Temporary Technical Executive, Chemical Safety - 11 months

Food Safety Authority of Ireland; Dublin; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) seeks a qualified professional to assist the Chief Specialist Chemical Safety in advising government, industry and enforcement bodies on hazards from chemical contaminants in food. You will contribute to risk assessments, monitoring programs and guidance documents, and support the Scientific Committee as needed.

Responsibilities include developing guidance and training materials, reviewing literature, and representing FSAI at national and EU meetings.

Qualifications

• Honours degree in chemical safety related discipline (e.g., food science, food chemistry).
• Experience in collating, summarising and critically evaluating scientific data.
• Computer literacy with MS Office 365 and standard business software.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; proven report-writing skills.
• Understanding of the role of the FSAI.

Responsibilities

• Support the Chief Specialist Chemical Safety in delivering advice to the FSAI, govt. departments and the food industry.
• Assess compliance of notified products with additives and contaminants legislation.
• Develop guidance documents and training materials on chemicals in food for industry and enforcement.
• Provide technical support to the FSAI Scientific Committee.
• Contribute to chemical safety risk assessment and incident management activities.
• Represent FSAI at national/EU technical meetings and standards development.
• Conduct scientific literature reviews.
• Participate in cross-divisional projects and maintain confidentiality.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Data summarisation

Office software

Report writing

Education

Honours degree in chemical safety related discipline

Postgraduate qualification (advantage)

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Windows OS

Job description

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is a statutory, independent and science-based national agency, dedicated to protecting consumers’ health and interests by leading a collaborative food safety community to continuously raise food standards and create a culture of compliance. Core FSAI objectives are to ensure, through regulation and engagement, that food produced, consumed, distributed or marketed in Ireland is safe and meets EU standards. To this end, the FSAI oversees the enforcement of food law through an inspection service that is operated to agreed high standards by various State agencies. Consumers are placed at the centre of all its activities and have a fundamental right to safe food and not to be misled about the food they purchase or eat.

JOB PURPOSE

The job holder will be responsible for assisting the Chief Specialist Chemical Safety in providing advice to the FSAI, Government Departments and the food industry on potential hazards to health from chemical contaminants and regulated products in food. To assist in the preparation of risk assessments, monitoring programmes, guidance documents and evaluating food additives in notified products and other activities in the chemical safety area including assisting the work of the Scientific Committee as appropriate.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Work under the guidance of the Senior Technical Executive to provide support to the Chief Specialist in Chemical Safety and assist in any activities of the chemical safety team.
• Assess compliance of notified products with additives and contaminants legislation.
• Develop appropriate guidance documents, training materials and other sources of information on chemicals in food for the food industry and enforcement officers in Official Agencies
• Provide technical support to the FSAI Scientific Committee as directed by the Chief Specialist Chemical Safety
• Contribute to chemical safety risk assessment to support food incident management activities of the Authority.
• Contribute to the Authority’s Chemical Safety monitoring activities.
• Provide technical support to the FSAI advice line in the area of Chemical Safety.
• Participate in meetings between FSAI and Official Agencies.
• Conduct scientific literature reviews.
• Represent FSAI at national and EU technical and legislation meetings and global standards development meetings.
• Participate in cross divisional projects within FSAI as required.
• Keep up to date with developments in own area of specialisation to ensure that functions are discharged to optimum effectiveness.
• Carry out activities in conformance with FSAI policies and procedures.
• Participate in groups set up by the FSAI under the broader corporate governance remit of the Authority.
• Carry out such other duties as assigned and ensure maintenance of confidentiality.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

The following requirements are essential to the role:

• An honours degree in chemical safety related discipline e.g., food science, food chemistry, food toxicology, human nutrition.
• Experience of collating, summarising and critically evaluating scientific data
• Must be computer literate. The standard business software in the FSAI is Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office 365.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and a proven track record in report writing.
• Good appreciation and understanding of the role of the FSAI.

The following requirements would be an advantage:

• Related post graduate qualification and/or relevant on-the job training.
• Experience in chemical safety risk assessment and/or exposure assessment.
• Basic understanding of food law in Ireland as it pertains to chemical safety.