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Environmental Science Officer - Hazardous and Noxious Substances

Employer
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Location
Southampton, Hampshire
Salary
£38,654
Closing date
21 Apr 2021

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Job Details

Location

Southampton

About the job

We welcome applications from all communities and we don’t discriminate against any identity. We’re interested to hear from you, regardless of your background.

Are you passionate about protecting public health and the environment?
Do you want a challenging role where you will be in the forefront of making a difference to the safety and protection of the sea and shoreline?
Does your job matter?

Job description

Our team is growing!

We have an exciting opportunity available for an Environmental Science Officer to come and join our team here at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Working with a close-knit team you will help to ensure that the Agency is fulfilling its role to respond to counter pollution incidents inside the UK Exclusive Economic Zone (UK EEZ). You will ensure that adequate scientific, technical and environmental support is available to meet the Marine Pollution Prevention, Preparedness and Response regulatory requirement, whilst supporting the assessment, monitoring and response to both actual and potential polluting incidents at sea and working with response organisations on the shoreline.
 

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Develop and maintain a high level of proficiency in Hazardous and Noxious Substances(HNS) policy, regulation, contingency planning and response.
• Forge, facilitate and maintain working links with a wide variety of partners, focusing on research and best practice in maritime and environmental planning, environmental impact assessment and response, and spill modelling in relation to HNS.
• Liaise with Environmental Regulators in the Devolved Administrations and LAs, encouraging common practice across the Devolved Administrations
• Delivery of accurate and timely operational, scientific, technical and environmental advice to incident response personnel on all aspects of potential and actual pollution.
• Attend on scene where circumstances dictate, to protect UK interests from threat of spilled oil and other hazardous noxious substances.
• Review National Risk Assessment in relation to HNS, and work with Local Resilience Fora to assess level of risk.
• Participate in regional and national counter pollution exercises and training.
• Assist in the development of Hazardous Noxious Substances response plans with Ports and Harbours.
• Respond to assist and support flank European States in Counter Pollution and Salvage matters
• Representing MCA / UK at national and international scientific and technical fora.

About you:

You are a scientist looking for a highly varied role where you can really make a difference. Bringing your exceptional communication skills and ability to translate scientific and technical language to non-technical stakeholders, you will thrive in this role. You are passionate about keeping the maritime environment and shoreline pollution free and will relish in the opportunity to get out of the office and in getting more hands-on in protecting the environment.

About Operational Delivery Profession (ODP)


Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) is the largest and most diverse professional community across the Civil Service. Many of us will have an association with several professional communities or specialisms, ODP applies to all public facing roles / or a role that is primarily aligned to supporting the work of those with public facing roles. All critical to the delivery of UK public services’.

Licences

Full driving licence eligible to use in the UK, must include category B

Qualifications

- First Degree or equivalent in marine chemistry or other related subjects. If not a degree extensive appropriate relevant occupational experience would be considered.

Behaviours

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

  • Working Together
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.

Find out what it's like to work at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Things you need to know Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

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

Selection Process Details

The Civil Service Nationality Rules has been updated following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. The new rules came into effect on 1st January 2021. We urge people from the EU, European Economic Area and Switzerland to be familiar with the updated Nationality rules prior to applying for this role.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

CV and Personal Statement Information
Within your CV and personal statement please demonstrate your knowledge and experience of:
• Environmental impact and monitoring of HNS in the marine and coastal environment, including trajectory and fate modelling, and familiarity with GIS and remote sensing systems.
• Working with emergency response planning, plans and management, preferably in the maritime sector.
• Working knowledge of response strategies and techniques to deal with HNS in the marine and coastal environment.
• Understanding of EU and UK environmental regulation wrt maritime pollution and its consequences.
• Ability to work in operational situations, often fast moving and requiring dealing with multiple issues both in parallel and in quick succession.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

For this role we will assess your:
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace.

The sift is due to take place on 23rd April 2021

Interviews/assessments are likely to be held week commencing 3rd May 2021

This interview could be conducted via a video interview, details of which will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates. The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:
• a powerpoint presentation (on a technical subject to be notified. The subject will be disclosed after the sift and is to be prepared prior to the day of interview)
• a panel interview

You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.

Please see attached candidate notes for further information about our recruitment process.

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

Further Information

To learn more about applying for a role within the Department for Transport, visit the Application Process page of our Careers website.

Before submitting your application, we encourage you to visit our Things You Need to Know page for further information about applying for a role within the Department for Transport and the Civil Service.

Throughout this job advert there are links to the DfT Careers website, which provides you further information to support your application. Should you be unable to access the information on our website, please email [email protected] for assistance.

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

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 (or eligible for) status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • 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

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

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.

Apply and further information

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 :   Stan Woznicki Email :   [email protected]   Recruitment team : Email :   [email protected] Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here (https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/) to visit Civil Service Commission

Company

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is an executive agency of the United Kingdom working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and international maritime law and safety policy. It is also responsible for land based search and rescue helicopter operations from 2015.

Its responsibilities include coordinating search and rescue (SAR) on the coastline and at sea through His Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG), ensuring that ships meet international and UK safety standards, monitoring and preventing coastal water pollution and testing and issuing Merchant Navy Certificates of Competency (licences) for ships' officers and crew to STCW requirements The organisation is led by Virginia McVea its Chief Executive, who took up post in February 2023.The MCA are chiefly responsible for the syllabus and national training standards issued by the Merchant Navy Training Board (based at the UK Chamber of Shipping).

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