Deputy Quality Manager

DSTL

Location: Salisbury
Salary: £25,052
Closing Date: 21 August 2021
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WORK PERMIT:
All applicants must be based in the UK and confirm that they are able to prove their eligibility to work in the UK.

Job Description

About the job

Summary

The Energetics Analysis Group (EAG) of the Counter Terrorism and Security Division (CTS) delivers operationally focused science and technology to support and advice the Ministry of Defence and wider Government on the detection, identification and characterisation of explosives substances, related materials and other sensitive items such as alcohol or controlled drugs. The Forensic Explosives Laboratory (FEL) sits in within EAG and is the only laboratory in the UK with a licence to conduct investigations regarding explosives, through which it supports the investigation into their criminal misuse.

The Type Approval capability in EAG is the Home Office Nominated Test Laboratory for the Type Approval of roadside screeners and evidential devices, which enable UK police enforcement of the Road Traffic Act 1988 with regard to alcohol and controlled drugs.

The Deputy Quality Manager (dQM) will support the Quality Manager in the management of the FEL and Type Approval Quality Management Systems. A key aspect of the dQM’s role is maintenance of the scope of accreditation to ISO17025:2017 and the Forensic Science Regulator’s (FSR) codes of practice and conduct for forensic science practitioners. The dQM will work with the Quality Manager, Principal Scientist, Principal Forensic Investigator and/or Type Approval Manager (and all parts of the Energetics Analysis Group) to contribute to continuous improvement and support extensions to the scope of accreditation where required by regulatory standards, customer or internal requirements. They will also support the development of quality systems in other parts of the group.

Job description

In this role you will:

• Support the Quality Manager to maintain accreditation

• Support the Quality Manager to extend the scope of accreditation

• Provide training and guidance to building users on quality actions required

• Implement Improvements to the Quality Management System

• Become a point of contact for staff on quality matters

Your main relationship is with the Quality Managers, with day-to-day interaction with both operational teams and group management. Developing positive relationships with practitioners and team leaders will be important for ensuring the standards are understood and met.

It will also be important to develop and manage relationships with other Quality Managers within and outside of Dstl to share and distil good practice and collaboration with similar groups and organisations.

You will be mainly office based at Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire. There will be a regular requirement for laboratory work through audits and preparing proficiency tests. There will be occasional requirements to travel to meetings/conferences with external contacts.

Responsibilities

We are looking for someone who has:

Experience of working within an analytical laboratory environment.

Desirable

Experience of working in an ISO accredited laboratory. Knowledge of auditing, calibration and proficiency testing. Associate member or member of a professional society or body.

Qualifications

A degree in a scientific subject is essential and an auditing qualification is desirable.

Skills

Essential

• Critical thinking

• Problem solving

• Good attention to detail

• Communication

• IT skills – good working knowledge of Microsoft packages

• Organisation

Desirable

• Understanding of method validation and measurement uncertainty

• Working knowledge of Q-Pulse or other electronic quality management system

Important Information .

Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be British Citizens who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to understand the work you will undertake to protect us from any security threats. For this reason, we regret that only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners across the enterprise. We work closely with the Defence and Security Industry on many projects, so it would be great to work with you via one of our partners.

This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years.

Behaviours

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

Managing a Quality Service

Working Together

Changing and Improving

Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

We'll provide a great range of benefits including;

- Fully flexible working, including alternative working patterns, annualised hours, compressed hours and job share, to name a few.

- Flexible Working hours, a 12 month reference period and the ability to bank hours. Up to 20 hours can be taken in any calendar month

- Excellent learning and development to ensure everyone fulfils their potential.

- Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.

- Chartership and accreditation support.

- Pension.

- Generous annual leave, with the ability to buy and sell up to 5 days holiday per year.

- A competitive salary.

- Onsite gyms and restaurants.

- Staff discounts for high street and online shopping, restaurants and days out.

Our Diversity Networks

Dstl recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion as people from diverse backgrounds bring fresh ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive working environment in which each employee fulfils their potential and maximises their contribution. We have a number of support networks to ensure all employees feel supported at work.

These include the following;

- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Network

- Faith and Culture Network

- Parents and Carer Support Network

- Alternative Working Network

- Gender Equality Network

- New Starters Network

- Enabled Network, for people with visible and non-visible disabilities


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