PDS Lab Manager

The Personal Dosimetry Service (PDS) is a commercial service, approved by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. PDS serves over 5,500 employers working with ionising radiations in the industrial, research and medical sectors, by assessing the radiation doses to their employees. This is carried out by means of passive personal dosemeters, which are worn by the employee for a period then returned to PDS for processing and reporting. The service also helps build experience which informs UKHSA’s advice to government and users of radiation and makes a significant contribution towards RCCE’s annual income. The PDS is a group of around 35 staff, plus 10 bank staff, who issue and assess doses from dosemeters to over 90,000 workers in the UK and overseas.

This post contributes to the health and safety of employees exposed to ionising radiation in their work environments and requires highly specialised technical, scientific and legislative knowledge and skills coupled with extensive relevant experience.

PDS also has an emergency response function for monitoring exposures of the public in the event of a radiation incident.

The post holder will work as part of a team which is responsible for high-volume issuing and processing of various types of radiation dosemeter. This involves opening and receiving dosemeters in the post, loading dosemeters into equipment and monitoring performance, preparing dosemeters for issue to the customer and a small amount of data entry. This role is set in a scientific environment and requires operation of computers and laboratory equipment as well as an excellent level of customer care.

The post holder will be required to set up and manage a team which is responsible for the processing and issuing of TLD’s in a public emergency response. The Laboratory Manager will lead the Lab in its response to an incident, liaising with the other PDS teams to issue up to 100,000 TLD’s to the public for monitoring public exposure. This will require excellent planning, communication and rapid response to an evolving situation. There will also be a requirement for rapid dose assessments as well as longer programme of monitoring of the public to feed into government response to the situation.

Your duties will include:

• Line management of Laboratory technicians.
• Planning, testing and setting up the running of new equipment including that to be used in the event of a radiation incident.

Managing resources (staff and equipment) to ensure the service runs effectively, meeting issue and processing targets:

• Taking decisions on work planning and task allocation
• Adjusting these in the light of changing circumstances
• Negotiating with colleagues to inform these decisions.
• Feeding data back to line management for business
• Liaising with the Lab team to ensure smooth issue and assessment of customer dosemeters
• Covering for junior staff in routine tasks.
• Assist in co-ordination of HSE performance tests and intercomparisons.
• Attend services co-ordination meetings for Leeds and Chilton
• Preparation of new dosemeters and seeing them through the different stages of initialisation; liaising with Finance on introduction of stock.
• Monitoring and management of equipment; using internal and external support to ensure efficiency of Laboratory machines, maintaining support contracts and regular servicing of all equipment.
• Collecting and analysing laboratory quality assurance, throughput and dosimetry data; investigating and acting upon any results which fail QA.
• Responding to and resolving queries and liaising with customers by phone, letter, email or in person; providing interpretation of results and advice on personal dosimetry.
• Ensuring excellent communication within own team, the rest of PDS (including participation in management meetings) and with emergency response team colleagues.
• Forward planning for work and supplies for the laboratories, based on expected demand.
• Ensuring the teams deliver an excellent level of customer service that meets the relevant quality standards; reliable, prompt, courteous and clearly communicated.
• Reviewing and developing laboratory procedures (Manuals & Standard Operating Procedures) for input into quality documents for PDS’s approval by the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) as a Dosimetry Service as well as accreditation as a Testing Laboratory under the ISO17025;2017 standard.
• Major involvement in projects (capital and revenue) to develop the thermoluminescence dosimetry services as necessary.
• Planning, preparedness and practice of emergency response activities to ensure continued capability
• Dealing with problems, e.g. in changes to requirements, software errors, IT failures, supplier failures, by prompt liaison with external and internal colleagues.
• Training of staff where necessary

This list is not exhaustive

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Selection Process Details

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Competency Based

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 7 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1500 word supporting statement.

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.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications, we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

If used, the pile that meets ALL essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

• Level 6 qualification, such as BSc degree in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science, Radiological Science or relevant experience working in a scientific laboratory.
• Wider understanding of the requirements for, and impacts of, the emergency personal dosemeter assessments on the UKHSA Radiation Emergency Response during an incident.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Competency Based

You will be invited to a single face to face interview at our Scientific Campus in Chilton.

When face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview in the form of questions.

There will be a Presentation.

• This should last no longer than 10 minutes. The subject topic will be: Managing Laboratory resources to support Emergency Response

Interview dates are yet 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.

Eligibility Criteria

External - This vacancy is open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service as well as internal applicants.

Location

This role is being offered as office/lab based at our Scientific Campus in Chilton. Please note that hybrid working is not available for this role.

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter-Terrorist Check.

When based at our scientific campus, you will be required to have a minimum of a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Salary Information

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms. Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location.

If this role is fixed term and you are not currently a Civil Servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment; you may be able to take this role up as a

Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. Loans are normally agreed for a period of two years. However, this may be extended where required, subject to agreement between UKHSA and your home department. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. 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. If this role is permanent, it may also be available as a loan (for existing Civil Servants only) or secondment arrangement, subject to business need and agreement from the hiring manager and, where applicable, the employee's home organisation.

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 maybe contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list. The panel will assess if candidates meet the requirement of the role first, using a specific benchmark system. 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.

Incident Response Activity

From time to time, the role holder may be required to support UKHSA’s incident response activity by contributing their appropriate expertise within an Incident Cell; during such periods, supported by the line manager, this work will take priority over normal day-to-day responsibilities, commensurate with their grade, skills and experience.

Qualifications and Registrations

For roles where specific qualifications or registrations are required, successful applicants will be asked to provide appropriate evidence. Employment cannot commence until satisfactory documentation has been received and verified.

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK. The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

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 consider 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/

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud Check

This does not need to be included on EOI or Internal adverts. If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub, and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for external candidates to the Civil Service.

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