Job summary

About OPSS�

Do you care about the safety of products and want to protect people and places? Can we use your skills, knowledge and experience to enable UK business to thrive? If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you!��

We are the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), part of the Department for Business & Trade (Previously the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy). We are here for the purpose of making regulation work to deliver real world impact. Regulation is a powerful Government tool to address market failures, influence behaviour and promote positive action. Crafted and delivered well, regulation can be an enabler of growth, innovation and efficiency.�

Since early 2018 we have been building a positive and creative team that enjoys a position of influence and respect within an organisation that continues to grow, most recently with the addition of construction products regulation planned.�

Our primary purpose is to protect people and places from product-related harm, ensuring consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence.��

Further information can be found on our website �

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. We embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (DCS) for people with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.��

We are Inclusive�

We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible and recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.�

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation if required to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Job description

Our Team:

We are a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers delivering testing capability across the broad portfolio of OPSS regulatory requirements. The team works across our testing laboratories which include metrology, mechanical, electrical, chemical and flammability facilities. We seek to implement fit for purpose practices and procedures to deliver robust, scientific outputs. In collaboration with other internal stakeholders including those in science, engineering, enforcement and risk, our outputs inform incident investigation, the delivery and enforcement of product regulations as well as policy development.�

The Role:

We are looking for a senior compliance testing engineer to co-ordinate the delivery of compliance testing activities across our laboratories.� If you are currently working in a commercial test laboratory or working as a test engineer in a similar role, have excellent interpersonal and project management skills, and strive for excitement, challenge, and variety then this could be the role for you. The ideal person will apply your technical and operational expertise to manage the delivery and continuous improvement of compliance testing workstreams, acting as lead reviewer to ensure laboratory policies and outputs provide effective outcomes and impact for the organisation. You will be familiar with the UK regulatory framework and have a good working knowledge of product safety test standards. It is important that you collaborate closely with other laboratory staff members and OPSS evidence and operational teams to ensure the laboratories continue to deliver a high-quality and robust technical service. It is crucial you can communicate clearly to colleagues at all levels and can translate technical findings so they can be readily understood by non-technical audiences.

The role will be based at our testing laboratories in Teddington and requires a minimum of 80% office attendance. Working arrangements will be agreed with the vacancy manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities

Co-ordinate and deliver product compliance testing to support enforcement workstreams and incident investigations, ensuring the integrity of test items and providing confidence in results. Maintain and apply knowledge of applicable UK regulations and relevant standards to support the delivery and development of compliance testing activities. Supervise the practical work of compliance testing cohorts, delegating tasks appropriately and ensuring personnel are suitably trained. Devise new and improved methodologies for compliance testing that are rigorous and robust with clearly defined outcomes. Ensure reporting outputs are clear and consistent, manage reporting channels and sign-off on compliance testing outputs. Provide regular project status updates and test scheduling meetings for laboratory managers and relevant stakeholders. Develop and maintain a profile in your area of expertise by attendance and participation in relevant external networks, meetings, training events etc., and demonstrate a willingness and enthusiasm for continuous learning. Ability to work well with technical and non-technical colleagues, always maintaining a collaborative and can-do attitude.

Skills & Experience

Essential criteria

A degree or equivalent experience in a relevant Science or Engineering discipline (equivalent experience should be validated with the appropriate recognition from one of the professional institutions licensed by the Science or Engineering Council) Experience working in a laboratory undertaking flammability, electrical, chemical, mechanical and/or materials testing Project management experience Knowledge of UK product regulations and relevant standards Ability to engage and communicate clearly and effectively with scientific experts and non-technical stakeholders Attention to detail and excellent record-keeping skills Organisational skills to prioritise your workload and meet tight timeframes

Desirable skills

An understanding of UKAS accreditation processes and procedures Knowledge of lean six sigma approaches and experience employing them to improve testing laboratory processes

Qualifications

A degree or equivalent experience in a relevant Science or Engineering discipline (equivalent experience should be validated with the appropriate recognition from one of the professional institutions licensed by the Science or Engineering Council)

Behaviours

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

Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

Benefits

Alongside your salary of �43,007, Department for Business and Trade contributes �12,459 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Learning and development tailored to your roleAn environment with flexible working optionsA culture encouraging inclusion and diversityA with an average employer contribution of 27%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Please refer to the attached candidate pack for further information on our benefits.