Risk Assessor

Food Standards Agency

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 7th July 2024

 
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Details

Reference number

359176

Salary

£32,505
£32,505 (National) £34,647 (London) Salary will be pro rata as part of a job share partnership. If applying on a job-share basis, the expectation is that you are already in an established job-share partnership. Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Job grade

Higher Executive Officer
HSO (Higher Scientific Officer - equivalent to HEO Grade)

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

FSA - Information and Science - Science Evidence and Research Division

Type of role

Information Technology
Science

Working pattern

Full-time, Homeworking, Job share, Compressed hours

Number of jobs available

2

Contents

We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff or York. Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas. Travel across the UK will be required on an occasional basis, possibly with overnight stays.

Job summary

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a small government department with a big mission: to keep food safe, ensure that it is what it says it is, and that it is increasingly healthy and more sustainable. The Regulated Products Risk Assessment team carries out important work to make sure that new products and processing techniques are safe. Our work touches on a wide variety of areas including genetically modified foods and the additives in our animal feed.

We are looking for two Risk Assessors who can help us deliver this important risk assessment work that will help us ensure consumers are able to trust in the quality and safety of their food.  

Job description

You’ll coordinate, manage and publish regulated product risk assessments that inform the quality of food within the UK. Collaboration will be key here, and you’ll work closely both with your immediate colleagues and a range of stakeholders in the FSA and beyond to ensure that our decisions are supported by quality science.

You’ll have a talent for the critical evaluation of scientific evidence, and be excited to use this skill in an environment where it makes a real impact on the food industry, ensuring that our assessments continuously work to meet the demands of an ever-evolving food landscape. 

If you are an enthusiastic collaborator who champions continuous improvement and can pick out the big picture in a world of details, apply today for a Regulated Products Risk Assessor role. 

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Qualifications

A scientific degree in an appropriate subject (e.g. biology, chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, food science), or equivalent relevant experience (e.g. critical assessment of scientific literature, basic quantitative analysis, and scientific writing skills)

Behaviours

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

  • Working Together
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

  • Please provide details of the scientific degree that you hold in an appropriate subject , or equivalent relevant experience (e.g. critical assessment of scientific literature, basic quantitative analysis, and scientific writing skills)
Alongside your salary of £32,505, Food Standards Agency contributes £9,417 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack. 

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.  

Technical: You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role. 

  • A scientific degree in an appropriate subject (e.g. biology, chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, food science), or equivalent relevant experience (e.g. critical assessment of scientific literature, basic quantitative analysis, and scientific writing skills)

If you cannot answer yes to this question – you will not be able to proceed further with your application.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.

Essential criteria

Experience

  • Lead criteria: Evaluating scientific studies and applying knowledge and judgement to reach conclusions and/or generate expert advice
  • Evidence of effective communication – both verbal and in writing, of complex scientific information to specialist and non-specialist audiences
  • Proven record of effectively prioritising workload to meet challenging deadlines

Technical

  • A scientific degree in an appropriate subject (e.g. biology, chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, food science), or equivalent relevant experience (e.g. critical assessment of scientific literature, basic quantitative analysis, and scientific writing skills)

Lead Criteria An initial sift may take place on just the identified Lead Criteria indicated.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Experience requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours Level 3

Behaviours

  • Working Together
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Communicating and Influencing

Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.

Experience

  • Evaluating scientific studies and applying knowledge and judgement to reach conclusions and/or generate expert advice

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 07/07/24

Sift: Expected to take place w/c 08/07/24

Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 22/07/24

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

The FSA is dedicated to a policy of equal opportunity for all.

Being truly reflective of our society and building a culture where everyone can perform at their best is critical to the work of the FSA. We are looking to recruit from the widest possible talent pool and encourage candidates to apply from a diverse range of backgrounds. We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer and are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment and selection process and beyond. All appointments are made on merit.

Please be assured that diversity or socio–economic information requested during the course of your application plays absolutely no part in our selection processes and is not seen by anyone assessing applications.  Any information provided is anonymised and used for statistical purposes only.

We actively review the deployment of talent on a periodic basis in the interests of optimising personal development and the achievement of business plans.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.

Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reserve List

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Candidates that do not pass the interview, but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.



Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
  • nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
  • Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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 Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

  • Name : Lindsay Holden
  • Email : Lindsay.holden@food.gov.uk

Recruitment team

  • Email : hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk

Further information

If you wish to raise a complaint then please email hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk in the first instance.

Attachments

Risk Assessor - Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 903kB)
Terms and Conditions as at April 2020 Opens in new window (pdf, 61kB)

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