Dangerous Goods Engineer

Job summary

Do you have a keen eye for detail and take pride in your level of accuracy?

Would you embrace the opportunity to enhance public safety through effective regulation of transporting dangerous goods?

If so, we have an opportunity available within the Dangerous Goods Office and would love to hear from you!

This role will be referred to internally as Tank Engineer.

The role of the Dangerous Goods Engineer is primarily to manage and support inspection bodies appointed to inspect dangerous goods tanks and pressure receptacles. This could include providing regulatory interpretations, disseminating guidance, and organising industry liaison meetings.

The postholder will be expected to gain an understanding of the regulations and standards governing dangerous goods tank inspections, and to visit inspection bodies on site to ensure regulatory guidance is followed. A typical week could involve a number of activities as the role is varied. In addition to responding to tank-related enquiries, the Dangerous Goods Engineer will also assist in providing guidance to the Department for Transport (DfT), industry bodies and enforcement authorities. This role is also responsible for reviewing audit reports, organising liaison meetings with inspection bodies, and actively participating in standards committees or working groups to develop and refine regulations and industry standards.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

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Job description

We are seeking an individual with strong engineering knowledge and practical experience, as these will be essential for interpreting and applying relevant regulations. The role requires good organisational skills to manage a diverse workload, along with a high level of attention to detail to ensure accurate handling of data. Strong communication skills are also important, enabling effective engagement with industry stakeholders, government bodies, and the public. The ability to tailor communication to different audiences will be crucial.

The Dangerous Goods Office is currently modernising its work processes, systems, and tools to enhance efficiency and deliver better value for money. The postholder will be expected to actively contribute to this improvement initiative and will have the chance to influence the way in which the office operates in future.

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to:

• Develop an understanding of the regulatory framework for dangerous goods and a detailed knowledge of the regulatory provisions for tanks and pressure equipment
• Become familiar with the administrative process for appointing inspection bodies (AIBs), ultimately taking responsibility for this workstream
• Answer dangerous goods enquiries from industry and the public in a concise, accurate and timely manner
• Review UKAS accreditation visit reports and bring any significant non-compliance to the attention of your colleagues as appropriate
• Monitor AIB activity on the DfT/VCA tank certification database and periodically audit selected work
• Prepare timely management alerts and reports on audited activity, including improvements where appropriate, and analysis of database activity and trends
• In conjunction with colleagues, liaise with AIBs to arrange witnessing of inspections and tests, ensuring that over time all AIBs and locations are sampled, including overseas locations if necessary
• Contribute to the development and documentation of systematic workflow procedures
• Make considered contributions to improve the dangerous goods regulatory regime, participating in meetings as appropriate, including overseas if necessary
• Develop competency in other VCA DGO workstreams sufficient to cover for colleagues when required
• Work within VCA Quality Management System to ensure high quality standards are maintained

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills set out in the Civil Service Line Management Standards.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile attached. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience:

• Excellent communication skills using a variety of media as appropriate (verbal, written and in-person)
• Experience of either dangerous goods regulations or tanks (e.g., pressure vessels), and/or familiarity with related legislation
• The ability to comprehend, absorb and retain significant amounts of regulatory and technical detail
• Practical experience in the application of engineering test requirements
• Strong attention to detail when checking documentation and accuracy in data entry
• Ability to answer enquiries effectively, ensuring that sound advice and accurate information is given in a timely manner.
• Customer focused, with the ability to understand and respond to the needs and expectations of both external and internal stakeholders.
• Good IT skills – MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and Adobe

Additional Information:

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

The position involves regular travel within the UK and may occasionally require overseas travel which would also include overnight stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship:

Please note that we are currently unable to offer Skilled Worker Sponsorship. Candidates must ensure they have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.

Qualifications