About the job

Job summary

Training and Competency Supervisor

HEO National £30,473-£37,215

Based at UKHSA Porton Down

Permanent Contract

This role will require full UK security clearance and you will need to have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. 

Seeking a Training and Competency Supervisor to join our High Containment and Biological Services (HCBS) team, spanning two key locations: Porton and Colindale.

As an integral part of the Compliance Team, you will play a pivotal role in maintaining HCBS’s commitment to stringent regulatory and legislative standards. Your expertise will be instrumental in evaluating, enhancing, and crafting training strategies that bolster our division’s capabilities and compliance.

You will serve as the primary liaison for training-related inquiries, providing essential support to managers, scientists, and technicians throughout the division. This dynamic position offers the opportunity to collaborate with professionals at various UKHSA sites and may involve occasional travel.

Join us in this vital role where your contributions will directly impact the excellence and integrity of our services.

Location

 

Based at UKHSA Porton Down

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

 

Working Pattern – Full Time, Flexible Working,

Job description

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

1. Act as a key contact for training and competency queries.
2. To develop and maintain training & competency documentation in line with current policies.
3. Support the HCBS Managers in ensuring appropriate training documents are applied to all facilities, processes, and staff
4. Support HCBS managers in identifying training & competency needs for their teams.
5. Support Training & Competency Coordinator(s) in the development of; training processes, policies, and procedures.
6. Assist functions in preparing for audits, including the recording, tracking and completion of associated actions/non-conformance resolution.
7. To conduct reviews and provide reports through analysis of data to help inform training and competency priorities.
8. To remain up to date with latest industry practices.
9. Assist in the management of the training and competency systems to ensure continued staff compliance
10. Devise and lead on training that meets staff and directorate business needs

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 full list of duties and competencies associated with the post.

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 essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description):

 

Essential

• Educated to degree level OR equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Ability to work across functional boundaries
• Has an understanding of compliance
• Previous experience and good working knowledge of Microsoft office systems
• Communication – be able to convey instructions, ideas and opinions clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences
• High level of self-motivation to deliver required work objectives and outcomes.
• Be eligible to undergo SC Clearance and have resided in the UK for the past five years continuously

 

 

Desirable

• Evidence of using technical experience to innovate and initiate change in practice
• Evidence of training and supervisory experience
• Has thorough knowledge and understanding of laboratory and/or breeding safety requirements and procedures
• Degree in a biology-related subject

 

Please ensure that your statement of suitability does not contain any personal identifiers such as Name, Gender, Location, Marital Status, Sexual Orientation or Religion. The UKHSA operates a fair and open recruitment policy.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,473, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,227 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

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – 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 an in-person interview (remote interviews available upon request)

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.

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
• Collaborating and partnering
• Building capability for all
• Managing a quality service

 

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 7th April 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: 10th April 2024

Interviews: w/c 22nd April 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

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. 

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) clearance.  UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

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. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist 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.