Test and Evaluation Technical Lead (Chemist) in Manchester

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

The Innovation directorates sit at the heart of the Home Office, ensuring the best evidence and analysis are used to address the strategic issues facing the department. We also provide the science, technology, data, and international insights and collaboration capabilities to drive delivery. The Test and Evaluation Technical Lead will apply scientific and technical expertise to police equipment assurance processes. You will be responsible for Home Office-owned technical standards and for working with partners to assure equipment against these standards, providing high quality, robust evidenced advice to policy decision-makers on authorisation for police use.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team and apply your scientific and technical knowledge and experience to a high profile and essential service to policing contributing to the safe and effective deployment of technologies ensuring police officer and public safety. You will be part of the multi-disciplinary Test and Evaluation Team responsible for supporting police equipment assurance of personal protective equipment (PPE), road traffic law enforcement equipment, drink and drug drive test instruments, and assessments of less lethal weapons (LLW) and armed policing equipment.

The Home Office has responsibility for the testing and evaluation of several types of police equipment to ensure it meets police operational requirements. Responsibility covers certification of personal protective equipment (PPE) against Home Office standards, Home Office Type Approval (HOTA) of road traffic law enforcement equipment, drink and drug drive test instruments, and assessments of less lethal weapons (LLW) and armed policing equipment.

The Test and Evaluation Team in Home Office Science provides the robust, independent scientific and technical evaluation and evidence to inform decisions on this equipment’s authorisation for police use. This service is delivered through close collaboration with policy teams, operational policing partners, external suppliers and industry providers.

We are specifically seeking an individual with a chemistry background to apply their expertise to support advice focused on irritants, drink and drug drive testing and controlled substances. The role requires strong analytical capability, attention to detail, and the ability to interpret complex data and translate findings into clear advice. This is a delivery-focused role suited to someone who enjoys applying science in practical, real-world contexts and contributing to high-impact, safety-critical outcomes.

As a Technical Lead, you will work closely with other technical experts in the team, policy leads and external science and technology delivery partners including test facilities to manage assurance activities, processes and information to support delivery of robust and timely test and evaluation assurance services. You will ensure that approaches are scientifically robust, proportionate, and aligned to relevant guidance and safety requirements, ensuring it is cost-effective, responsive, resilient, and trusted by all. You will also be responsible for contributing to standards management to ensure operational safety, consistency, legal defensibility and interoperability across policing and related functions. Consideration of current and emerging innovations in the market-place are essential to ensure standards reflect the latest technological developments.

Key responsibilities include:

• Applying chemistry scientific and analytical skills to manage assurance work strands including submissions, tracking cases, incorporation and scrutiny of technical outputs, ensuring alignment with standards, guidance, and safety requirements.
• Analyse and interpret scientific and technical data to deliver expert advice in relation to assurance activities and equipment, producing clear outputs to inform decisions and assurance processes.
• Work with external suppliers and laboratories to support delivery of testing, ensuring outputs meet agreed time, quality, and cost requirements.
• Support end-to-end standards development and management ensuring they are scientifically robust and meet operational requirements judging when incremental updates are appropriate versus fundamental redesign.
• Understanding market maturity including assessing the impact of the standard on innovation.
• Building and maintaining engagement with stakeholders internally (e.g. policy, commercial, operational policing) and external suppliers to support delivery of assurance services.
• Identify and escalate risks or issues arising from testing and evaluation activities (e.g. non-compliance).
• Contribute to continuous improvement of Test and Evaluation approaches, processes, and documentation.
• Support to investigations if there are any issues or failures of equipment.

The above responsibilities are not exhaustive, and the post holders may be required to undertake any of the above tasks or additional tasks not listed above, within the remit of their grade, to support the team.

This role sits within the Government Science & Engineering (GSE) profession and draws on key capability areas including: Applying scientific knowledge to real-world problems; Communicating science for government purposes; Supporting technical delivery and oversight; Developing practical and proportionate scientific approaches.

Working pattern

This role is available on a full-time basis with the option of compressed hours working. Travel Regular UK travel is required (including some with overnight stays) along with occasional overseas travel. Due to the nature of the work and/or the geographical area, driving is an essential requirement for this role.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• A chemistry degree or higher, or relevant chemistry-focussed experience in an associated scientific or technical field.
• Experience in the delivery, oversight and management of technical services, scientific or research and development projects which apply scientific knowledge to real world problems.
• Ability to manage, plan, schedule workload and maintain technical delivery in fast-paced complex environments communicating clear outcomes of evidence-based decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to communicate technical information clearly to a range of audiences, including non-specialists.
• Strong engagement skills to quickly build good working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders and draw on others’ skills, knowledge and expertise.
• Ability to design and support experimental or test activities and interpret results.

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of operational policing, experience in working with police stakeholders or in a public safety focussed environment.
• Experience of working with external suppliers of scientific capabilities (including ISO 17025).

Licences

Due to the nature of the work and/or the geographical area, driving is an essential requirement for this role. You must have a full valid UK manual/automatic driving licence. You will be checked at interview stage for this and asked to confirm you hold one when you apply.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Overseeing Technical Work.
• Developing / Maintaining Expertise.

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA): Up to 2,000 is available for candidates who demonstrate exceptional skills and experience evidenced at interview stage.

See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

Application – by 12th August 2026.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1250 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour - Managing a quality service (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

Your CV should consist of your relevant career history, qualifications and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

Sift – 14th August 2026.

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement, CV and Behaviour as listed in the advert. Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted lead behaviour and CV. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

Interview – from 9th September 2026.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Technical Skills based questions. All Behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will take place on Teams.

For guidance on the Technical skills, please refer to the Technical Skills Overseeing Technical Work and Developing / Maintaining Expertise that align to the Government Science and Engineering (GSE) Career Framework, November 2021 (Version 2) - GSE technical skills framework for further details.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Location preferences

You can select up to two locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours and technical skills have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Additional Security Checks

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements.

Further Information

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Feedback

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.

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)
• 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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 : Home Office resourcing centre Email : HORCCampaignTeamCorporateEnablers@homeoffice.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.