Location

Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham, London or York. Office based, multi-location, or home based in the UK. Occasional travel to London office and external locations for meetings, as required. Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.

About the job Summary

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”. Our primary goal is to continue to protect public health and UK consumers’ wider interest in food. January 2021 marked the first time in almost half a century that the UK was in charge of its own food law, and the FSA is at the very centre of defining what that means in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Job description

Around 90% of Britain’s food law was created by the EU, and so the use of science to inform policy and process will be increasingly critical as the UK begins to take control of this legislative duty. From risk assessment and management to the controls we have in place for food hygiene, scientific research and understanding remains a key influencer in all that we do.

The goal, then, is to ensure that the research undertaken by the FSA is unparalleled in quality and unhindered in its process. We are constantly looking to support one another with the aim of creating high quality, insightful research that can lead the way in our evidence-based policy and direction.

The Science Programme Officer enables this research in several ways, removing obstacles and ensuring that the FSA is able to carry out the extensive, independent studies that it needs to inform policy at such a significant moment in its history.

The successful candidate will work with the Strategic Programme Coordinators as well as colleagues across the FSA, so will be an effective communicator who can influence others to help the Agency better meet research objectives.

You’ll also be an organised and efficient worker capable of juggling multiple priorities whilst achieving your objectives. In doing so, you’ll know you have played a part in bringing together objective independent research that enables the FSA to serve the British public in the most effective and targeted way possible. If you have the skills and enthusiasm necessary to make that happen, we’ll be looking forward to your application.
 

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:

• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

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 Security

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 and Experience.

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 a behaviours-based interview.

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

• Sound evidence of project management skills (including financial aspects) and the ability to balance competing demands and priorities within agreed deadlines

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.

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

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.