Associate Scientific Assessor - 32,617 p.a. + benefits

Details

Reference number

Salary

£32,617

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Executive Officer

Contract type

Fixed term

Length of employment

12 months

Business area

MHRA – Safety and Surveillance Group

Type of role

Science

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Canary Wharf, London

About the job

Job summary

We are currently looking for an Associate Scientific Assessor to join our Benefit Risk Evaluation I Function within the Safety & Surveillance group.

This is a full-time opportunity, on a 12 month fixed term contract/internal move or temporary promotion basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites.

We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 8 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 12 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly.

Who are we?

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.

The Safety and Surveillance Group brings together into a single integrated structure devices and medicines safety expertise with enforcement capabilities. These functions will be supported by our data and evidence generating capabilities complementing our signal generating capabilities produced via the new Safety Connect System.

Job description

Medicines and devices have traditionally been regulated separately largely driven by different regulatory processes and ways of working. As science and technology drives increasing understanding of disease, it is also opening new opportunities for treatments; product profiles are changing, becoming ever more complex and the boundaries between disciplines are blurring. As such we have brought these functional capabilities together to better address the regulatory challenges of the future. Against this background and the drive to improve treatment availability for patients, safety remains at the heart of our decision making. As such the core objective of the Safety & Surveillance Group is to protect the public from risks associated with medicines and medical devices by:

• Ensuring a world class, comprehensive vigilance system that can promptly detect and monitor signals across the product life cycle
• Evaluating the benefit risk of medicines and devices for which signals or other safety concerns emerge and developing effective and measurable risk mitigation measures
• Ensuring patients and other stakeholders are involved in the regulatory processes and appropriate messages are issued for patients and stakeholders following regulatory decisions
• Deploying innovative interventions to reduce the criminal threat
• Exploiting data and embracing new technologies to develop the evidence to support our actions and understand their impact

What\’s the role?

To assist benefit risk evaluation assessors across the specialist therapeutic areas in the assessment of applications to amend the product information of medicines in relation to safety.

Safety and Surveillance: Benefit Risk Evaluation

Benefit Risk I

Benefit Risk II

Oncology, Haematology, Thrombotic disease

Musculoskeletal, Trauma and Cosmetic

Biosafety, Nonclinical and Emerging Technologies

Respiratory, Imaging and Critical Care

Vaccines, Infectious Diseases and Diagnostics

Cardiovascular and Fluid Management

Skin, Senses, Movement and Pain

Metabolic and Renal Systems

Psychiatric Disorders, Cognition and Mental Health

Gastrointestinal System, Nutrition, Endocrine and Fertility

Key responsibilities:

• Ensuring the quality and accuracy of Sentinel records.
• To assist BRE assessment teams with the processing of variation applications related to safety and applications to renew market authorisations

Person specification

Who are we looking for?

Our successful candidate will have:

• A degree in pharmacy, pharmacology, nursing, physiology, toxicology or other relevant life science discipline.
• Excellent IT skills and attention to detail combined with a desire to ensure that accurate product information is made publicly available.
• Experience of working in a regulatory environment or other relevant area and use of associated systems would be an advantage
• Ability to analyse and interpret data and make appropriate recommendations under pressure.
• Confidence and ability to work as part of a team in a fast paced environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification

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Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,617, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £9,449 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave on entry, rising by one day for each completed year of service to a maximum of 30 days and pro-rata for part-time staff. PLUS 8 bank holidays
• Privilege Leave: 1 day
• Hours of Work: 37 hours (net) per week for full time staff in all geographical locations, including London and pro rata for part-time staff
• Occupational Sick Pay (OSP): One month full pay/one month half pay on entry, rising by one month for each completed year of service to a maximum of five months full pay/five months half pay
• Mobility: Mobility clause in contracts allowing staff to be mobile across the Civil Service
• Civil Service Pension Scheme. Please see the link for further information For enquiries relating to the Civil Service Pension Schemes please contact MyCSP\’s Pension Service Centre directly on
• Flexible working to ensure staff maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Interest free season ticket loan or bike loan
• Employee Assistance Services and access to the Civil Service Benevolent Fund
• Eligibility to join the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA)
• Variety of staff and Civil Service clubs
• On-going learning and development

Things you need to know

Selection process details

The selection process:

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here.

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profiles. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application.
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.

In the instance that we receive a high number of applications, we will hold an initial sift based on the lead criteria of: Experience of working in a regulatory environment or other relevant area and use of associated systems.

Applicants are assessed on whether they meet any mandatory requirements as well as the necessary skills and experience for the role. Applications are scored based on the competency-based answers provided- ensure you have read these thoroughly and allow sufficient time. You can view the competencies for this role in the job description.

Use of AI in Job Applications

Applicants must ensure that anything submitted is factually accurate and truthful. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact as soon as possible.

Closing date: 16 September 2025

Shortlisting date: From 17 September 2025

Interview date: w/c 22 September 2025

Candidates will be contacted within a week of the sift and the interviews completed to inform them of the outcome.

If you need assistance applying for this role or have any other questions, please contact

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Certain roles within the MHRA will require post holders to have vaccinations, and in some circumstances, routine health surveillance. These roles include:

• Laboratory-based roles working directly with known pathogens
• Maintenance roles, particularly those required to work in laboratory settings
• Roles that involve visiting other establishments where vaccination is required
• Roles required to travel overseas where specific vaccination may be required.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant\’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Any move to the MHRA 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.

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners\’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact Florentina Oyelami, Head of Talent Acquisition,

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at:

Civil Service Commission

Room G/8

1 Horse Guards Road

London

SW1A 2HQ

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)
• 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

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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 .

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 the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

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 : The Resourcing Team
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners\’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact the Resourcing Team at , in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: – – Civil Service Commission Room G/8 1 Horse Guards Road London SW1A 2HQ