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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.
Senior Toxicologist
Accepting applications until: 29-Aug-2024 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 29-Aug-2024 23:59
Key details
Location
- Site
- UKHSA Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ
- Town
- Didcot, Oxford
- Postcode
- OX11 0RQ
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- 7 months (Fixed Term Until - 31st March 2025)
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
Salary
- Salary
- £40,721 - £46,231 per annum, pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (Civil Service: Senior Executive Officer (SEO))
Specialty
- Main area
- Toxicology
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 International Regulation Group within the Toxicology Department undertakes translational research activities using in silico, in vitro and in vivo models for chemical hazard assessment, and works to harmonise these tools in collaboration with international partners, particularly the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Test Guideline Programme and related bodies. The OECD Environment Health and Safety programme covers the safe use of chemicals, nanomaterials, pesticides, biocides, and products of modern biotechnology. It aims to protect health and the environment, while avoiding duplication of effort, ensuring that efficiencies are made and barriers to trade avoided.
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The post holder will:
- Provide and contribute to the toxicology, public and environmental health translational input to the Coastal Health Shared Outcome Fund with a focus on immunotoxicology. This programme of work aims to improve our understanding of the health of the coastal ecosystem and ensure an effective response to adverse coastal events, a summary is available here. This will involve collaborating and coordinating with leading senior scientists in UKHSA and across UK government and associated agencies, in relation to the hazard and risk assessment of chemicals in the environment.
- Require the ability critically review complex data sets and carry out reviews of evidence in a targeted (semi-)systematic, critical but collegiate manner. The post holder will (co)lead a review and workshop report, that will be developed within the first year.
- Develop evidence-based advice in immunotoxicology, chemical hazard assessment and environmental health risk assessment.
- Represent UKHSA at national and international scientific meetings as well as presenting the views of UKHSA at high-level government meetings.
- Report to the Principal Toxicologist/Group Leader.
- Be expected to travel to attend meetings and conferences as required.
- Develop strong links with national coastal health stakeholders and key universities undertaking regulatory relevant toxicological research.
- Input into the development and framing of the critical issues, data/biomarker needs and question proposals to develop/improve upon toxicological understanding and interpretation of how chemicals impact upon and compromise the immune system status of humans and wildlife, particularly with a focus in relation to the coastal/marine environment. Learnings from human safety science will be utilised to support the development of relevant monitoring and hazard assessment tools for the coastal, marine and aquatic environment.
- Work with other programmes and groups in the Toxicology department and externally to UKHSA, to propose suitable work programmes where meaningful input can be made within the laboratory, research and regulatory capacity available.
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
Emphasis is on expert scientific/ technical contribution to advice and work both inside and outside UKHSA. This contribution involves evaluating and synthesising complex information from a number of sources and developing a targeted (inter) national workshop, to derive specific recommendations for regulatory immune related tool development for the environment.
Research and Advice:
The post holder will take a key role in developing and delivering the research undertaken for the project. This will include the following:
- Contribute to and take responsibility for specific aspects of the design, development and completion of in silico, in vivo and in vitro data and literature analysis tasks in relation to human and aquatic/marine environmental immunotoxicity.
- Contribute to the provision of expert scientific advice on testing strategies for environmental health hazard assessment of chemicals.
- Contribute to the management of the COASTAL HEALTH regulatory /translational research projects including: planning, experimental design, procedures, data analysis and workshop organisation.
- Collaborate with internal and external scientists in the development of the project work and workshop organisation.
- Produce sound scientific papers for external peer reviewed publication and give presentations at levels including international conferences.
For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Essential criteria
You will be assessed on the below 4 essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description .
- PhD qualification (or equivalent) relevant to the field of (eco)toxicology and/or experience of working at a similar level in a relevant area
- Experience of assessing health risks from chemicals
- Awareness of broad public health and environmental issues
- Ability to critically assess relevant data and information to assess the toxicity of chemicals
This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your knowledge, experience, skills & abilities outlined in the essential criteria.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
Competency-based assessments
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 4 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
-
CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
-
750 word Statement of Suitability.
This should outline how your Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.
The CV and Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.
Stage 2: Interview (competency based)
You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview.
There will be a Presentation.
Interviews will be held week commencing 2nd September 2024. Please note, these dates are subject to change.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
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.
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
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- PhD qualification (or equivalent) relevant to the field of toxicology and/or experience of working at a similar level in a relevant area
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of assessing health risks from chemicals
- Awareness of broad public health and environmental issues
- Ability to critically assess relevant data and information to assess the toxicity of chemicals
Documents
- Job Description (PDF, 408.4KB)
- 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
- Irene Scahill
- Job title
- Resourcing Support
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
For information regarding the role please contact Miriam Jacobs, Group Leader, (International Regulation) at [email protected]
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