Principal Fire Scientist/Engineer (Band 2/Grade 7)

The Science Division (SD) of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are looking for experienced scientists or engineers to take a senior role in our Fire Safety Team within the Major Hazards Group. The team's main focus is supporting HSE in understanding a variety of combustion-related topics through the delivery of theoretical and practical research (both lab-based and large-scale). Outputs are used to develop evidence-based policy and guidance.

Examples of recent work include the safe use of hydraulic fluids in mines, fire spread in insulation foams, evaluation of fire detectors and combustion hazards related to the use of bio-digesters. The team also supports HSE in its regulatory function by providing scientific support to HSE inspectors, often following industrial incidents. In recent years these have included tunnel and mines fires, warehouse fires, fork lift truck fires and timber frame fires.

The team also works closely with the Building Safety Regulator, delivering research and providing support to this important area of HSE's remit. Our work is not limited to supporting HSE's policy and regulatory functions. You can expect to contribute to a diverse range of projects in the health and safety sector including research projects, consultancy or delivery of training for commercial customers and other government departments.

We are looking for an experienced scientist or engineer to represent Science Division in a number of fire-related matters and have a leadership role within our Fire Safety team. You will have a solid understanding of the science underpinning fire studies and have the ability to apply this to a number of industrial sectors and research topics.

As an excellent communicator, you will have the ability to convey scientific information to a variety of audiences in person and in written work to represent HSE/Science Division at senior levels. The role will require the production of high-quality written material, ranging from proposals and bids, detailed scientific reports, peer-reviewed publications, incident investigation reports through to training guides or presentations. You will also technically review the work of others in the team.

The Fire Safety Team conduct practical research, testing and analysis programmes concerned with fire safety and protection measures across industry and the built environment, including construction, transport, energy and manufacturing sectors. There will be opportunity to help shape these programmes, working directly with external clients and with colleagues in HSE or more widely across government.

For some of the more complex and technical programmes, you will be involved with the delivery of projects, from designing experimental programmes, drafting/reviewing risk assessments, interpreting data and presenting results. The posts will involve providing support and advice to more junior members of the team, helping develop their skills and competencies.

There will be opportunity to contribute to the work of the wider Major Hazards Group. This includes projects concerning the safe development of new energy technologies and achieving safe net zero, primarily hydrogen and battery technologies. Several of the larger projects are high profile collaborations with other scientific organisations/government departments, which offers opportunity to publish work and present at conferences, as well as giving you opportunity to collaborate with technical experts across many other disciplines, including material scientists, risk experts, structural engineers and human factors specialists.

On the planned retirement of the current Fire Safety Technical Team Lead in c. March 2026, you will assume those responsibilities in full as part of this appointment, with the months prior to that enabling an effective hand-over transition period. The post will involve occasional travel in the UK and potentially overseas, including some overnight stays from home. Part-time working hours are available for this role. We can accept part-time applicants who can commit to working a minimum of 32 hours per week.

Essential Skills And Criteria:

• Extensive technical competence in the topic area of fire science.
• Experience of writing clear concise technical documents.
• Experience of working with stakeholders to define and agree research needs, and planning projects or programmes to meet these requirements.
• Experience of leading technical teams and projects to deliver complex research and/or consultancy effectively.
• Knowledge and experience of the hazards and risks associated with such work, and ensuring others in your team are competent for the tasks assigned to them.
• Good communication and influencing skills that would allow you to represent effectively at a senior level with stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds.

Qualifications:

• A degree level qualification in a science or engineering subject that is directly related to fire science e.g. fire engineering, chemical engineering, physics, etc.
• However, qualifications in other fields of experimental research may be considered if they involved concepts, techniques and skills that can be directly applied to large scale fires, in combination with relevant work experience.

Licences:

• Full driving license that permits driving within the UK.

Behaviours:

• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

Technical skills:

• A strong understanding of the science underpinning fire studies.
• Experience of leading large and/or complex technical projects.

Alongside your salary of £68,381, Health and Safety Executive contributes £19,809 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.

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

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 1000 words which demonstrates how you meet the essential skills and criteria listed in the person specification. Within your Personal Statement, please present as much evidence as you can demonstrating your skills, knowledge and experience that relates to the criteria described in the person specification. Use of examples is welcomed.

Selection process details: This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. At sift, we will assess you on your CV and Personal Statement. The sift will take place during the week commencing 7th July 2025. Interview Information: We will assess you against the advertised Behaviours and Technical Skills listed in the job advert. Please be prepared with examples to illustrate your knowledge and experience. You will also be asked to complete a presentation, more details will be given at the interview stage. The interviews will take place during the week commencing 21st July 2025. The interviews will be held face to face at our Buxton site Harpur Hill Buxton, Buxton SK17 9JN.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

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).

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.