Mechanical Engineer – Specialist Inspector of Health and Safety (CEMHD Band 3 / SEO)

A key operational arm of HSE, the Chemicals, Explosives and Microbiological Hazards Division (CEMHD) regulates the UK’s major hazard industries – companies whose products are essential to our everyday life, but where failures in safety management and risk control can lead to catastrophic harm to workers and the public at large. Employing around 300 professional engineers and scientists across a wide range of disciplines, we are responsible for securing safety across a range of industries including energy production (oil, gas and emerging technologies), chemical/pharmaceutical production and storage, as well as explosive manufacture and installations that work with biological agents.

From the outset you will be supported by your manager and colleagues to understand your role in HSE, develop your skills and support you in your continuing professional development. For the legal requirements of the role, you will be enrolled on our Specialist Training Programme (STP) which you will be required to study for and successfully complete, including a final assessment. You will be required to spend periods of time away from home, visiting sites and other offices overnight, which your working pattern will accommodate.

To become an effective mechanical engineering specialist inspector, it is essential that you bring to the role your existing knowledge and experience of working in a high hazard industry, where you have been working in and making important decisions from a position of responsibility. 

Post 1 is based in the south-east (Ashford, Basingstoke, Bedford, Chelmsford, Oxted); posts 2, 3 and 4 are based anywhere in the UK excluding London.

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 24hrs over 3 days per week

When operational, your new job will include:

• Carrying out inspections of major hazard installations with the aim of preventing loss of containment and mechanical failure.
• Investigation of accidents and incidents.
• Taking or supporting enforcement action, including preparing Notices.
• Providing technical reports and expert evidence in legal proceedings.
• Assessing Safety Reports, verifying compliance with the requirements of the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH), the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and supplementary legislation.
• Contributing to the development of technical and operational strategy.
• Representing HSE at meetings with fellow professionals, industry, standards committees, and training events, including speaking and making presentations at conferences.

In order to fulfil that role, you will need to:

• Work independently to contribute to a busy and supportive team, working flexibly, with frequent travel.
• Plan and manage the delivery of changing priorities, often working against very challenging deadlines.
• Network and communicate effectively as part of a team.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, showing interpersonal skills to establish professional credibility and authority.
• Be able to present to technical audiences on topics such as asset integrity, degradation mechanisms and non-destructive testing.
• Have the ability and confidence to represent HSE as an expert within related standards bodies and stakeholder groups.
• Be a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (or similar)

Essential Skills, Experience and Behaviours

You will have:

• Practical Mechanical Engineering/Integrity Management experience gained whilst working in an industrial setting with major accident potential.
• A track record of making independent, authoritative decisions based on technical evidence;
• Experience working with other technical disciplines to achieve and maintain safe operation of plant;
• An understanding of the basic legal requirements for safe operation of high hazard plant;
• A thorough understanding and experience of maintenance regimes, maintenance management and related systems – including maintenance planning and execution, backlog management and deferrals processes, etc
• Experience of integrity management systems for primary containment equipment, including pressure vessels, pipework, tanks and associated equipment.
• An understanding of welding and joining techniques.

As well as the Essential Skills and Experience, the successful candidate will need to demonstrate the following behaviours:

1. Communicating and Influencing
2. Making Effective Decisions

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

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

• Application of mechanical engineering principles related to the primary containment of hazardous substances – including initial design and appropriate use of codes and standards
• An ability to assess the condition of equipment subject to degradation, and develop plans for remedial action
• Knowledge of integrity management systems for major hazards plant and equipment

• An environment with flexible working options
• Learning & development tailored to you including legal and regulatory elements
• A hugely varied role with autonomy to plan, manage and execute your work
• The opportunity to influence health & safety culture and make a real difference in the major hazards sector
• Be part of a highly professional and dynamic team covering the whole of the UK
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

We invest in our people with;

• Competitive rates of pay – highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute 27.9% far more than in the private sector.
• Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career.
• 25 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave.
• Competitive parental leave benefits

Allowances – permanent role only:

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 : Paul Cooper
• Email : paul.cooper2@hse.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk