Plastics Specialist (Ref: 23733)

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

HMPPS Band 7

Overview of the job

Prison Industries HQ helps reduce the risk of prisoners re-offending and supports Prison Governors in the delivery of Purposeful Activity. Providing employment and activity for prisoners, enabling them to experience real work, ‘on the job training’, life skills and to develop healthy lifestyles in the preparation for their release. Producing high quality goods and services to allow prisoners to live decent, healthy lives in custody and enable employment opportunities upon release. Prison Industries provide support to 118 HMPPS establishments in England and Wales. The prison workshops combined produce over 600,000 items per month for both internal and commercial use, with a combined output worth over £4 million annually. Each site uses a mix of machines, tooling types, and polymers, and the post holder must provide tailored advice to meet production and quality standards The industry currently employs over 80 prisoners, and the role is responsible for purchasing, issue and movement of all technical equipment, supply of raw materials and the control and monitoring of finished products. This is a national HQ-based non-operational role without line management.

Summary

The post leads delivery, implementation and site-level coordination for the plastics Industry, translating strategic direction into practical activity across establishments. This post leads the coordination of internal and external plastics orders, ensuring delivery is aligned with agreed stock levels and business requirements. Providing technical expertise and guidance on plastics product design, tooling and workshop setup to support effective site delivery. Leading the implementation of agreed plastics product design, development, costing and technical specifications, including associated tooling requirements. Supports sustainability objectives by promoting recycling and material re-use and by liaising with waste management functions at site level.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties

• Leads the delivery and implementation of objectives in the Prison Industries HQ Plastics Strategy through local site support and coordination.
• Supports the development of costings for internal and commercial plastics products using approved costing models.
• Leads operational scheduling, site coordination and delivery across plastics workshops, ensuring the necessary technical specifications, materials, machines, logistics and workshop skills are in place so customers receive products to the correct quality and on time.
• Leads the site-level rollout and delivery of pre-approved products, seeking and analysing workshop feedback to support the development of best practice.
• Delivers hands-on technical support to sites and instructors to maintain daily performance.
• Leads site-level coordination of tooling movements, maintenance, Manufacturing Requirements Planning (MRP) and logistics systems to manage stock levels.
• Maintains dashboards and supports audits and performance actions under Plastics Programme Executive direction.
• Identifies upskilling opportunities for workshop staff and liaises with providers to support training delivery.
• Contributes to business cases from a site-level delivery and implementation perspective, providing information on cycle times, capacity and maintenance requirements.
• Leads operational coordination of sustainability initiatives at site level, contributing to closed-loop plastics methodology and end-of-life strategies for internally manufactured plastic products.

Behaviours

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

Essential Experience

• Proven track record in tooling, production management, and plastics manufacturing.
• Familiarity with quality, health and safety standards, and materials compliance (e.g., food safety).
• Competent in use of management information system (MIS), manufacturing requirements planning (MRP) and specification software.

Technical Requirements

• ONC/HNC or NVQ equivalent in related industry
• In-depth technical knowledge of injection moulding and tool design.

Ability

• Strong organisational and communication skills.
• Ability to use Excel, Word, Outlook, and production planning systems.
• Good understanding of health and safety legislation and best practices.

Hours of Work (Unsocial Hours) Allowances

37 hour working week (standard).

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• Technical question – at interview stage

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £54,148, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £15,686 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Things you need to know

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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) 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 theCivil 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 :

• Name : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
• Telephone : 0345 241 5358

Recruitment team

• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/23733?entityId=23733