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UK Health Security Agency
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About
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will be responsible for planning, preventing and responding to external health threats, and providing intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage. UKHSA will ensure the nation can respond quickly and at greater scale to deal with pandemics and future threats.
Toxicologist
Accepting applications until: 08-Sep-2024 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 08-Sep-2024 23:59
Key details
Location
- Site
- UKHSA Chilton
- Town
- Didcot
- Postcode
- OX11 0RQ
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
Salary
- Salary
- £27,722 - £32,505 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (Civil Service: Executive Officer (EO))
Specialty
- Main area
- Toxicologist
The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.
UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:
- Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
- Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
- Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
- Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
- Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.
Job overview
The Experimental Toxicology programme within the Toxicology Department of the Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards Directorate of UKHSA undertakes experimental research using in vitro and in vivo models to investigate the impacts of exposures to chemicals and other environmental pollutants (e.g. air pollutants, bioaerosols, microplastics) on human health, including to those with pre-existing conditions (e.g. asthma).
This lab-based role involves the provision of specialised scientific services and technical support for research and development work to support the work of the Toxicology Department. The post is within the Bioaerosols Team.
Advert
- Laboratory work and scientific functions. These will involve cell culture maintenance and treatment protocols, specialist biological endpoint assays, data reporting and general laboratory work.
- Assistance in sequencing and genomic analysis activities together with computational analysis of data from high throughput assays.
- Maintenance of laboratory supplies including the ordering of reagents and equipment.
- Responsibility for maintaining risk assessment documentation in accordance with health and safety regulations.
- Routine maintenance checks on specialised laboratory equipment.
The postholder may also be responsible for the use and maintenance of complex scientific equipment and will use a range of IT software including databases and software developed in house. These may be used for record keeping and the calculation of scientific information.
Working for our organisation
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will provide support for the Bioaerosols Team. Bioaerosols are airborne particles of biological origin, such as bacteria, viruses, pollen, fungal spores and/or their component parts. The Bioaerosols Team undertake research into the potential impacts of inhaled bioaerosols, in particular fungal spores, on human health in collaboration with a number of Universities and other Research organisations. They also routinely monitor fungal spores in the air. The post holder will be involved in culturing airway cells at the air-liquid interface, exposing them to bioaerosols and undertaking molecular endpoint assays, including quantitative PCR, ELISAs, cytochemistry, microscopy and high content imaging. They will also provide assistance in sequencing and genomic analysis and computational analysis of data. We are particularly interested in candidates with practical laboratory experience, including ALI cell culture, microbiology and/or high throughput sequencing, metabarcoding and associated bioinformatic analysis. The successful candidate will also be involved in maintenance of laboratory supplies and play a role in relation to laboratory health and safety requirements.
Essential criteria
- Science degree (or its equivalent) in a biological science discipline.
- Technical competence in taking measurements coupled with good numerate ability.
- Capable of working accurately and consistently in setting up equipment and in making complex measurements.
- Ability to communicate effectively, formally, informally, orally and in writing to suppliers, customers, UKHSA staff and representatives from other organizations.
- Ability to work well under pressure and to deadlines, also able to prioritise the workload and work autonomously with reference to line management when required.
Desirable criteria
- Laboratory practical experience to include cell culture and general biological endpoint assessment.
- Experience of sequencing, genomic methods, bioinformatics or animal models.
- Laboratory management and organizational experience.
- Ability to observe and question to gather information and sift it to disregard the irrelevant and identify key issues
Selection Process.
This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your Qualifications, knowledge and experience and /or skills and capabilities outlined in the essential criteria.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the essential criteria, and this will be in the form of
• a CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• a 1250-word Statement of Suitability.
This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the above 5 essential criteria.
The CV and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview.
In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment
Please do not exceed 1250 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview (competency based)
You will be invited to a (single) face to face interview.
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview
There will be a 10 minute Presentation - details will be sent prior to interview.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
This role is based at Chilton (lab based). Please note hybrid working is not available for this role.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
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.
If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.
This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.
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
For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)
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.
The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.
For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.
For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. You can not take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy.
Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.
Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. 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 (attached as a supporting document).
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: [email protected] 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 here.
Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.
Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.
UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.
If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
Any move to UKHSA 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Benefits of working at UKHSA include:
- Generous annual leave:
-26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service
-28 days after 5 years of continuous service
-32 days after 10 years of continuous service
-Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday - Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
- Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
- Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
- We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
- We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.
Hybrid Working
UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce.
As a hybrid worker, you will usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.
Disability Confident Scheme
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview. If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.
To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you.
An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.
This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:
Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
International Police Check
If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and could be time accrued over that period.
Person specification
Application Form
Essential criteria
- Science degree (or its equivalent) in a biological science discipline.
- Technical competence in taking measurements coupled with good numerate ability.
- Capable of working accurately and consistently in setting up equipment and in making complex measurements.
- Ability to communicate effectively, formally, informally, orally and in writing to suppliers, customers, UKHSA staff and representatives from other organizations.
- Ability to work well under pressure and to deadlines, also able to prioritise the workload and work autonomously with reference to line management when required.
Desirable criteria
- Laboratory practical experience to include cell culture and general biological endpoint assessment.
- Experience of sequencing, genomic methods, bioinformatics or animal models.
- Laboratory management and organizational experience.
- Ability to observe and question to gather information and sift it to disregard the irrelevant and identify key issues.
Interview
Essential criteria
- 10 minute presentation
Documents
- Job description (PDF, 464.4KB)
- Job Hazard Profile (PDF, 864.3KB)
- Civil Service Recruitment Principles (PDF, 2.6MB)
- Civil Service Nationality Rules (PDF, 195.3KB)
- Application Form Guidance Notes (PDF, 77.3KB)
- Information Sheet - Starting salaries and benefits (PDF, 129.4KB)
- Information Sheet - Selection Process (PDF, 110.1KB)
- Working at UKHSA and your benefits (PDF, 219.2KB)
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Helen Higgins
- Job title
- Resource Support
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
For queries regarding the role please contact [email protected], for queries regarding the application please contact [email protected].
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