JOB DESCRIPTION

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is delighted to launch an innovative research fellowship scheme, to enable talented researchers from either academia or industry to contribute specialist subject knowledge and technical expertise to OPSS research.
Subject area specialists who are motivated to keep people and places safe from product related harm will join OPSS for a year to work on a specific project. The projects are aligned with our strategic priorities, strengthening OPSS’s collaborative work with researchers, and providing the opportunity to contribute to OPSS’s work to ensure consumers and businesses can buy and sell products with confidence.
Fellows are invited to join OPSS on a secondment basis to lead on a specific research project for the duration of the year. The project will align with the Fellow’s specialist area, enabling the Fellow to make a unique contribution to the effective development of UK product safety regulation. This opportunity is available full time or part time. The position is funded, allowing Fellows current salary to be matched according to Civil Service pay scales.

Becoming a Fellow at OPSS is a unique career development opportunity that will allow researchers to:

• Understand the role of evidence and research in informing policy decisions
• Take a step back from their usual research, such as lab-based or academic work, to lead on research that makes an impact within a policy environment
• Collaborate with government employees across a range of teams to build new professional networks
• Gain access to unique training and development opportunities to learn new skills to take back to your employer and/or advance your career
• Join the founding cohort of OPSS Fellows, benefiting from the support of other researchers
• Contribute to forging connections between UK academia, industry and government

ENHANCING FIRE SAFETY: ADVANCED FLAMMABILITY TESTING FOR CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS

This project predominately focuses on the use of flammability testing equipment such as a Cone Calorimeter to simulate fire scenarios, providing valuable data on the rate of heat release and smoke production of construction product materials such as insulation and cables. As well as developing test methods to ensure accurate measurements, this project will also explore the use of software tools to provide a more cost-effective and efficient screening method for assessing a materials’ fire performance. The outputs of this work will enable OPSS to make informed and timely decisions on further testing requirements and regulatory action, enhancing product safety and minimising fire-related risks.
We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Fire Testing Engineer or Scientist to join our laboratory team based in Teddington. Our team operates 20 newly refurbished laboratories, focusing on product testing to support national consumer and construction product regulatory activity, and traceability for the UK’s legal metrology system. As a Fire Testing Specialist, you will play a crucial role in developing and enhancing our flammability laboratory capabilities, focusing on cone calorimeter testing as well as assessing compliance with safety regulations and standards and identifying opportunity for testing development. This position involves conducting various flammability tests, analysing results, providing training sessions for lab staff, as well as thoroughly documenting all testing procedures and results for future reference. You will maintain collaborative relationships with other scientists and engineers, regulators, policy-owners and external stakeholders e.g. test houses, to ensure our testing outputs are fit for purpose and impactful.
The Testing Laboratories are a multidisciplinary team based at Teddington, delivering testing capability across the broad portfolio of OPSS regulatory requirements. This newly created role will be integral to the strategic direction of our laboratory testing and research programmes by creating a ‘golden thread’ linking OPSS, departmental, Government Science and Engineering and His Majesty’s Government objectives. This role is ideal for someone who can support the bigger picture, communicate and influence across a variety of technical stakeholders, and drive strategic alignment.
As well as learning about the role of OPSS and the types of specialist testing we undertake, we also offer a wide variety of learning outcomes to the role holder. The successful candidate will gain experience of managing operations in a laboratory facility which promotes lean and 5S approaches, and have access to relevant training to ensure they can deliver in the safest and most efficient manner. They will be exposed to a variety of functions within government and have an opportunity to learn from other technical experts as well as experienced regulators and policy owners. Joining OPSS provides a unique opportunity to acquire valuable skills in developing evidence for various regulatory requirements.
The candidate will foster high professional standards in science and engineering, including commitment to seeking continued professional development and training opportunities, as well as coaching and mentoring of junior staff (whose expertise may be outside of their own area of expertise or discipline).
Depending on the experience of the successful candidate, a combination of in-house and external training can be provided upon starting this role to ensure relevant laboratory policies and systems are understood and the key responsibilities outlined above can be effectively delivered on behalf of the organisation.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

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

• A presentation dependent on specific project

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

OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO PROTECT PEOPLE AND PLACES FROM PRODUCT-RELATED HARM, ENSURING CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES CAN BUY AND SELL PRODUCTS WITH CONFIDENCE

Further information can be found on our website here.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles. We embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. There is a guaranteed interview scheme (DCS) for people with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and Deliver Practical Testing: Manage the preparation, delivery, and review of practical flammability tests, predominately using the Cone Calorimeter, to ensure accurate and reliable results.
• Laboratory Management: Monitor the operation and performance of flammability testing laboratories and relevant testing projects, ensuring they run efficiently and effectively.
• Health and Safety: Take responsibility for the health and safety and quality management systems of the laboratories. Provide in-house training to lab staff and ensure laboratory risk assessments and standard operating procedures are fit for purpose and inclusive.
• Enhance Laboratory Capability: Develop the flammability testing laboratories to achieve maximum utilisation and impact. Identify opportunities to streamline laboratory systems and processes, ensuring testing methodologies are robust, rigorous, and scientifically sound.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate closely with internal and external stakeholders to identify opportunities to enhance flammability testing capabilities and strengthen the work program.
• Professional Development: Develop and maintain a profile in the area of expertise by attending and participating in relevant external networks, meetings, training events, and other professional development activities.
  These responsibilities ensure that the Flammability Testing Specialist plays a key role in maintaining high standards of safety, compliance, and efficiency in flammability testing laboratories.
  We have three vacancies at G7 level which you can choose from, based on your relevant experience and interests. Please see below a short job description and the key responsibilities of this role. Further details of other roles can be found in our candidate pack and details of where to apply is below.
  For our other four roles running as part of this scheme, please search the following reference numbers in Civil Service Jobs: 398935, 398665, 398926 and 399785.
  Interested in finding out more about the Fellowship? Sign up to an informative webinar on 2nd May: Research Fellowship Webinar Tickets, Fri, May 2, 2025 at 1:30 PM , Eventbrite