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. 

The Science Team provides access to robust and relevant scientific advice and novel research for the development of policy, and the delivery and enforcement of product safety regulations across the OPSS remit, including toys, cosmetics, and new responsibilities in construction products.

We work closely with other evidence teams including those in engineering, research, analysis, and testing. It is a multidisciplinary team covering specialisms including analytical chemistry, materials science, bioscience and toxicology. The team is also responsible for chemical risk assessment advice, leads the Offices access to independent scientific experts in the space of chemicals and materials and works with others to deliver effective research and testing rooted in analytical chemistry. This activity is described in more detail in https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/science-and-analysis-in-opss  

The role 

Are you a chemical science specialist wanting to make a real-world impact on the safety of consumer products?  

As the Principal Chemicals Adviser, you will provide oversight, knowledge, and direction on the identification, testing and management of chemicals in consumer products such as cosmetics, toys and textiles. You will lead a high-performing team of science specialists that will support you in the delivery of research, testing and evidence-based development of options for the management of chemicals content in consumer products. 

You and your team will work closely with others across OPSS that develop policy and inform and enforce regulations. Working together you will ensure that the advice and evidence you develop supports the delivery of correspondence and external communications, working with other government agencies and departments as the need arises. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead team responsible for delivery of high-quality scientific advice on chemicals across all areas of OPSS responsibility including consumer products.
• Set direction and provide oversight of chemical risk management function to support delivery of scientific advice in relation to the risks of chemicals in consumer products.
• Build trusting and effective partnerships with internal stakeholders to scope future evidence, testing and research needs on chemicals within OPSS product enforcement remit.
• Act as knowledge holder for chemicals in consumer products within OPSS through development and maintenance of a visible, scientific profile, including attendance of and participation in relevant external networks, advisory committees and meetings.
• Collaborate regularly with OPSS teams and other government departments, leading the chemicals input for policy development, briefings, regulatory delivery, incidents, and external stakeholder communications.
• Line management of science specialist staff, supporting and modelling effective professional development as a member of the GSE profession.
• Champion adaptable approaches in supporting the needs of OPSS, adopting a flexible, positive attitude as priorities and needs change.

Essential criteria 

• A postgraduate degree in a scientific field related to chemistry or equivalent experience using chemical sciences. 

Desirable criteria  

• Track record of drafting, reviewing and communicating technical information to specialist and non-specialist audiences. 
• Experience of leading and/or coordinating commissioning of research.

Personal attributes & skills 

• Ability to engage effectively and work collaboratively with scientific experts and non-experts. 
• Capacity to build effective networks and relationships across organisational functions to deliver.
• Organisational skills to prioritise your workload and meet tight time frames. 
• Critical thinking and attention to detail.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical & Commercial Leadership

• 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%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. 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 we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities

Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.

Job contact :

• Name : Heva Ikram
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]