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About the job
Job summary
#DBT
About OPSS
Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can we use your skills, knowledge and experience to enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you!
We are the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business & Trade (Previously the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy). We are here for the purpose of making regulation work to deliver real world impact. Regulation is a powerful Government tool to address market failures, influence behaviour and promote positive action. Crafted and delivered well, regulation can be an enabler of growth, innovation and efficiency.
Since early 2018 we have been building a positive and creative team that enjoys a position of influence and respect within an organisation that continues to grow, most recently with the addition of construction products regulation planned.
Our primary purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence
Further information can be found on our website here
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. We embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (DCS) for people with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
We are Inclusive
We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible and recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation if required to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
Job description
We are looking for an experienced toxicologist to join our Chemical Risk Assessment Team. You will be working as part of the scientific secretariat for our Scientific Advisory Group, preparing papers relating to the risks of chemicals in consumer products along with other more administrative secretariat tasks. Prior experience within a scientific secretariat would be valuable, however, training can be provided on this aspect. The post holder will work flexibly on other activities across the Science Team including on projects in OPSS’ strategic research programme. You will be an excellent communicator with a good record of building and maintaining strong working relationships as you will be working closely with others across OPSS, other government departments and external experts and contractors.
Person specification
- You will be responsible for leading on the compilation and drafting of papers, opinions and other documents for our Scientific Advisory Group as well as other secretariat tasks such as arranging meetings.
- You will use your experience in risk assessment to review industry dossiers relating to the safety of chemicals in consumer products; primarily cosmetics and toys, working with others to agree approaches to effective and robust risk assessment.
- Assess and interpret toxicological data to undertake chemical risk assessment and communicate outputs effectively to non-specialists. An appreciation of the legislative framework would be beneficial at the outset, otherwise, it will be essential to develop this in post.
- Lead on ad-hoc queries regarding risk of chemicals to human health in consumer products from other teams.
- You will take the lead on or collaborate with others in the team on current and future research projects, working closely with our Research, Evidence and Dissemination Team.
- You will have line management responsibility for one Risk Assessor.
- Adopting a flexible approach to supporting other work as priorities may change
Skills and Experience
Essential criteria
• We would love to hear from you if you have a BSc. in a chemical or life science in addition to either a post-graduate qualification in toxicology and 2 years post graduate experience or at least 3 years’ experience in the area of chemical risk assessment.
- A proven track record of building strong professional relationships with a wide range of people, including non-science specialists, to deliver on joint goals is essential.
- You should have a track record of communicating scientific concepts effectively to non-science specialists both verbally and in writing.
- Ability to multi-task and prioritise your workload.
- Critical thinking and attention to detail.
Desirable criteria
- Status as a Registered Toxicologist is desirable, but not essential, and support can be given to achieve this.
Technical skills
- Building and applying knowledge - Understands and objectively, and effectively, applies scientific and engineering approaches with rigour and integrity. This may be through gathering and analysing information, producing effective literature reviews, critiquing techniques, designing or conducting research, undertaking fieldwork, computational modelling, writing evaluations and / or contributing to knowledge sharing including peer reviewed journal papers.
- Communicating science and engineering for government - Generates, collates and provides succinct scientific, technical or engineering evidence to fulfil requirements. Provides critical analysis and investigation of sources, and contributes to the robustness of the evidence base. Provides evidence in a format that can be circulated or published across government or externally by considering the background and needs of varying audiences.
- Technical oversight and management - Effectively approves, directs and reviews scientific, technical or engineering work of others. Champions good practice, openness to scrutiny, promotes integrity, collaboration, and manages risk effectively. Provides clear scientific, technical or engineering leadership to projects, portfolios or programmes. Helps identify learning and development opportunities for members of their team, enabling continuous improvement.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Building and applying knowledge
- Communicating science and engineering for government
- Technical oversight and management
Benefits
BEIS offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 27%.
A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need (from September 2021, depending on how the public health guidance evolves).
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement (in no more than 500 words) to explain how your qualifications, skills, knowledge and experience match the requirements of the role.
Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.
Applications will be sifted on personal statement and any technical skills required.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of behaviour and technical questions.
Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.
Expected Timeline subject to change
Sift dates: w/c 10th July 2023
Interview dates: w/c 24th July 2023
Interview Location: MS Teams.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further Information
Existing BEIS recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles may be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be located in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a disabled person is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via beisrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
- Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
We are proud to be a disability confident leader, more information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that BEIS offers to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our candidate guidance document. A plain text version of the guidance is also available.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
BEIS does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).
BEIS cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. BEIS holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
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) (opens in a new window)
- 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
Working for the Civil Service
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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team
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