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Job summary

Main area
Toxicology
Grade
Civil Service: Senior Executive Officer (SEO)
Contract
7 months (Fixed Term Until - 31st March 2025)
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
  • Job share
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
919-IS-61624489-EXT
Employer
UK Health Security Agency
Employer type
Public (Non NHS)
Site
UKHSA Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RQ
Town
Didcot, Oxford
Salary
£40,721 - £46,231 per annum, pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
29/08/2024 23:59

Employer heading

UK Health Security Agency logo

Senior Toxicologist

Civil Service: Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:

  • Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
  • Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
  • Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
  • Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
  • Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.

Job overview

The International Regulation Group within the Toxicology Department undertakes translational research activities using in silico, in vitro and in vivo models for chemical hazard assessment, and works to harmonise these tools in collaboration with international partners, particularly the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Test Guideline Programme and related bodies. The OECD Environment Health and Safety programme covers the safe use of chemicals, nanomaterials, pesticides, biocides, and products of modern biotechnology. It aims to protect health and the environment, while avoiding duplication of effort, ensuring that efficiencies are made and barriers to trade avoided.   

 

Main duties of the job

The post holder will:

  • Provide and contribute to the toxicology, public  and environmental health translational  input to the Coastal Health Shared Outcome Fund with a focus on immunotoxicology.  This programme of work aims to improve our understanding of the health of the coastal ecosystem and ensure an effective response to adverse coastal events, a summary is available  here. This will involve collaborating and coordinating with leading senior scientists in UKHSA and across UK government and associated agencies, in relation to the hazard and risk assessment of chemicals in the environment. 
  • Require the ability critically review complex data sets and carry out reviews of evidence in a targeted (semi-)systematic, critical but collegiate manner. The post holder will (co)lead  a review and workshop report, that  will be developed within the first year.
  • Develop evidence-based advice in immunotoxicology, chemical hazard assessment and environmental health risk assessment. 
  • Represent UKHSA at national and international scientific meetings as well as presenting the views of UKHSA at high-level government meetings. 
  • Report to the Principal Toxicologist/Group Leader. 
  • Be expected to travel to attend meetings and conferences as required.
  • Develop strong links with national coastal health stakeholders and key universities undertaking regulatory relevant toxicological research.
  • Input into the development and framing of the critical issues, data/biomarker needs and question proposals to develop/improve upon toxicological understanding and interpretation of how chemicals impact upon and compromise the immune system status of humans and wildlife, particularly with a focus in relation to the coastal/marine environment. Learnings from human safety science will be utilised to support the development  of relevant monitoring and hazard assessment tools for the coastal, marine and aquatic environment.
  • Work with other programmes and groups in the Toxicology department and externally to UKHSA, to propose suitable work programmes where meaningful input can be made within the laboratory, research and regulatory capacity available.

Working for our organisation

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.  

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Emphasis is on expert scientific/ technical contribution to advice and work both inside and outside UKHSA. This contribution involves evaluating and synthesising complex information from a number of sources and developing a targeted (inter) national workshop, to derive specific recommendations for regulatory immune related tool development for the environment.

Research and Advice:

The post holder will take a key role in developing and delivering the research undertaken for the project. This will include the following:

  • Contribute to and take responsibility for specific aspects of the design, development and completion of in silico, in vivo and in vitro data and literature analysis tasks in relation to human and aquatic/marine environmental immunotoxicity. 
  • Contribute to the provision of expert scientific advice on testing strategies for environmental health hazard assessment of chemicals.
  • Contribute to the management of the COASTAL HEALTH regulatory /translational research projects including: planning, experimental design, procedures, data analysis and workshop organisation.
  • Collaborate with internal and external scientists in the development of the project work and workshop organisation.
  • Produce sound scientific papers for external peer reviewed publication and give presentations at levels including international conferences.

For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description. 

Essential criteria 

You will be assessed on the below 4 essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description .

  • PhD qualification (or equivalent) relevant to the field of (eco)toxicology and/or experience of working at a similar level in a relevant area
  • Experience of assessing health risks from chemicals
  • Awareness of broad public health and environmental issues
  • Ability to critically assess relevant data and information to assess the toxicity of chemicals

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your knowledge, experience, skills & abilities  outlined in the essential criteria.  

Stage 1: Application & Sift  
Competency-based assessments  

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 4 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:  

  • CV/ Application form (Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application) 

  • 750 word Statement of Suitability.  

This should outline how your Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities  provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.  

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

Stage 2: Interview (competency based)

 You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

 Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview.   

 There will be a Presentation.  

 Interviews will be held week commencing  2nd September 2024. Please note, these dates are subject to change. 

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

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

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.  

 

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • PhD qualification (or equivalent) relevant to the field of toxicology and/or experience of working at a similar level in a relevant area

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of assessing health risks from chemicals
  • Awareness of broad public health and environmental issues
  • Ability to critically assess relevant data and information to assess the toxicity of chemicals

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Purple SpaceApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveImproving working livesMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerThe Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is the UK's leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace.Carer Confident -AccomplishedHappy to Talk Flexible Working

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Irene Scahill
Job title
Resourcing Support
Email address
[email protected]
Additional information

For information regarding the role please contact Miriam Jacobs, Group Leader, (International Regulation) at [email protected]

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