Environmental Public Health Scientist (Monitoring) - UK Health Security Agency

Environmental Public Health Scientist (Monitoring)

SEO National £38,724 - £44,393 per annum

Based at UKHSA Manchester

Permanent Contract

UKHSA’s Environmental Hazards and Emergencies (EHE) Department is at the forefront of delivering expert scientific guidance to key stakeholders, including the government and the NHS, on the public health implications of environmental hazards and chemical exposures.

About the EHE Department:

Our multidisciplinary team, spread across the North, Midlands, and South, operates from nine strategic locations to deliver expert guidance on non-infectious environmental exposures at both local and national levels. Along with two specialist groups - Air Quality & Public Health and Noise & Health, the Department is dedicated to providing high-level advice on the public health ramifications of non-infectious environmental exposures, both acute and chronic.

Regional Teams based in London, Chilton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Cambridge and Bristol, are the backbone of frontline support for the UKHSA and local partners.

In your role within the chemical and environmental hazards team, you’ll tackle health threats posed by chemical incidents, delivering vital public health risk assessments, navigating challenges such as chemical fires, environmental contamination, or intentional chemical releases.

Working Pattern - Full Time,

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available.

Responsibilities include:

• To carry out monitoring and give advice with respect to atmospheric processes. The majority of this will concern physical processes but may include related aspects of chemistry, statistics and risk assessment. In the main, this work will focus upon ambient air and airborne pollutant emissions.
• To provide assessments of ambient air monitoring. The assessments will focus on the scientific methods used, the key assumptions made and the risks, to the environment, associated with any uncertainties. This task may occasionally require participation in key meetings and the presentation of scientific information to non-scientists.
• To provide monitoring and data analyses exploring atmospheric processes in support of investigative or project work. To author reports and presentations on this work and to use these to make practical recommendations for environmental public health protection and improvement.
• To plan, organise and deploy instrumentation to collect atmospheric data in support of the tasks detailed above.
• To carry out scientific analysis and report results, using a range of specified scientific methods and procedures. Providing advice and information on the environmental significance of the information obtained.
• Undertaking environmental public health risk assessments for both acute and chronic chemical and environmental hazard exposures to prevent or mitigate risks to the public.
• You may have personal responsibility for the use of scientific and technical equipment (this includes vehicles, trailers, scientific equipment and laboratory infrastructure).
• You will assist in ensuring the serviceability and operational efficiency of a workgroup or small range of scientific equipment.
• You may be part of a team responsible for the purchase of capital and non-capital scientific equipment and have responsibility for maintaining consumables and stock level, ensuring that requisitions are raised under specified procedures and that goods are received in stock on time.
• You may be required to carry out specific method development work. Preparing reports on results of methods development work and sample analysis, which require the synthesis of data and drawing of conclusions.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Please see job description attached for full list of duties and competencies associated with the post.

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1250 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description):

Essential

• Good post-graduate Masters degree in a relevant scientific subject (such as air quality, environmental chemistry or equivalent experience encompassing environmental monitoring)
• Knowledge of physical atmospheric processes, particularly those affecting air quality and familiarity with key concepts in atmospheric chemistry
• Knowledge of ambient air monitoring equipment and meteorological instrumentation along with the processing of the data from these systems.
• Demonstrated experience of coordinating projects in complex and challenging environments
• Experience of managing risks and reporting
• Ability to analyse very complex issues where material is conflicting and drawn from multiple sources
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels, formally, informally, orally and in writing to UKHSA staff, and representatives from Government Departments and other organisations. This may require presenting technically complicated information to non-technical staff and members of the public

Please ensure that your statement of suitability does not contain any personal identifiers such as Name, Gender, Location, Marital Status, Sexual Orientation or Religion. The UKHSA operates a fair and open recruitment policy.