Senior Assistant Scientist Inorganics

1

Yorkshire and the Humber

Leeds

LEEDS NLS Olympia House, Gelderd Road, Leeds, LS12 6DD

Staff Grade 3

Permanent

Full Time

Science

£25,042

If you have experience of analytical chemistry within a laboratory setting and a passion for the natural environment this is an exciting opportunity for you. We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated people with relevant experience and skills to come and join us in our Monitoring Laboratory based in Leeds. You will be directly contributing to the Environment Agency’s response to climate change by supporting a small team carrying out the analysis of solid and liquid environmental samples.
We really do value a diverse workforce. We want to be an organisation that represents modern Britain and all the communities we serve. We want everybody to feel included, fairly treated and duly recognised for the contribution they make.
Your main duties will include:

• Working within and supporting a team in delivering a high-quality analytical service to defined time, cost, and quality targets.
• Working alongside our scientists to improve existing methods and develop new ones when required.
• Analysing samples using a variety of extraction techniques and state of the art instrumentation.
• Identifying root causes and rectifying technical issues using your knowledge and problem-solving skills.
• Prioritising sample workloads for the team and making sure sample stability times are met.
• Ensuring Health and Safety procedures are adhered to.
• Incident rota opportunities including pollution response.

You’ll be working within a small team alongside approximately 35 other Analytical staff and 12 Customer Services colleagues. We provide analytical services to the Environment Agency and external customers which includes the analysis of sediments, soils, biota, and waters from across England and around the coastline, as well as offering a bespoke Forensic Waste Service. If you’d like to know a bit more about our work, please look at our websites
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency/about
https://natlabs.co.uk/

You will ideally be able to demonstrate the following skills:

• Working in an analytical laboratory with knowledge of analytical techniques and instrumentation.
• Good communication skills are essential.
• Working to tight deadlines and an ability to prioritise workloads.
• Working within and supporting a team.
• Problem solving skills.
• Experience of planning and prioritisation to meet deadlines.
• Experience of working within a quality standard or within a UKAS accredited laboratory is desirable.
• Ideally you will be educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant subject and have some experience of working in a Chemistry laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.

You’ll be welcomed into the team and given all the training and support you need to succeed in your new role.
We support flexible working hours and practices to help you strike a good balance between your work and personal life. You’ll have access to a Local Government Pension scheme as well as a host of other employee benefits.
Our Leeds laboratory is off the M621 and well served by public transport links, we have secure bike pods and free staff parking on site as well as a brand-new staff canteen.
For further information on this role, employee benefits and work of the Environment Agency, please download the candidate pack.

Contact Manager Peter Maddison- Peter.Maddison@environment-agency.gov.uk. For out of hours contact Andrew Green- Andrew.Green@environment-agency.gov.uk