BEIS Careers – Operations Advisor

About the job

Location

Teddington

Job Summary

About the job

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, 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 the regulation of construction products planned for 2023.

Our mission: To be a trusted product regulator for the UK.

Our goal: To be a leader of good regulatory practice and a champion of local regulation.

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 (GIS) 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 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

Working closely alongside the Science, Engineering & Technology, Analysis and Testing Teams in the Evidence Impact Area, the Research, and Evidence & Dissemination (RED) Team ensures that OPSS has access to scientific evidence and advice for the development of policy, and the delivery and enforcement of product safety regulations.

The Research, Evidence and Dissemination team is responsible for the Office’s Strategic Research Programme and Research Hub, developing new and novel research, and ways of delivering research, to drive forward improvements in consumer product safety through changes in policy and delivering regulation. This is an exciting opportunity to apply for a role in the RED team that will lead on further developing our growing and cross-disciplinary Strategic Research Programme. This includes the development, coordination and maintenance of structures and capabilities that support the development of a robust, fit for purpose and value for money evidence base. The scope of this evidence base is wide-ranging from direct harms with existing consumer products; to understanding those in new technologies; understanding and using innovation to be a better regulator; understand consumer and business behaviour, and more.

We Are Looking For Someone Who Wants To

Apply their operational delivery experience to a new team and new functions, to craft delivery from the ground up. Ensure that OPSS’ statutory requirements are met by delivery of a quality service. Meet challenges from post-EU regulatory regime implementation. Implement new ways of working and collaboration across our team, across the Evidence Impact Area, across OPSS, across the department, UK industry and beyond. Work with multiple partners across government and beyond to ensure that our evidence outputs are robust, fit-for-purpose and quality assured. Work with colleagues from a wide range of scientific and technical backgrounds. If you think that this describes you then we’d love to hear from you!

Person specification

Support relationships within OPSS, other government departments, industry and academia both in the UK and beyond to ensure that outputs are as robust as possible.

• Contribute to the creation of new systems and ways of working to ensure that the UK delivers what it is required to.
• Support the Technical Operations Lead in reporting to our Programme Management Office progress both in setting up and implementing new systems and ways of work.
• Support the developing of a work programme management tool for the research in the OPSS Centre of Product Testing and Research in Teddington.
• Deliver training on new systems and ways of working to those affected by their implementation; measure and report success of uptake and accurate engagement with them; raise issues to Technical Operations Lead before they jeopardise delivery.
• Technical lead for the development of a Designated Standards Database to support the designation standards process.
• Commission and manage research projects

Collaboration across OPSS is key for this role. It will mainly involve working with OPSS’ wider Evidence Impact Area, policy and enforcement teams to provide leadership to support their requirements, using your knowledge and experience to build process to ensure that their needs are met.

You will also be encouraged to support OPSS’ wider aims and goals by representing it at internal and external meetings with key partners including industry bodies / trade associations, standards / accreditation bodies, academia, both in the UK and abroad

Some travel to London and Teddington required, travel will be reimbursed under the BEIS travel expenses policy.

Skills And Experience

A degree or equivalent experience in science, engineering or equivalent analytical subject area and/or Member of the Government Science and Engineering profession.

Experience of operational delivery and changing and improving ways of working to meet statutory requirements.

Desirable Skills, Experience And Qualifications

• Understanding the product safety and / or legal metrology legislative processes within the UK.
• Experience of systems mapping and systems (dynamic) thinking.

Technical skill t o be assessed during the selection process:

GSE Technical Skills -Provide Technical And Commercial Leadership

Scopes, plans and manages multifaceted projects

Implements solutions with due regard to wider environment and broader context

Exercises responsibility for self and others

Demonstrates effective leadership

Takes responsibility for continuous performance improvement

Qualifications

A degree or equivalent experience in science, engineering or equivalent analytical subject area and/or Member of the Government Science and Engineering profession

Behaviours

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

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

Technical Skills

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

• GSE Technical Skills -Provide Technical and Commercial Leadership:

Benefits

BEIS offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.

Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.

An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.

Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.

A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need (from September 2021, depending on how the public health guidance evolves).

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and a technical skill example.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Please use your personal statement (in no more than750 words) to demonstrate how your skills, knowledge and experience match the requirements of the role detailed in the bullet points under the “key responsibilities” and the essential criteria detailed in the” skills and experience” sections of the job description.

Applications will be sifted on CV’s, personal statements and Technical skill.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Technical skill (Provide Technical and Commercial Leadership). Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour, strength & technical questions.

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 24th October 2023.

Interview dates: w/c 7th November 2023.

Interview will be held using Microsoft Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further Information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Any move to Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 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

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

BEIS does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

Please note that BEIS does not hold a licence to sponsor visa applications.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete

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 UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the
• 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

Working for the Civil Service

The

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s

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.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction.

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 : Ellie Jarvie
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team :

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response that youreceive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click