Research Scientist: Gas Specialist (SD Band 3/SEO)

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.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is an independent regulator for work-related health and safety in Great Britain. We believe everyone has the right to come home safe and well from their job. That’s why our mission is to protect people and places, helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated research scientist to join HSE’s Science Division as part of the Health Group (HG). The role will focus on gas detection and the measurement and characterisation of airborne particles. In addition, you will be expected to assist colleagues in the field of aerosol science. This role will appeal to those with a scientific background and/or experience of working in a laboratory.

The position will be based at our Science & Research Centre in Buxton, Derbyshire. The Centre is an internationally renowned scientific facility, providing industry and Government with health and safety solutions. Employing a diverse range of talented scientific, medical and technical specialists, in a purpose-built laboratory at our 550-acre site.

The practical laboratory-based nature of the work means there will be a requirement to regularly attend the Buxton site for practical work in our laboratory facilities, collaborative working and supporting & training colleagues. In addition, you may be required to travel across the UK for site visits, including overnight stays.

Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a fulfilling and successful career with HSE and the wider Civil Service. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead; you will benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As a Civil Service employee, you will be entitled to a large range of benefits, including payment of relevant professional memberships, access to learning and development and the opportunity to attend seminars and conferences both within and occasionally outside the UK.

More details about the services available at the Science & Research Centre and HSE can be found on our website here: www.hse.gov.uk

We have an exciting position within the HG which will appeal to those with a physics background. You will be responsible for delivering research and testing regimes within the field of gas detection for both HSE and commercial customers. We are looking for a research scientist to become a practitioner in gas detection, to work alongside the current specialist. You will also be expected to develop aerosol capability and contribute to aerosol science delivery. You will be self-motivated and inspire others to strive for quality outcomes. You will need to, under challenge, think strategically and engage at different levels with scientific peers, regulatory and policy colleagues within the organisation. You will work with others to schedule and organise cross-discipline scientific resources to ensure the timely delivery of HSE’s research and commercial work, ensuring that the scientific resource is used effectively and efficiently enabling the contribution to be maximised. 

The work undertaken in the HG is diverse; the majority of scientists involved come from the three fundamental backgrounds of biology, chemistry and physics. These core scientific skills have been enhanced and developed with individuals ultimately pursuing chosen specialisms, leading to several being prominent experts in their field.  Scientists in HG use their expertise, experience and skills, to measure exposure and, assess and develop control mechanisms to prevent workplace ill health.  Laboratory and field work is undertaken to understand risks to health in a wide range of work sectors; evidence is gathered on hazardous substance and physical exposures to support policy decisions, HSE guidance and the underpinning of inspection regimes in support of regulatory activity. You will be expected to work with and assist HG colleagues, including those in the field of occupational bioaerosol exposure, and across HSE as part of their programmes of work.

You will be expected to share the outcomes of your work both internally and with the wider scientific community through peer-reviewed publications and presentations. With attendance at scientific conferences, to further develop your experience and technical skills.

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. 

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.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of your role will include but will not be limited to:

• Design, develop and deliver HSE/commercial work in gas detection.
• Design, develop and deliver laboratory experiments to evaluate and test gas measurement techniques and instruments, in conjunction with field-based measurements.
• Assist with organising and managing workplace studies to undertake aerosol / bioaerosol measurements including ethics submissions, participant/site recruitment, sampling strategies/methodology and developing questionnaires.
• Develop the technical capacity and professional standing of gas detection and keep up to date with developments in the worldwide aerosols community to facilitate management of workplace risks to health.
• Input to key international and UK meetings/conferences/standards.
• Excellent organisational and preparedness skills for planning, scheduling and undertaking a varied workload, to maximise time and productivity and ensuring delivery to time, cost and quality.

Essential Skills and Criteria:

You will have:

• Significant, relevant and recent practical experience of gas detection and measurement preferably in health and safety in industrial applications.
• Laboratory and field-based experience in real-time gas measurement instrumentation.
• Excellent communication skills, enabling you to manage and collaborate effectively, maintain positive professional working relationships, engage with others and influence at all levels both within HSE and with external collaborators and stakeholders.
• Experience of writing research proposals, obtaining ethics approvals, business cases and/or applications for funding. With good presentation skills, for internal and wider industry meetings/conferences.
• The ability to work both as part of a team and autonomously across boundaries of the Science Division and rest of HSE, promoting cross-functional team working and effective communication to identify solutions and ensure work can be delivered.  

Desirable past experience and skills:

• Undertaking literature reviews
• Data analysis and coding experience (such as Python or R)
• Technical expertise in real-time measurement of aerosols and/or bioaerosols. With the ability to assess process emissions and evaluate exposure controls.
• Knowledge or experience of occupational exposure to respiratory hazards in workplaces or working in occupational health and safety.

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Practical experience of gas detection and measurement.
• Calibration of real time gas detectors.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
  
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

We invest in our people with;

• Competitive rates of pay

• Access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute 27.1% far more than in the private sector.

• Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career
• Career 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

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 : John Saunders
• Email : john.saunders@hse.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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