About the job

Job summary

Technical Operations Manager

Grade: HEO OUTER £32,469-£39,532

Full time- Chilton, Oxfordshire on site

Hybrid option available after 6-month probation period

The RCE is part of the UKHSA Chief Scientific Officer Group and aims to improve health and reduce harm from: radiation, hazardous chemicals in the environment, environmental change, extreme weather events such as flooding.

RCE’s main tasks are: giving advice on the above topics, evaluating health risks through research and joint projects offering commercial services for radiological and chemical hazard protection, playing key roles in the RCE Emergency Plans, especially for major radiation incidents that need constant readiness.

The Personal Dosimetry Service (PDS) is a commercial service, approved by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), that measures the radiation doses to employees of over 5,500 employers who work with ionising radiations in various sectors. This is done by passive personal dosemeters, which are worn by the employee for a period then sent back to PDS for analysis and reporting. The service also helps gain experience that informs UKHSA’s advice to government and radiation users and adds to RCEHD’s annual income. The PDS is a team of around 25 staff who issue dosemeters to over 80,000 workers in the UK and abroad. Supporting PDS operations are specialist equipment, supplies and software that need continuous management, support, and development. The operations team ensures these customised systems are reliable and resilient and that PDS meets its standards as an Approved Dosimetry Service and ISO17025 Laboratory.

Working Pattern: On site 5 days per week. Chilton Oxfordshire, Full time with flexible working

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.*

Job description

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

The post holder will be required to:

• Use excellent communication skills:

• to work effectively as part of the PDS team,
• to be effective in meetings
• to build excellent working relationships with colleagues and suppliers
• to liaise with customers to explain/resolve technical dosimetry queries
• to feed back and suggest improvements/enhancements to PDS.

• Contribute to the general work of the group:
• Promote progress in, and contribute to planning and execution of, technical developments:
• This will involve:
• Additionally to:
• Represent UKHSA at meetings, exhibitions and conferences, maintaining a professional approach to establish good relationships with potential/existing customers and industry colleagues.

Please see job description attached for full list of duties and responsibilities. Previous management experience is not required for this role. Full training will be provided, including coaching/mentoring and courses on leadership and management.

Person specification

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:

• Level 6 qualifications (e.g. bachelor’s degree), in a science, or equivalent experience.
• Experience of delivering technical work to meet deadlines
• Ability to form good working relationships with colleagues, suppliers and customers.as well as working in a team
• Excellent organizational and prioritising skills
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills; with the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people
• Excellent numeracy skills

Desirable:

• Ideally a physics related degree
• Experience of writing/reviewing technical documents/scientific papers
• Experience of working in a commercial environment to include direct contact with customers
• Good ability to interpret, question and test own understanding

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,469, UK Health Security Agency contributes £6,214 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 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. 

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.  Candidates will also be asked to participate in a session where they will be required to prepare and deliver a 5-minute presentation to the panel.  This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment.  The presentation will be designed to assess each candidate’s experience in line with the requirements of the role.  Full details will be provided prior to the interview.

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Changing and improving
• Achieving commercial outcomes
• Delivering value for money
• Managing a quality service
• Delivering at pace
• Leading and communicating

 

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 14th January 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: TBC

Interviews: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change. 

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.