Job Description

Scientific Officers in risk assessment will participate in specific work areas of the Agency. The main areas of work are:

• Assessment of the toxicological profile of chemical substances, including carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and reproduction toxicity;


• Examination and verification of the human exposure assessment (occupational, consumer and indirect exposure of man through the environment);


• Examination and verification of the human health risk assessment in particular in the Chemical Safety Reports in registration dossiers;


• Examination of the summaries and reports of standard regulatory toxicology studies, existing studies and literature data and alternative methodologies to assess the toxicological properties of substances (such as the read-across or chemical category approach, QSARs or the weight of evidence approach according to Annex XI of the REACH Regulation);


• Evaluation of the relevant sections of the dossiers submitted by industry or prepared by the Member States and comments received on these dossiers;


• Briefing the chair of the Member State Committee (MSC) and Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) ahead of discussions on these dossiers, and contributing to Agency opinions resulting from the discussions;


• Assisting in the preparation of dossiers proposing restriction or identification of substances as Substances of Very High Concern, if ECHA is requested by the European Commission (within the context of REACH);


• Developing, contributing to and carrying out internal and external training activities and capacity building (including method and tool development) in the relevant fields of expertise;
• Other related activities as necessary.

Requirements

2. FORMAL REQUIREMENTS
You must fulfill the requirements set out below.
2.1. General conditions

• Be a national of a Member State of the European Union, or a national of the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein),


• Enjoy your full rights as a citizen,


• Have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the laws concerning military service,


• Produce the appropriate character references as to your suitability for the performance of your duties,


• Be physically fit to perform your duties,


• Have a thorough knowledge of one of the languages of the European Union and a satisfactory knowledge of another official language of the European Union to the extent necessary to perform your duties.

2.2. Qualifications
a) Successful completion of a full course of university studies attested by a degree in the area of natural, applied or life sciences, where the normal duration of university education is four (4) years or more; Or
b) Successful completion of a full course of university studies attested by a degree in the area of natural, applied or life sciences, where the normal duration of university education is three (3) years.
2.3. Experience
To qualify for this profile (AD 8), you must have at the closing date for applications a total professional experience of at least nine (9) years on the basis of 2.2 a) or of at least ten (10) years on the basis of 2.2 b), acquired after achieving the minimum qualification stated out in 2.2 a) or b). Of your total professional experience you must have relevant professional experience in one or more of the fields listed below of at least five (5) years on the basis of 2.2 a) or of at least six (6) years on the basis of 2.2. b).
Professional activity in any of the following areas of work shall be considered relevant professional experience:

• Performing and/or supervising regulatory toxicity testing of chemicals (preferably in relation to repeated dose toxicity, reproductive toxicity, mutagenicity studies or carcinogenicity bioassays or alternative in vitro methods), preparing study reports and providing analysis and conclusions from these studies;


• Assessing human occupational exposure, consumer exposure or indirect exposure through the environment, including using exposure modelling methods;
• Regulatory toxicology and/or human health risk assessment;


• Preparing registration or authorisation dossiers, including regulatory risk assessments, on chemical substances or biocides, or other regulated products such as pesticides, medicines, food packaging or food or feed additives;


• Providing expert advice or regulatory consultancy in relation to one or more of the aforementioned fields.


• Research in the field of human toxicology (reproductive toxicology, mutagenicity or carcinogenicity), human exposure and/or risk assessment.
During the interview the following will be considered as assets:

• Active involvement in international co-operation in the field of human health risk assessment of chemicals (either at the level of competent authorities or in industry);
• Work with the EU or international bodies or at national level in chemicals regulation, or analogous fields;


• Practical experience in performing and/or analysing regulatory toxicology studies and alternative methodologies to assess the toxicological properties of substances, including their interpretation within a relevant regulatory risk assessment scheme;


• Specialist knowledge in any of the following fields: reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, alternative methods in toxicity testing (in vitro tests, “omics”, in silico modelling and predictions).


• Working in industry or as consultant in preparing registration or authorisation dossiers for chemicals or biocides.

Company offers

INFORMATION
For more details on how to apply, selection and interview criteria and all the current available information regarding this position please consult the vacancy notice and guide for applicants at: "http://echa.europa.eu/opportunities/positions_en.asp" Closing date for applications : 5 December 2011

Additional information

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