Job summary
At the Health and Safety Executive, 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 don�t just inspect workplaces and investigate incidents, we campaign for better Health & Safety practice, we develop 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.
We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic scientist with a background in analytical chemistry to join our Exposure Measurement portfolio, working within the Biological Monitoring team. The team undertakes research for HSE and others, as well as providing an analytical service. The primary role is to protect worker health through the assessment of chemical exposure and uptake.
Your work will provide innovative support to HSE and industry in alignment with HSE�s aim to prevent death, injury and ill-health of workers and those affected by work activities.
This excellent opportunity will be based at our Science & Research Centre in Buxton, Derbyshire. The Centre is an internationally renowned scientific facility for health and safety, employing scientific, medical and technical specialists in a purpose-built laboratory at our 550-acre site.
More details about the services available at the Science & Research Centre and HSE can be found on our website here:, including the work of the team (search �Biological Monitoring�)
Job description
The post will be based in the Health - Exposure and Control Group's, Exposure Measurement portfolio, in the Biological Monitoring team in Buxton.
The Biological Monitoring team undertake a significant amount of analytical service work, analysing human biological samples (mostly urine but also blood, breath and other matrices) for biomarkers of chemical exposure. Work will be focused on metabolites of organic chemical exposures; relevant analytical techniques include gas and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. You will undertake sample preparation, analysis and results reporting as well as routine maintenance and method development.
You will contribute to research projects for both HSE and commercial customers; you will need to design, plan and deliver research efficiently and with scientific rigour. You will need to be able to work flexibly within a small, hard-working cohort, making best use of instrument resources and delivering to defined turnaround times.
You will be handling hazardous materials and biological samples blood and urine, in a controlled and safe laboratory environment on a daily basis. There may also be periods of lone working.
You will have the opportunity to develop as a scientist by attending conferences, participating in workshops and support with membership of national and international expert groups.� You will be encouraged to share the outcomes of your work both internally and with the wider scientific community through peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
The Health - Exposure & Control Group has a wide range of technical and diverse disciplines requiring flexible and collaborative working; on occasion you will be expected to assist colleagues in their programmes of work.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of your role will include but will not be limited to:
1. Delivering standardised analytical services to defined turnaround times, identifying where improvements in efficiency and quality could be made.
2. Implementing instrument maintenance and method improvements as required, contribute to quality systems.
3. Working with others to deliver research activities within the relevant team and more widely.
4. Responding to varying technical and work demands, which may at times have conflicting priorities.
5. Possible travel for site visits and meetings as required, as well as taking the opportunity for attendance at conferences both within and occasionally outside the UK.
6. Keeping up to date with developments in the scientific community and expanding your knowledge in relation to the work role.
Person specification
Essential skills & Criteria
You will have:
7. Relevant and recent practical experience of laboratory-based analysis and / or research in the field of analytical toxicology or analytical chemistry.
8. Relevant technical expertise in using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography analysers (preferably mass spectrometry), including experience of method development or improvement.
9. Experience of developing projects from initial idea to final delivery.
10. Experience of collating, managing, analysing and interpreting data, with attention to detail, quality and accuracy.
11. Good IT & scientific instrument skills, with the ability to create and maintain spreadsheets, use research specific software and produce presentations. The ability to troubleshoot instrument and method issues.
12. Good communication skills enabling you to collaborate effectively, maintain & develop positive professional working relationships and engage with others at all levels, both within HSE and with external collaborators/stakeholders. The ability to present research findings and data to a wide and varied audience.
13. Good organisational skills for planning, scheduling and undertaking a varied workload. Including the ability to work on multiple projects at any one time to maximise productivity and ensure delivery to time, cost and quality.
14. The ability to work both as part of a multidisciplinary team and autonomously.
The practical laboratory-based nature of the work does mean there will be a requirement to regularly attend the Buxton site for routine work activities and collaborative working. In addition, you may be required to travel across the UK for site visits, attendance at conference's/meetings (occasionally these may be overseas) and training courses, including overnight stays.
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 labatory. 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, 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.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
15. Working Together
16. Developing Self and Others
17. Managing a Quality Service
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
18. Experience in using relevant analytical techniques, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography analysers (preferably mass spectrometry).
19. Understanding of the roles that quality control and quality assurance play in analytical laboratories.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of �32,802, Health and Safety Executive contributes �9,502 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
20. Learning and development tailored to your role
21. An environment with flexible working options
22. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
We invest in our people with
23. Competitive rates of pay
24. Access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute, far more than in the private sector.
25. Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career
26. Carer friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture
27. 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
28. As a member of HSE you will gain access to a wide range of fantastic benefits that you can take advantage of such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, E-Gift Cards and Vouchers via our partner EdenRed.