Senior Advisor Product Safety (Band 3/SEO)

Job summary

Engagement and Policy Division (EPD) is at the heart of how HSE reduces risk and protects people and places – it leads on HSE’s communications and business insight interventions and helps shape our policy and frontline inspection interventions.

The strength of EPD is our ability to bring to bear our collective capability on policy, operational strategy, insight and communications, to support HSE’s prevention mission on such important issues as promoting proportionality in health and safety management and our better regulation work.

These are operational delivery posts within a product safety team in the Technical Support and Engagement Group (TSEG), one part of EPD, responsible for providing technical, regulatory, and industries-related skills and knowledge.

The posts sit in TSEGs Operational Delivery Unit and requires the successful candidates to be able to bring experience of the regulation and investigation of product safety issues.

Our work protects the GB marketplace from unsafe and substandard work equipment and machinery, which risks the health and safety of users, undermines standards and puts businesses at a competitive disadvantage. You will undertake a range of investigative activities to support HSE’s role as a Market Surveillance Authority (MSA) responsible for effective regulation of work equipment and machinery.

Part time working hours are available for 1 of the 4 roles. For this role we can accept part time applicants who can commit to working a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Job description

We are looking for candidates who have experience of product safety and/or market surveillance activities, to work as part of a busy frontline operations team.

Applications from Trading Standards professionals, product safety policy professionals, as well as from those with experience of other product safety regimes would be welcomed.

In these roles you will directly influence economic operators, work with Inspectors and Specialists across HSE Divisions, colleagues in EPD, other Market Surveillance Authorities and a variety of external stakeholders. There is a need to possess or rapidly acquire an understanding and working knowledge of product safety legislation associated with GB Regulation on Accreditation and Market Surveillance (RAMS). The posts offer significant development opportunities, providing experience of operational interventions and in working collaboratively with a range of internal and external partners and stakeholders.

The post holders will require flexibility to adapt to new challenges – as HSEs product safety and market surveillance functions evolve and develop new investigation tools and techniques.

Key Responsibilities

Specifically, you will:

• Investigate product safety concerns and support other HSE Divisions in the investigation of incidents where the design or manufacture of the product is a relevant line of enquiry.
• Gather and analyse information from multiple sources to make robust, complex and sensitive regulatory decisions, dealing with broader issues such as public and media concern and political interest.
• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, using enforcement or operational policy skills, to inform regulatory decision making in product safety matters.
• Work closely with staff in supporting roles and with specialist knowledge.
• Evaluate products and take appropriate action in line with the product safety regulatory framework (RAMS) – including overseeing the withdrawal and recall of products from the GB market.
• Input accurate records to the product safety database (PSD), as well as HSE’s internal systems.
• Prepare reports and correspondence to a high standard.
• Work with other regulators, stakeholders and government departments to maintain an effective network.
  
  

The post holders will need to be self-motivated and able to work independently to contribute to a busy and supportive team, working flexibly across the Unit, the wider Division and with other disciplines. Travel and overnight stays may be required as part of regulatory interventions, for training, or for meetings within the UK.

These roles offer a hybrid working pattern where your working week can be split between your home and your local HSE office, details of which can be discussed prior to taking up the role.

Person specification

Essential Skills & Criteria;

• An understanding of product safety regulation and market surveillance activity (or experience of working in a similar regulatory environment).
• Ability to manage competing priorities and delivering results at pace in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to quickly gain knowledge and understanding of policy, procedures and guidance; and experience of applying these in your work.
• Demonstrate the confidence to lead meetings and show a strong ability to collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders.

Behaviours

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

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

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,686, Health and Safety Executive contributes £13,814 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.

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 and Experience.

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. 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 listed within the person specification.

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 during week commencing 26th January 2026 where you will be assessed on your CV and Personal Statement.

In the event of a high number of applications you will be sifted on your personal statement only.

Interview Information

Interviews will take place during week commencing 16th February 2026 where you will be assessed against the behaviours listed within the job advert as well as your experience.

Interviews will take place virtually 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

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 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 : Rachel Bradshaw
• Email : Rachel.Bradshaw@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 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/civilservicecode…

Attachments

HSE Terms and Conditions - CSJ Advert Annex (2) Opens in new window (pdf, 116kB)