Visiting Officer (Band 5/EO)

Job summary

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the independent regulator for work-related health and safety. Our purpose is to protect people and the environment – we save lives.

HSE is highly regarded both nationally and internationally. The benefits that our work brings to business, workers and the UK economy are clear. Improved health and safety risk management protects workers and translates into reduced sickness absence, lower healthcare and welfare costs, and better productivity. Our collective goal is to help make Great Britain one of the best, safest and healthiest places to live and work in, through influencing health and safety attitudes and behaviours, which helps to reduce death, injury and ill health.

Within our Energy Division (ED) we are looking to recruit a Visiting Officer. ED regulates health and safety in a wide range of major hazard industries, including gas distribution, offshore Oil and Gas, mines, quarries, diving, and renewable energy to support the net zero transition. ED also engages in wide ranging stakeholder engagement to achieve regulatory impact. In all of these sectors, Specialist and Regulatory Inspector resource is utilised to deliver this work. All teams cover large geographical areas.

Job description

The work of our Visiting Officers is focused on HSE’s operational priorities. They work alone, and alongside Inspectors and Specialists supporting their work. They assist with inspector-led workplace inspections; investigations of work-related incidents affecting workers and the public, health and safety related enforcement activity; and campaigns and promotional activities designed to improve the management of health and safety in the workplace.

Visiting Officers are typically managed by Operational Team Leaders and work as part of a team.

Travel

This role requires regular travelling across large geographical areas, and occasional stays away from home including to offshore oil and gas installations.

Key Responsibilities:

It is anticipated a large proportion of your work will be in the offshore oil and gas sector.

• Making enquiries into reported incidents to inform the operational team leader’s investigation decision.
• Taking voluntary witness statements and victim personal statements to support enforcement action by inspectors and specialists.
• Securing and processing evidence and contributing to its proper management.
• Visiting workplaces to make judgements about matters of concern and identify where an inspector intervention may be justified, consulting with the operational team leader or an inspector as necessary.
• Working with HSE Inspectors and Lawyers to liaise with witnesses.
• Develop awareness and knowledge of HSE’s work and organisational structure.
• Acquire an understanding and knowledge of relevant operational and legal procedures and to become familiar with a range of work activities, industrial processes and the associated hazards and precautions.
• Regulate Employers’ Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) and Working Time Regulations.

Person specification

Essential Skills and Criteria:

• Work as part of a team with colleagues to deliver the key responsibilities of the post in a flexible and responsive manner responding positively to changes of priority as work demands dictate
• Good communication and influencing skills
• Take responsibility for making effective and fair decisions, in a timely manner. Sound analytical skills to include being able to critically review and capture numerous pieces of information and identify significant findings
• Understand how your work and the work of your team supports wider objectives and meets the diverse needs of stakeholders

Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship

Visiting Officers and Regulatory Compliance Officers will have to gain a Regulatory Compliance Officer Level 4 apprenticeship. To be eligible to enrol on the apprenticeship, the training and development you receive through the RCO apprenticeship must provide you with significant new skills & learning. This is an essential requirement for apprenticeship funding and means that you cannot already hold or be working towards a similar qualification or higher in regulatory compliance.

We can accept applications from candidates who already hold this qualification or an equivalent qualification in regulatory compliance. However, this means that you will not be enrolled on to the course when you join HSE.

To be eligible to enrol to the apprenticeship you must:

• Be aged 16 or over (there is no upper age limit).
• Have the right to work in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK/EU/EA for 3 consecutive years before starting the apprenticeship.
• Hold and be able to provide evidence of a level 2 qualification in Maths and English or equivalent (i.e., GCSE Grade A-C/9-4, Scottish National 5 certificates grade A to C).

As part of the pre-employment checks for this role, you will be asked to provide your qualification certificates during the onboarding process. If you are unable to provide the evidence this will result in failing the Pre Employment Checks and you will be unable to join HSE and work in the role of a Visiting Officer. Please contact HR.Resourcing-Team@hse.gov.uk if you have any queries around obtaining certificates.

For more information on the apprenticeship on offer please see here Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Officer Apprenticeship, Babington.

Medical

We would expect any successful applicant to be Certified as Medically fit for Offshore Work in accordance with OEUK Guidelines on Fitness for Offshore Work, Issue 8 (2025). This would include being certified as Fit to undertake in-water training with PSTASS emergency breathing equipment.

Hybrid Working

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.

Licences

A full UK driving licence unless a case for reasonable adjustments can be made under the Equality Act 2010. Should a reasonable adjustment be required, please answer yes to this criterion. You must hold the driving licence at the time of applying.

Qualifications

You must have, and be able to provide evidence of a level 2 qualification in Maths and English or equivalent (i.e., GCSE Grade A-C/9-4, Scottish National 5 certificates grade A to C).

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

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

• Delivering at Pace

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.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• 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 a Personal Statement (up to 750 words) that demonstrates how you meet the essential skills and criteria listed in this advert.

You will also be invited to complete 250 words on the Behaviour 'Delivering at Pace'.

Sift Information

The sift is due to take place week commencing 23rd March. At sift, you will be assessed on your Personal Statement and the Behaviour 'Delivering at Pace'.

In the event of a high number of applications at sift we will complete an initial sift on the Lead Behaviour 'Delivering at Pace'. Should you pass the benchmark for the Behaviour you will then be assessed on your Personal Statement.

Interview Information

The interviews are due to be held in the HSE Office in Aberdeen and will take place during week commencing 13th April.

At interview, you will be assessed on the three Behaviours detailed within the job advert. In the event of a tie-score we will use the Lead Behaviour 'Delivering at Pace' to determine merit order.

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.

Security Clearance

Due to the nature of security checks undertaken, applicants must have 3 years continuous residency in the UK up to the date of the application and, Home Office approval for indefinite leave to remain within the UK.

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.

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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

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.

We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all disabled applicants who provide evidence of meeting the minimum requirements necessary for the post.

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 criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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 : Stewart Millar
• Email : stewart.millar@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:
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/civilservicecode…

Attachments

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