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Higher Radiation Protection Scientist

  • Public sector
  • 09/07/2024
  • £32,469.00 - £39,532.00 /yearly
  • Full Time & Permanent
Job expired!

Job Overview

Job Type

Full Time & Permanent

Salary

£32,469 - £39,532 yearly

Date Posted:

09/07/2024

Expiration date:

04/08/2024

Additional Detail

Job ID

11323

Job Description

Chilton, OX11 0RQ

Job summary

Job title Higher Radiation Protection Scientist

Profession- Science

Directorate Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards

Full Time equivalent - 37.5 hours

No of Roles 1

Contract Type Permanent

Location Chilton, OX11 0RQ

Working Pattern Full Time /Flexible Working / Hybrid

Grade & Salary Grade HEO. Outer London - £32,469 - £39,532 per annum.

Closing Date 04/08/2024. 23:55pm. Late applications will not be considered.

Interview Date TBC

 

Job description

The Radon Group is part of the Dosimetry Services Department in the Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards Directorate and heads the research and data analysis of radon exposure in the UK, having one of the biggest single databases with more than 900,000 measurements. The Radon Group is a multidisciplinary team including scientists, data managers and administrative staff, currently working across four teams: Radon Dosimetry Team (RDT), Radon Information and Data Team, Radon Programmes Team and Radon Services Team.

The post of Higher Radiation Protection Scientist is within RDT, which provides a specialised radon instruments calibration service to customers in the UK and internationally. RDT operates a world-class radon exposure facility for the calibration and research of a wide variety of passive and active radon detectors and instruments. RDT produces, issues and analyses large numbers of passive etched-track detectors that are used in homes and workplaces as part of the Radon Groups health protection programme.

As a Higher Radiation Protection Scientist you will be responsible for:

  • Providing scientific support to a highly specialised passive radon measurement service
  • Supervising detector processing in accordance with standard operating procedures
  • Planning and organising the passive radon detectors production
  • Assisting the calibration work using various radon instruments and radon detection techniques
  • Maintaining a high level of accuracy in accordance with standard operating procedures and in house developed QA protocols.
  • Managing various projects independently
  • UKAS accreditation submission and continuous improvement under ISO 17025
  • Providing input to reports and scientific journal articles related to radon

 

Main Duties of the Job

  • Supervising the production of passive radon detectors
  • Deputizing for the Manager of the passive radon detectors
  • Maintaining the instrumentation and production capability
  • Calibration of the radon instruments and passive radon detectors
  • Implementing the Local Rules for working with ionising radiation
  • Planning and scheduling of own work to meet various work programme requirements, deadlines and turnaround objectives
  • Identifying and solving problems, critically analysing working practices and proposing and implementing changes
  • Critically reviewing and developing new procedures for radon measurement and calibration methods
  • Maintaining a high standard of technical skill.
  • Ensuring important or unusual results are drawn to the attention of senior staff and/or to reporting complaints and anomalies as soon as possible
  • Having a very good level of physical dexterity, hand/eye coordination and manual handling abilities.
  • Ensuring compliance with ISO 17025
  • Contributing to the design and management of specific projects
  • Contributing to publications such as reports and scientific journal articles
  • Having an appropriate role within the UKHSA radiation emergency plan

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

To identify, discuss and action your own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan.  Attending internal / external training events.

To participate in all mandatory training as required, e.g. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

 

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

 

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include:

 

Internal

 

  • Scientific staff in RDT including Line Manager and Team Leader
  • Scientific and administrative staff in other Radon Group teams
  • Radon Group Leader
  • Staff in Dosimetry Services Department including Head of Department
  • Peers working on related topics, e.g. radiation measurement

 

External

 

  • Commercial customers
  • Suppliers
  • Radiation specialists
  • Internal and external laboratory visitors

 

Person specification

Essential criteria

  • Science degree, or equivalent qualifications or experience
  • Experience of scientific project work
  • Knowledge and experience of statistical analysis of scientific/technical data
  • Good working knowledge of MS Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access
  • Ability to follow and carry out complex instructions
  • Proven ability to identify and solve problems, critically analysing working practices and propose and implement changes
  • Self-motivated and ability to work independently, prioritising workload and to take responsibility for own standards of work and time management; ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
  • Ability to communicate complicated technical information effectively to specialists and lay people in spoken and written forms
  • Ability to train and supervise junior staff members
  • Flexible attitude to working as team member or alone, and across teams in the Radon Group, good interpersonal skills
  • An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

 

Desirable criteria

  • Post-graduate degree in Material Science, Radiation Detection and Instrumentation, Nuclear Physics, Radiation Chemistry, Radiation protection or equivalent experience
  • Experience of working in a radiation laboratory; operating a laboratory QA system, coordinating multiple activities across in a complex and challenging environment.

 

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality 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.

For more info see the attached job description 

Alongside your salary of £32,469, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,766 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
  • Learning and development tailored to your role
  • An environment with flexible working options
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  • A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Selection process details

Stage 1: Application & Sift

At sift stage you will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of CV information entered into the application and Statement of Suitability (up to 1500 words). You should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role. You should make particular reference to how you align to the main duties section and essential criteria.

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. This will be used in the sifting process and will be scored.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

Please note: The system will allow you to write up to 1500 words but please do not exceed 1500 words.  We will not consider any words over and above this number.

 

Stage 2: Panel Interview

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will be invited to an onsite interview at Chilton, OX11 0RQ.

You will be asked to prepare and present a 5-minute presentation. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview. And you will also complete a dexterity test during the interview.

 

United Kingdom Health Security Agency (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 be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at Chilton. Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&Cs are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/.

 

Benefits

 

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.

 

DBS

 

People working with government systems must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which includes a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed for this role is BPSS however there may be a requirement for this role to be SC cleared and you should familiarise yourself with the criteria of security clearance.

 

This role is open to external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants. 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.

 


 



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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

Recruitment team

Attachments

JD1 Opens in new window (docx, 122kB)
 
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