About the job

Job summary

The Civil Service embraces equality, diversity, and inclusion. At HSE, your personal qualities are as important as your professional experience. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and all walks of life.

Our approach is to recruit “on merit on the basis of fair and open competition”, in line with the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. As such, our thorough selection process ensures that you and every other candidate receive equal and fair treatment.

At HSE, our mission is protecting people and places and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives. Our work touches virtually every sector of Great Britain’s industries and we have recently established the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). BSR will serve as a lasting tribute to those who have lost their lives due to poor and substandard buildings and will help ensure tragedies such as Grenfell are consigned to the past.

HSE’s Science Division is a world-leading provider of health and safety solutions to industry and government. The scope of our work requires a diversity of talented individuals, and our capabilities encompass a wide range of topics including fire, explosion, process safety and engineering; occupational and environmental health; risk assessment; work environment; and specialist photographic and analytical services. This breadth of expertise underpins our strength in creating multidisciplinary teams to support HSE’s work on major incident investigations and policy and regulatory development, as well as undertaking high quality research.

We are looking for an experienced structural engineer to join the Engineering Materials Team in the Major Hazards Capability Group within HSE’s Science Division. The team supports the wider HSE through materials and engineering-related research, with focus on supporting the Building Safety Regulator, achieving Net Zero, and incident investigation. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to valuable HSE and industry research projects to directly improve the lives of people in their workplaces and homes and be part of a team developing technology areas for our organisation. This exciting opportunity will be based at the HSE Science and Research Centre, our research laboratory and unique outdoor testing facilities, in Buxton, Derbyshire (https://www.hsl.gov.uk/).

Job description

You will work within the Engineering Materials Team leading their research related to building safety and structural engineering, as well as supporting HSE incident investigations. As a Structural Engineering Principal Engineer, you will take a leading role within the team including the development of research programmes for both government and industry clients with a particular focus on work with the Building Safety Regulator. You will contribute to the strategic direction of research within the Engineering Materials Team, and the wider Major Hazards Capability Group as well and influence HSE and BSR policy. You will be part of a team of specialists and will also collaborate with experts across other disciplines in science, engineering, analysis, regulation, and policy.

Working Hours

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.

Key responsibilities

• Leading the development of research programmes for both government and industry by engaging with potential customers and stakeholders, providing quality technical content to proposals, and presenting technical information and solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Leading the delivery of building safety-related research and provision of advice to a high standard of rigour and accuracy including keeping accurate records of the work undertaken and its results, and demonstrating high professional standards in science and engineering.
• Leading incident investigations, including working with HSE Inspectors and other agencies, such as the police, and attending the incident site if appropriate. This will involve travel and some overnight stays away from home as well as potentially presenting expert evidence in court.
• Writing clear, high quality, accurate reports that will assist customers and stakeholders in understanding the evidence and how it affects their activities. You will also technically review the work of others.
• Providing support and advice to more junior members of the team including helping to develop their skills and competencies. This may include acting as a line manager.
• Occasional travel in the UK and overseas, including some overnight stays from home.

Person specification

Your application should demonstrate how you meet the following essential criteria:

• A detailed understanding of structural engineering and design requirements and regulations in the context of buildings.
• Experience of undertaking structural designs and calculations (e.g. finite element analysis) to applicable structural codes and standards.
• Experience of designing, planning, and delivering high quality engineering research or consultancy projects safely and to time, cost, and quality.
• The ability to work well independently and within a team, both as a leader and a team member.
• The ability to respond to occasional calls for incident support at short notice across Great Britain.
• Effective communication skills including experience of writing clear, concise, and accurate reports and the ability to interact productively with a diverse range of stakeholders.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,251, Health and Safety Executive contributes £14,917 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 invited to complete a CV that consists of your job history, key skills and qualifications. You will then be invited to complete a Personal Statement of up to 750 words which demonstrates how you meet the essential skills and criteria of the job advert.

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

At sift you will be assessed on your CV and Personal Statement. The Sift will take place week commencing 11th March.

Interview Information

At interview, you will be assessed against the three Behaviours detailed within the job advert, the 4 Technical Skills and a short Presentation (information on the presentation topic will be communicated when invited to interview).

Interviews will take place week commencing 25th March 2024 at our Science and Research Centre in Buxton.

Please note the dates for sift and interview are subject to change, depending on panel availability.

AI Tools & Platforms

During the application process candidates are allowed to utilise AI (artificial intelligence) platforms and Tools to support them in writing their Behaviours, CV’s and Personal Statements. However, all information submitted must be factually accurate. All presented information will be assessed at the Interview Stage.

Further Information

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

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Security Clearance

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.

Sponsorship

This role is not open to application from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship your application will be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment will be withdrawn.

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 Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

HSE is proud to be a part of the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS). As a Disability Confident employer, we positively welcome applications from disabled people. We are committed to making workplace adjustments to ensure anyone can participate in the recruitment and selection process.

We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all disabled applicants who provide evidence of meeting the minimum requirements necessary for the post. If, during the application or interview process, you require any assistance due to a disability or a medical condition, please contact us at the email address below to discuss how we can support you.

If successful in securing your role, HSE can provide suitable workplace adjustments to support you throughout your career with HSE. 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.