Job Description

The Environmental Hazards and Emergencies (EHE) Department provides authoritative scientific advice to government, the NHS and other bodies. EHE's mission is to prepare for and prevent future health security hazards, strengthen capability and to respond to chemical and environmental emergencies, and build the UK's capacity on health security for new and long-term exposure to environmental hazards.



The EHE Department comprises of multidisciplinary teams of scientists working across geographically dispersed locations within England and Wales. The department is responsible for providing specialist advice at local, national and international level on the public health impact of acute and chronic non-infectious environmental exposures. Scientists collaborate with academia on research and evidence reviews to underpin this advice, such as via the National Institute of Health Research Health Protection Research Units (HPRU). Many scientists also sit on cross government and multi-agency expert groups relevant to environmental public health. EHE also provides support to the Department of Health and Social care (DHSC) expert committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP).



The post is to head the EHE department leading RCCE's agenda on air quality, noise and the acute and chronic national and frontline support for chemical and environmental hazards and responsibility for RCCE's chemical emergency preparedness, as part of the wider UKHSA arrangements.

The postholder will:

Provide strategic and Scientific management of a significant area of work at a senior level, autonomously, being responsible for developing strategy/business plans, creating and managing the operational framework to deliver the specified outcomes including a delegated budget.



Be responsible both for planning a work programme and maintaining systems and capabilities that anticipate likely future needs, and for ensuring that RCCE preparedness is appropriate both for its lead expert role in an incident/emergency involving chemicals and environmental hazards and for its wider support role in the event of a major infectious disease outbreak.



Set the strategic direction, and ensuring through, planning, exercising and training that the Division has an effective, efficient and proportionate response to chemical and environmental incidents and emergencies, with appropriate mechanisms in place to provide the required support to central government and other key stakeholders, in close collaboration with the other parts of UKHSA.



Have departmental management duties also include corporate governance, health and safety, quality control, the recruitment and career development of staff.

Take full responsibility for:

budgetary control, including a negotiated annual income target; the delivery of negotiated annual operational targets; and adherence to all statutory and UKHSA policy requirements.



This post involves significant UK travel.



We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.



UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.



Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Your key responsibilities will include:

Taking full responsibility for:

budgetary control, including a negotiated annual income target; the delivery of negotiated annual operational targets; and adherence to all statutory and UKHSA policy requirements



Ensure that authoritative, timely and consistent public health advice on matters related to chemical exposures (both acute and chronic) is provided to internal and external frontline stakeholders across England, and to work with the Devolved Administrations, when appropriate, to ensure co-ordination and consistent advice for the public during emergencies.



The early identification of emerging issues and public concerns in order to engage with appropriate expertise within RCCE and elsewhere to develop appropriate advice, the promotion of a culture in which experience and knowledge is shared and the dissemination of consistent advice to all those who need it.



Have a thorough understanding of, and be able to influence, legislation/regulations relating to environmental public health at National, European and International levels.



Have the expertise and standing to represent the UKHSA nationally, to advise policy makers and regulators on the environmental public health aspects of Government strategy and regulation, engage widely, including with UK Government/Devolved Administrations and international bodies, to contribute to the optimum regulation and management of activities/events that could pose an environmental public health risk to populations in the UK.



Support the work of UKHSA at high level in meetings pertaining to environmental public health, and in dealing with the media and special interest groups who can often be confrontational.



Develop and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Pro-actively manage stakeholders, respond to and resolve conflict between them when this arises through facilitation or other appropriate mechanisms.



Work with colleagues in RCCE to develop a robust evidence-based framework of national advice.



Influence funding bodies on the need for research to address the most pressing policy needs, develop a programme of applied scientific research in line with RCCE's corporate strategy and the needs of the frontline.



Foster research initiatives with academic partners in particular translational research.



Promote a departmental culture for the publishing of scientific papers/articles/reports which are subject to peer review.



Take responsibility for developing and maintaining software and databases relevant to the work of the Department, particularly those for recording UKHSA response to acute and chronic environmental incidents and enquiries.



The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Essential Criteria:

A higher scientific degree in environmental sciences, chemistry, toxicology or equivalent experience in science, chemistry, or toxicology to PhD level



Significant experience in complex chemical and environmental exposure or risk assessments and the interpretation of this information for input to regulation and policy



Significant experience in leading and managing scientific teams



Experience of budget management and/or commercial acumen



The ability to critically appraise and review reports, publications and other written or presentational material from internal and external colleagues.



The ability to work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders, including colleagues in UKHSA; senior officials from Government and NHS bodies and local authorities; representatives of other UK bodies and commercial organisations; senior staff in international organisations



Highly developed communication skills to negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups, members of the public and the media



Ability to respond effectively and to sudden unexpected demands and develop a managed response. Take decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action



Ability to work under pressure and to tight and often changing deadlines. Ability to judge the appropriate level of personal resource to allocate to tasks and to take decisions/provide information/advice on appropriate timescales, regardless of the quality and quantity of data gathered and personal depth of expertise in the topic



Skills for delivering results through managing through others and using a range of levers in the absence of direct line management responsibility



Significant demonstrable experience in supporting national policy development in support of and working in collaboration with central government departments and agencies



Demonstrable skills and experience in acute and chronic incident response and emergency preparedness and response, to incident director level, in chemical and other public health emergencies



Ability to work irregular hours (including on-call) and travel nationally and internationally as required



An understanding of, and commitment to, equality of opportunity and good working relationships



Selection process details



This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills and Ability.

Stage 1 - Application & Sift:

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the 14 essential criteria listed, and this will be in the form of a :



Application form ( ' Employer/ Activity history' section on the application)



Up to 1500-word Statement of Suitability



This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.



The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Longlisting :

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:



Meets all essential criteria



Meets some essential criteria



Meets no essential criteria



Piles Meets all essential criteria will be moved through to the shortlisting stage.

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:



A higher scientific degree in environmental sciences, chemistry, toxicology or equivalent experience in science, chemistry, or toxicology to PhD level



Please do not exceed 750 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number. If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview. Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered.



Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.



Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2:

Interview (success profiles)



You will be invited to a (single) face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances we may be able to offer a remote interview.



Behaviours, technical, experience, ability and strengths will be tested at interview

The Behaviour's tested during the interview stage will be:

Communicating and Influencing (lead)



Seeing the Big Picture



Making Effective Decisions



Leadership



Managing a Quality Service



Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.



Location



This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ's. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQ's (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton).



Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).



Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance and Developed Vetting.



For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 10 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) and Developed Vetting (DV) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.



Eligibility Criteria



Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).



Security Clearance Level Requirement



Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.