Environmental Public Health Practitioner

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., UKHSA Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards (RCE) is part of the UKHSA Science Group. RCE provides advice, research and services to protect the public from hazards resulting from exposure to chemicals and poisons, ionising and non-ionising radiation, and other environmental hazards.
RCE's Environmental Hazards and Emergencies (EHE) Department provides authoritative scientific advice to government, the NHS and other bodies about the public health effects of acute and chronic chemicals exposures and the impact of other environmental hazards., The EHE Department comprises:
Three geographically dispersed teams (North, Midlands, South) operating from nine locations providing specialist advice at local and national level on the public health impact of acute and chronic non-infectious environmental exposures; and
Two specialist groups (Air Quality & Public Health, Noise & Health). Key activities include the provision of highly specialist advice on the health impacts of noise and air pollution nationally and internationally; research in these areas, including, but not exclusively, through the National Institute of Health Research Health Protection Research Units. For the Air Quality & Public Health Group, provision of support to the Department of Health and Social care (DHSC) expert committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP).
The post holder, based within the dispersed chemical and environmental hazards teams, will contribute to the response respond to chemical & environmental hazard incidents and enquiries which threaten people's health, through the provision of public health risk assessments. Such threats might involve chemical fires, chemical contamination of the environment, or the deliberate release of chemicals and poisons. The postholder will contribute to the development of evidence and provision of expert environmental public health advice to government, multi-agency stakeholders and members of the public.

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., In collaboration with others:
+ Liaise and collaborate with other UKHSA Groups and Directorates; relevant regulators and others to promote an effective environmental public health response service by providing advice on the protection of the public following acute and chronic chemical incidents.
+ Provide information to the public and stakeholders on environmental public health issues as appropriate.
+ Plan and carry out, with support, complex scientific studies of high quality to formulate robust evidence-based advice for environmental public health.
+ Contribute to externally funded contract work and core research activities including critical analysis of data; collation of results; and development of recommendations or advice.
+ Undertake or review risk assessments for the protection of members of the public from environmental media such as contaminated land risk assessments.
+ Review environmental permit applications; health impact or environmental impact assessments or planning applications and provide advice on threats to public health.
+ Undertake statistical analysis of data and contribute to the environmental surveillance function of the UKHSA including surveillance of environmental insult and related diseases
+ Keep under review and raise awareness of the risks to population health of chemical, radiological and other environmental threats.
For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description., You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed essential criteria, and this will be in the form of
+ a CV/ Application form ('Employer/ Activity history' section on the application)
+ a 1250 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 CV / Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together
Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on Relevant Science Degree or equivalent qualifications or equivalent experience
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment
Please do not exceed 1250 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.
Behaviours and Experience will be tested at interview.
There will be a 10-minute presentation to the panel. This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment. The presentation will be designed to assess each candidate's experience in line with the requirements of the role. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be
+ Working Together
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Making effective decisions
+ Delivering at Pace
Interviews dates to be confirmed.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Location information
UKHSA operates 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 site in Bristol.
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.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.
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 welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
It's important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:
+ life sentences
+ arson
+ sexual offences
+ hate and terror offences
Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role.
If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available
Starting salary
Entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase.
Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
For further details please refer to the Information Sheet - Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.
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
For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)
For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.
For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.
For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA's Pay policy.
Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.
Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles (attached as a supporting document).
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website here.
Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.
Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.
UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.
If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
Any move to UKHSA 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/.
Benefits of working at UKHSA include

+ Relevant science Degree or equivalent qualifications or equivalent experience
+ Experience of scientific project work.
+ Analysis of scientific and technical data
+ Experience of scientific research and development
+ Microsoft office packages, especially word, excel and access databases
+ Ability to communicate technical and sensitive information effectively both orally and in writing at all levels from members of the public through to professionals, internally and externally to other organisations.
+ Ability to observe and question when gathering information, disregarding irrelevant and identifying key issues
+ Technical competence in data analysis
+ Ability to assess complex situations and interpret detailed documents that may include guidance and legislation
+ Excellent organisational skills and ability to work unsupervised
+ Ability to work well under pressure and to deadlines, and able to prioritise workload
+ Ability to 'think on feet'
+ Good interpersonal skills. Able to work as part of a team or alone.
+ Ability to identify scientific issues and undertake comprehensive literature reviews
+ An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King's birthday
+ Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
+ Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
+ Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
+ We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
+ We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.
Hybrid Working
UKHSA operates 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 usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.
Disability Confident Scheme
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview. If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.
To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you.
An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.
This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:
Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments