Regulatory Scientists (Band 5/EO)

Job summary

CRD employs around 450 scientific, regulatory and support staff in Bootle, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes and York and other areas across the UK. This is an exciting time to join CRD with opportunities to develop and shape our regulatory schemes for the future. Our primary role is to deliver regulatory schemes intended to protect the health of people and the environment, balancing the economic and social benefits that chemicals offer to society and helping to ensure the safe and sustainable use of chemicals.

We also have a role through guidance, partnership working and leadership to raise awareness and promote behavioural change to help improve the control of hazardous substances in the workplace.

To achieve this and deliver improved regulatory outcomes, we work closely with small and large businesses, and key stakeholders, ranging from industry bodies and multi-national chemical businesses, other government departments (in particular Defra) and other regulators across Europe and internationally.

Specifically, CRD regulates pesticides, biocides, industrial and consumer chemicals, detergents and the export and import of dangerous chemicals. Additionally, through intervention in the supply chain we seek to prevent the adverse effects of chemicals on people and the environment.

With a world-class reputation for safeguarding the health and safety of people at work, HSE is adapting and evolving to meet the new challenges following our departure from the EU. At CRD, we work with one goal in mind – to protect human health and the environment from the effects of potentially harmful substances and mixtures.

To help us meet these challenges, we require a number of ambitious Regulatory Scientists to join our Delivery Teams.

Please note - we have specified that part-time positions are available however the minimum number of hours per week is 30 hrs.

Job description

We have opportunities for regulatory scientists to work in our various Regulatory Delivery Teams where work will be undertaken principally across the Biocides and Pesticides regimes. Although it is likely we will have further roles coming up soon within our other scientific/delivery areas.

For further details on these roles, please refer to the candidate pack, which can be found as a link towards the end of this advert.

Please note we will match successful candidates to roles according to your qualifications and background/experience. Depending on business needs, we may also have other regulatory scientist roles that we will consider you for. It is also expected that successful applicants will be flexible to respond to business needs and may need to work across the teams when required. You could be considered for other roles in the following areas:

• Chemistry
• Ecotoxicology
• Efficacy
• Environmental fate and behaviour
• Operator Exposure
• Residues

No laboratory or field work is involved in these roles. There may be opportunities to undertake visits to testing facilities, field trials and external events for training and development.

You will join a structured training programme which will take approximately 18 to 36 months, will introduce you to all the elements of your role, enabling you to gain in-depth knowledge of the regulation of chemicals and develop valuable experience in regulatory science. As you become proficient, you will have the opportunity to apply for through-grading to Band 4.

Key Responsibilities

• To apply your scientific knowledge and skills to prepare written technical assessments of data to meet internal quality standards.
• To provide scientific and regulatory advice and guidance to colleagues, applicants, stakeholders and members of the public.
• To analyse and interpret scientific information against relevant regulations, guidance and models in order to make robust regulatory decisions.
• Understanding and applying the relevant regulations, guidance and models.
• Presenting your summaries, decisions and conclusions to a variety of internal and external stakeholders e.g. expert groups and other Government Departments.
• To communicate scientific and regulatory information effectively.
• Working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams.

This is not an exhaustive list and there may be other tasks/responsibilities that will be required as part of these roles.

For further information about the work across our regulatory scientist teams, please see our attached candidate pack.

Person specification

Essential Skills and Criteria;

• Drive, determination and good planning skills which enable you to deliver at pace and to target.
• Ability to communicate, enabling you to collaborate effectively and engage with others.
• Ability to work flexibly and as part of a team.
• Sound analytical skills with the ability to write/present effective technical information in a clear, concise and timely way.
• Initiative and decisiveness, supporting your ability to make effective decisions, while being open to challenge and involving others.

Hybrid Working & Travel

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.

During training you may be required to attend the office more often, this may include travel to other HSE sites and some potential overnight stays.

Qualifications

A degree, minimum 2:2 or a level 7/8 qualification (e.g. - postgraduate degree, postgraduate certificate) in a relevant science subject such as:

Environmental Sciences
Biological Sciences – for example Ecology, Zoology, Plant Sciences, Microbiology
Agriculture
Chemistry
Biochemistry
Horticulture
Occupational Hygiene

This is not an exhaustive list and qualifications will be reviewed throughout the recruitment process.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

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

• How you have used your scientific knowledge and skills to evaluate a range of data?
• How you have demonstrated clear oral and written communication of scientific information and presented clear conclusions and decisions?
• Conducting a scientific study
• Hazard and risk

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• How you have used your scientific knowledge and skills to evaluate a range of data?
• How you have demonstrated clear oral and written communication of scientific information and presented clear conclusions and decisions?

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,657, Health and Safety Executive contributes £9,171 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).

• 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
• 185 hours annual holiday increasing to 222 hours after 5 years' service, plus public holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave (recorded as 7.4 hours in addition to your annual leave balance)
• 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.

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, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

We will recruit in three stages:

Online tests

Please be advised that the tests ARE NOT timed.

Upon submission of your short application form you will be invited to complete a Numerical Reasoning test followed by a Verbal Reasoning test.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible, within 24-48 hours is recommended, to allow time to complete your full application.

If you successfully pass the test, you will then be invited to complete the final stage of your application.

You must complete the online tests and your full application form by 12:00pm midday on 26th October 2026. If you fail to complete the online tests and full application form before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.

Guidance for the tests will be available when you are invited to take the tests. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

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 be advised that the CV is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

You will also be asked to complete and anonymised personal statement of no more than 750 words which demonstrates how you meet the Essential Skills and Criteria listed within the job advert. You will also be asked to provide a 250 word statement towards two technical skills.

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/

Please access the following link for guidance and further information on the Civil Service Tests, including practice tests: Civil Service online tests - GOV.UK

Sift

The sift will take place from the W/C 26th October 2026 where we will assess your technical skills and personal statement.

Please note in the event of a high number of applications we will conduct a knock out sift in the following order:

1. An initial sift will be conducted on your first technical skill

2. If you successfully pass the benchmark for your first technical skill you will then be sifted on your personal statement

3. If you successfully pass the benchmark for your first technical skill and the personal statement you will progress to full sift where you will also be sifted on your second technical skill

You will only receive a score for each element of your application if you successfully pass the benchmark for the previous knock out stage.

Interview stage

Interviews are expected to take place during the W/C 16th, 23rd, 30th November and 7th December (please note these dates may be subject to change).

At interview you will be assessed against the Behaviours and Technical Skills as outlined in the job advert together along with some strength based questions.

Please note that interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.

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 internal.fraud@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

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: HR.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk

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 basic (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 : Nicola Snowden
• Email : nicola.snowden@hse.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : HR.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk

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: HR.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk or by writing to HSE at the following address: HSE Resourcing Team 2.3 Redgrave Court Merton Road Bootle Merseyside L20 7HS Alternatively, you can contact Civil Service commissioners:
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code/civilservicecode…

Attachments

Regulatory Scientists Candidate Pack - 2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 1504kB)HSE Terms and Conditions - CSJ Advert Annex Opens in new window (pdf, 116kB)