HSE’s Occupational Hygiene teams play a critical role in HSE’s mission to reduce work-related ill health and our work has an impact on almost every sector of Great Britain’s industry. We provide specialist advice to operational colleagues across HSE on controlling exposure to hazardous substances in workplaces and enforcing the law in this area. We also lead strategic and technical work to campaign for better risk control, provide occupational hygiene input into guidance and regulations and direct crucial research on health topics.
Our team of occupational hygiene specialists work in a wide range of industries with thousands of workers. This role provides a unique opportunity to apply your technical knowledge and practical experience, influencing whole industry sectors as well as helping individual employers understand the right controls to have in place. Contributing to the policy development and industry guidelines will broaden your knowledge and your professional credibility like no other role can. You will see a clear line of sight between your input and reducing ill-health in the workplace.
Our occupational hygiene teams are internationally recognised for their expertise and integrity, and you will be working with the widest range of health and safety specialists in Britain. Your work will protect thousands of people, whilst working in an inclusive environment where all of our people can thrive and be themselves.
Working Pattern
Please note that due to the demands of the Specialist Training Programme (STP) course, this role is only suitable for full-time working.
Travel
This post can be based in any of the advertised locations however, the role will involve regular travel to other HSE offices for meetings, as well as travel to HSE training events and to attend site visits. The amount of travel will vary but would typically be once per week.
Job overview
As an occupational hygiene specialist inspector, you will be involved in both frontline regulatory work and developing technical policy.
Key Responsibilities
- Work as a member of a specialist team, led by a Principal Specialist Inspector, regulating workplaces to ensure that health risks have been identified, evaluated, and eliminated or adequately controlled
- Provide in-depth technical expertise to regulatory inspectors on occupational hygiene topics such as COSHH, legionella and asbestos across a wide range of industries
- Provide independent expert witness input to court, securing justice for sufferers of ill health in the workplace
- Develop operational and technical policy to influence and raise standards of control and clarifying legal requirements
- Work with others on projects and initiatives to review and inform health and safety policy, developing guidance and identifying any changes needed to expected standards and published information
- Work with colleagues helping to influence strategic stakeholders and campaigns.
Specialist Training Programme
You will be supported by your manager and colleagues to understand your role in HSE, develop your skills, and support you in your continuing professional development. For the legal requirements of the role, you will be enrolled on the Specialist Training Programme (STP) and will be required to study for and successfully complete a formal assessment.
We also have a strong focus on ongoing technical CPD and training in our core subject areas.
Person specification
Essential Skills and Criteria
- In-depth knowledge and current practical experience in the field of occupational hygiene and a proven track record of identifying occupational exposure control issues and solving problems
- Able to analyse gaps in compliance with the law by comparing conditions found in workplaces with minimum legal requirements and to support legal action to avoid further risk
- Able to use your communication skills to provide specialist opinion and expert evidence in reports for legal proceedings
- Able to liaise with colleagues across HSE and industry to develop operational policy, guidance and procedures on occupational hygiene matters and share these with stakeholders.
At HSE, we are proud to be able to offer our people the opportunity to work in a hybrid way which combines working from home and the office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement, and your allocated office will be your contractual place of work.
There will be a requirement to travel to the office for various activities, e.g., collaborative working, supporting and training colleagues. If hybrid working is suitable for you and your role, you will be expected to attend the office, or other business-related site, for 60% of your working week. The arrangements will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account.
Therefore, we would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post.
Qualifications
BOHS Certificate of Operational Competence in Occupational Hygiene
Memberships
You must be a current professional member of the British Occupational Hygiene Society Faculty of Occupational Hygiene at a minimum grade of Licentiate or Specialist Licentiate Grade (i.e. LFOH or LFOH(S)) or higher.
Be willing to become a Chartered Member of BOHS through a supported development programme within two years of completing your HSE Specialist Training Programme.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Secure, maintain and expand relevant technical knowledge within Occupational Hygiene
- Apply Scientific/Technical Knowledge in assessing compliance with statutory requirements and standards.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £55,063, Health and Safety Executive contributes £15,951 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
We invest in our people with:
- Competitive rates of pay
- Access to the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme to which HSE contribute 28.97% far more than in the private sector
- Family friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career
- Carer friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture
- 25 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave
- Parental leave benefits
- As a member of HSE you will gain access to a wide range of fantastic benefits that you can take advantage of such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, E-Gift Cards, and Vouchers via our partner EdenRed.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience.
Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Application Information
As part of your application, you will be invited to complete an anonymised CV which should include your career history, experience, and qualifications. Please note this will be for information purposes only and will not be scored.
You will also be asked to complete an anonymised Personal Statement, of no more than 750 words which demonstrates how you meet the Essential Skills and Criteria of the job advert.
Application Guidance
Please access the following link for guidance on how to apply and how to complete a Personal Statement https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/how-to-apply/
Sift Information
The sift will take place from 29th June when you will be assessed on your Personal Statement.
Interview Information
Interviews will take place from 13th July when you will be assessed against the behaviours and technical skills detailed within the job advert.
You will also be asked to deliver a 10 minute presentation. Details will be provided if successful to interview.
Please note: Sift and Interview dates may be subject to change due to panel availability.
Sponsorship
This role is not open to application from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship your application will be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment will be withdrawn.
Further Information
Please note that a Reserve List will be held for the period of up to 12 months. There is no guarantee you will be offered a role from our reserve lists, so if you see a vacancy on Civil Service Jobs that you are interested in, we recommend you apply.
HSE reserve the right to conduct additional checks, including Google and social media checks, when recruiting candidates into a role within HSE. These checks will be carried out in line with the Civil Service Commission Principles and, if used all candidates will be subject to these additional checks.
From 23rd June 2025, if you are successful at interview, as part of your pre-employment checks, HSE’s Recruitment Team are required to check your details against the Internal Fraud Hub (IFH), using your personal details – name, NINO, and date of birth. If you are included on the database, you will be refused employment. If you believe that there has been an error in the inclusion of your data and wish to make an appeal, please contact the CO email box [email protected].
Details of the types of internal fraud/dishonesty covered by this process are defined by the Cabinet Office and can be found here Internal Fraud Register privacy notice - GOV.UK.
It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application. For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached HSE Terms and Conditions document.
Progression through pay ranges is subject to annual pay awards as permitted within annual Civil Service pay remit guidance and negotiations with Trade Unions.
HSE is proud to be a part of the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS). As a Disability Confident employer, we positively welcome applications from disabled people. We are committed to making workplace adjustments to ensure anyone can participate in the recruitment and selection process.
If, during the application or interview process, you require any assistance due to a disability or a medical condition, please contact us at the email address below to discuss how we can support you. For example, if you have a disability, and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: [email protected].
If successful in securing your role, HSE can provide suitable workplace adjustments to support you throughout your career with HSE.
Any move to HSE 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 here.
Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further; Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
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).
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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
Recruitment team
Further information
If you believe that Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition have not been met, you can raise a complaint by emailing: [email protected] or by writing to HSE at the following address: HR Resourcing Team, 2.3 Redgrave Court, Merton Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20 7HS.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact Civil Service commissioners: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code/civilservicecodecomplaints/.
Attachments
Candidate Pack Final - Opens in new window (pdf, 655kB)
HSE Terms and Conditions - CSJ Advert Annex - Opens in new window (pdf, 116kB)
