Higher Mechanical Engineer (Incident Investigator) Band 4/HEO

Diverse Perspectives and experiences are critical to our success, and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We look forward to receiving your application. 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.

At HSE, we work with one goal in mind – to help keep Britain’s workforce safe and healthy. Our work touches virtually every sector of Great Britain’s industries. Combining specialists from numerous fields, we strive to keep people and their working environments safe.

We don’t just inspect workplaces and investigate incidents, we campaign for better H&S practice, we craft and review guidance and regulations, we provide specialist products and services both here and overseas, and we produce crucial research and statistics – all towards our goal of helping Great Britain work well.

This exciting opportunity will be based in the Science Division of the HSE at our research laboratory and unique outdoor testing facilities, in Buxton, Derbyshire. HSE’s Science Division is a world leading provider of health and safety solutions to industry and government. The scope of our work requires a diversity of talented individuals.

Our capabilities encompass a wide range of topics including: fire, explosion, process safety and engineering; occupational and environmental health; risk assessment; work environment; and specialist technical imaging, visual presentation and analysis services. This breadth of expertise underpins our particular strength in creating multidisciplinary teams to support major incident investigations and policy development, as well as undertaking high quality research.

We have a vacancy within the Engineering team of our Major Hazards Capability Group for a mechanical engineer. This post is an excellent opportunity to use your skills to contribute to innovative work to support HSE incident investigations, and valuable HSE and industry research projects to directly improve the lives of people in their workplaces.

You can expect to contribute to a diverse range of projects within the health and safety sector, especially HSE incident investigation support, but can also expect to be involved in research work for HSE and industrial clients. You will be part of a team of mechanical, electrical and gas engineers but will also collaborate with technical experts across many other disciplines. You will be expected to work both under your own direction and as part of a project team.

This will include visiting incident sites, collecting evidence, designing and building test rigs, carrying out physical tests, analysing the test data and writing any necessary technical reports. This will involve working with, or for, other engineering colleagues.

You will be expected to attend incident sites across Great Britain at short notice, and some overnight stays will be required.

Your technical responsibilities will include:

• Leading and supporting incident investigations, including fatalities
• Working with other agencies such as the Police and attending incident sites as appropriate. This will involve travel and overnight stays away from home.
• Leading and supporting engineering research and testing work by engaging with potential clients, contributing to the development of work proposals, presenting technical solutions to both technical and non-technical staff and clients, and delivery of successful projects.
• Writing or contributing to technical reports in relation to incident and research projects.
• Producing expert witness statements, and presenting expert evidence in court.

At HSE, we are proud to be able to offer our people the opportunity to work in a hybrid way which combines working from home and the office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your allocated office will be your contractual place of work. There will be a requirement to travel to the office for various activities e.g., collaborative working, supporting and training colleagues. If hybrid working is suitable for you and your role, the arrangements will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. Therefore, we would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post.

Part time working hours are available for this role. We can accept part time applicants who can commit to working a minimum of 30 hours per week.

You will be:

• Able to apply your knowledge and experience of mechanical engineering to delivery of incident and research work in the field of industrial health and safety science and engineering.
• Able to write clear, accurate documents such as technical reports that are suitable to be submitted as evidence if required.
• Able to clearly and concisely present information and opinion as an expert witness in court.

This will include visiting incident sites, collecting evidence, designing and building test rigs, carrying out physical tests, analysing the test data and writing any necessary technical reports. This will involve working with, or for, other engineering colleagues.

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

• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Demonstrate technical and practical competence in mechanical engineering, including mechanical testing methods and delivery of bespoke engineering test programmes.
• Experience of working in a research, testing or investigative scientific environment, including writing technical reports.
• Experience of applying CAD techniques to engineering problems.

We invest in our people with;

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Competitive rates of pay
• Access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute around 27.1% far more than in the private sector.
• Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career.
• Carer friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture 
• 25 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave.
• Parental leave benefits.

Allowances

This post is eligible for Excess Fares Allowance. A successful internal candidate currently based at another office may be entitled to Excess Fares Allowance in line with HSE policy (http://intranet/finance/expenses/excess-fares-allowance-policy.htm)

Job contact :

• Name : Dr John Allen
• Email : john.allen@hse.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : HR.Resourcing-Inbox@hse.gov.uk