Human Factors Health and Safety Specialist

Job description

Job responsibilities

(The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organization)

An important part of the role will be supporting the many teams across UKHSA in carrying out Safety Critical Task Analysis. This will involve conducting walk-through, talk-throughs of lab-based Safety Critical Tasks and facilitating Human Error Analysis workshops. In addition, you will play a vital role in terms of training and helping to building Human Factors competence across the organisation, designing, and delivering in-person Human Factors courses, helping to develop engaging e-learning courses, and mentoring colleagues.

There will be opportunity too to get involved in both leading and supporting roles in Human Factors project work (for example in relation to Human Factors Integration in Design for major new build and refurbishment projects) and to provide expert Human Factors input to incident investigations.

The role offers both variety and challenge in the provision of Human Factors support to teams and individuals across UKHSAs many sites. It also provides exciting opportunity to champion both internally and externally the pivotal contribution that Human Factors can make to managing health and safety risks in the Bio-Sector and to help set standards and implement practices that are genuinely sector-leading.

You will be assessed on the below 11 essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description

Essential Criteria

• Chartered Membership of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors or eligible for Chartered Membership.
• MSc or BSc qualification in Human Factors/ Ergonomics accredited by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors
• Health and Safety auditing training
• Broad experience of auditing or formal inspections of Health and Safety management systems, specifically to identify issues with risk control measures associated with Human Factors
• Significant practical experience and knowledge, understanding of the implementation of human factors for risk control in major hazard environments
• Knowledge and experience of the application of ergonomics and human factors in new build and refurbishment projects, particularly those associated with major hazards. Experience of supporting non-Human Factors specialists in the design process. Experience in the production of Human Factors Integration Plans for significant new build and refurbishment projects
• Experience and knowledge of Human Factors in risk assessment and adverse incident investigation in a major hazards context. Significant experience in leading, carrying out and supporting Safety Critical Task Analyses in a major hazards context
• Significant experience of identifying human reliability issues with regards to maintenance, inspection and testing of Safety Critical Equipment and carrying out Human Factors risk assessments
• Significant experience of contributing to, and leading, Human Factors training and awareness raising activities, including the development, production, design and delivery of Human Factors training courses and materials relevant to managing Human Factors risks in major hazards and/or biological agents contexts
• Proven track record of initiating, designing, planning, and leading complex human factors work programmes and ability to influence risk control strategy planning at a corporate level.
• Proven track record of solving complex human factor issues and prioritising system objectives, including those arising from adverse incident investigations

Selection Process Details:

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience, and Ability skills.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

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:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• 1500 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Please do not exceed 1500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

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

In order to be shortlisted you must meet all and some of the essential criteria listed above.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on: Chartered Membership of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors or eligible for Chartered Membership.

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

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Communicating and influencing
• Seeing the bigger picture
• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace

You will be asked to prepare and present a 5-10 minute presentation on Developing Human Factors competence and capability across the organisation.

Interviews will be held week commencing TBC 2025. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

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

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 BPSS.

Location

This role is being offered as Home working with an expectation of regular travel (once a week) to UKHSAs main operational sites at Colindale (London), Porton (Salisbury), Chilton (Chilton) and regional laboratories.

You will be required to have 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.

Person Specification

Application form and Statement of Suitability

Essential

• Application form and Statement of Suitability

Behaviours

Essential

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Presentation

Essential

• Presentation

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

Home working (with some expectation to travel into an office)

10 South Colonnade

Home working

E14 5EA

Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)