Location

Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham, London or York. Office based, multi-location, or home based in the UK. Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas..

About the job 

The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1300 people, with a big vision – to drive change in the food system so that it delivers “food we can trust”. As we have now exited the EU the FSA faces a significant period of change and activity.

Following EU Exit, the FSA will now be taking on some of the safety assessments previously carried out in Europe by the European Food Safety Authority. These include assessment of the safety of regulated products and an increased involvement in trade related risk assessments. We are looking for experienced risk assessors with a flexible approach and excellent communication skills to help us fulfil these new functions. This is an exciting opportunity to become directly involved in keeping the UK food supply safe.

Please be advised that we are currently also recruiting for 15 Risk Assessor roles (HEO) (Vacancy 91801)

Job description

Food can be bitter or sweet, salty or savory. It can come from small local producers, or large international companies. But one thing it should always be is safe. The FSA has been ensuring this is the case for over twenty years, and the Risk Assessment Unit is a vital part of our work. By providing well-researched and accurate risk assessments and scientific papers to advisory committees, Senior Risk Assessors allow policy change to be affected by informed decisions, keeping our food safe for all.

Constantly working with high profile issues, from burgeoning food trends to defining Britain’s post-EU food regulations, Senior Risk Assessors have a major role in keeping the nation’s food safe. Leading small teams, successful candidates will manage the creation of the risk assessments and papers that will guide policy change and food safety in the UK. You’ll need to have excellent project management and communication skills as you liaise with scientific experts, industry representatives and colleagues from across the breadth of the FSA.

You and your team will always be seeking to find the truth of the matter - and you’ll be skilled at bringing the best out of those around you to ensure that the key facts are never left behind. You’ll have a keen scientific eye for detail, whether you’re searching through published literature or unpacking dossiers of data for the meaningful information within.

Ultimately, though, you’ll be excited to be a part of a team that makes a difference. The impact of the FSA’s risk assessment unit is all around us - from the food in your cupboards to the farms that supply our supermarkets and restaurants. As a Senior Risk Assessor, you’ll be at the very heart of that.
 

Responsibilities

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.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Technical 1: A degree in an appropriate life science (e.g. biochemistry, microbiology, toxicology etc) or a food production discipline (250 words)
• A min. of 2 years’ experience working in a chemical safety (CS), risk assessment (RA) or a food safety role (FS), or a post grad. qual. achieved in the last two years, alongside at least 12 months’ work experience in a CS, RA or FS since achievement

Benefits

Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.

Things you need to know

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

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

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack. This will consist of shortlisting against the essential and desirable person specification criteria stated. If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to the final selection stage consisting of behaviours-based interview and presentation.

In the event of receiving a large number of applications an initial sift may take place on just the identified lead criteria indicated below:

• Proven experience of reviewing technical information in support of risk assessments

We particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within our organisation at this level. All appointments are made on merit.

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

Our candidate pack details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached terms and conditions statement.

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

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UKs
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

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.

Apply and further information

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 :   Frances Hill Email :   [email protected]   Recruitment team : Email :   [email protected] Further information

If you wish to raise a complaint then please email [email protected] in the first instance.