

At HSE, we are proud to be able to offer our people the opportunity to work in a hybrid way which combines working from home and the office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your allocated office will be your contractual place of work. There will be a requirement to travel to the office for various activities e.g., collaborative working, supporting and training colleagues. If hybrid working is suitable for you and your role, the arrangements will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. Therefore, we would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post.

Specialist Training Programme (STP)

On joining HSE, all new specialist inspectors are required to complete a 2-year Specialist Training Programme (STP). This two-year programme comprises of both in depth legal training and assessments and any further technical training that may be required.

Person specification

Essential Criteria - skills and experience:

• Practical experience of applying Human Factors expertise within the workplace, with experience of applying Human Factors to the control of risks within major hazards industries (such as the Chemical and Downstream Oil Industries).
• Practical understanding of design and operation of socio-technical systems, including experience of applying the principles of Human Factors to engineering design projects.
• Experience of assessing human reliability in the context of major accident risk assessments to ensure reliance on human performance is proportionate to risk, including an understanding of both qualitative and quantitative human reliability assessment techniques.
• Practical experience of using Human Factors methods for the management of workload, fatigue, staffing levels, organisational change, and critical communications.
• Experience of working in multidisciplinary teams, assessing the importance of Human Factors issues alongside other stakeholder’s concerns.
• Good communication skills, both verbal and written
• Good organisational, planning and time management skills.

We value people who embrace and enable inclusivity, work well in a team, and can build robust relationships with employers and other partners.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,993, Health and Safety Executive contributes £14,506 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Information

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a CV that displays your career history, skills, experience and qualifications. You will also be asked to complete a Personal Statement of up to 1250 words which demonstrates how you meet the essential skills and criteria of the job advert. Further information will be included within in the application form. 

Application Guidance

Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a personal statement https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/  

Sift Information

The sift is due to take place week commencing 12th February 2024. At sift, you will be assessed on your CV and Personal Statement.

Interview Information

Interviews are due to be held week commencing 4th March 2024.

You will be assessed against the four Behaviours listed in this advert, along with Experience and the two technical skills. 

As part of your interview, you will be required to deliver a 10-minute presentation. Further details of this will be sent out with your interview invite, if you are successful at sift.

The interviews are due to be held in person, confirmation of the location of the interview will be confirmed if you are successful at sift. In exceptional circumstances, your interview may be held via MS teams. 

Further Information

Please note that a Reserve List will be held for the period of up to 12 months.

Due to the nature of security checks undertaken, applicants must have 3 years continuous residency in the UK up to the date of the application and, Home Office approval for indefinite leave to remain within the UK.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application.

For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached document. 

Any move to HSE 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 here.

If you have a disability and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk  

Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;
Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.

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.