Defining a Job Specification

Ok,

I have just completed one year with a pharma company. 6 months training and 6 months pay. They have seen alot of what I could bring to their company including pricing and tendering projects, contract documentation, tender reports, programme schedules, keeping Minutes of Meeting and AutoCAD dwgs.

I now have a reasonable knowledge of validation having completed IQ/OQ/PQ protocols, Change Controls, Risk Assessments, Validation Master Plans, User Requirement Specs.

I have just been informed yesterday that there is a role there for me but the specification for the role needs to be defined. Because the Plant is looking to build next door and put in new production lines and Clean in Place systems they are looking for a Project Engineer/Validation Engineer type role.

They have requested me to draw up a job specification and it will be discussed with Senior Mgt. I have over 10 years civil/Structrual engineering experience, 5 as a senior project engineer. What salary level should I expect to take in and how would you go about defining your role, without overly defining it.

I am concerned about laying all the cards on the table and not getting a justified salary for the role.

There are two or more separate issues here which are often confused.

A job specification

A person specification

Your own CV


Start with the job specification. Outline what needs to be done. To whom it reports. What the objectives are. All that sort of stuff but independent of the type of person.

Then you move onto the person specification. What sort of a person is needed to do this job.

Finally, there is your own CV and why it is suited to the job.

Think of all three issues separately at first and then bring them together to make sure that your CV is the most suitable.

If they are asking you to draw of a job and person spec for a position for which you are applying, then you must be the front runner. Don't over tailor it to your own experience and qualifications as it would be too transparent.

Brendan Burgess said:

If they are asking you to draw of a job and person spec for a position for which you are applying, then you must be the front runner. Don't over tailor it to your own experience and qualifications as it would be too transparent.

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Yes, my understanding that it is only to draft a job specification, but how does one play this one out. Perhaps Brendan if you could elaborate on the transparent note above.

Perhaps someone could clarfiy if the job post needs to be advertised both inernally and externally. I believe it must.

Perhaps someone else who has been in the position of writing up an internal specification could give me some further advice too.

There is no legal obligation on any private employer to advertise any job, either internally or externally.

There could be some internal policy or agreement with employees that all jobs are advertised internally. But there is no obligation to advertise them externally.

Brendan

Brendan Burgess said:

There is no legal obligation on any private employer to advertise any job, either internally or externally.

There could be some internal policy or agreement with employees that all jobs are advertised internally. But there is no obligation to advertise them externally.

Brendan

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Brendan, thanks for that. I appreciate it if you could please explain regarding your previous note for the transparency in the job specification.

Pope John 11 said:

Brendan, thanks for that. I appreciate it if you could please explain regarding your previous note for the transparency in the job specification.

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I think what he was getting at is that you shouldn't draw the specification up in such a way that you are likely to be the only qualified candidate. Write it up to the needs of the role itself.

If you were to write it up soley to describe your individual skillset, then it's clear (transparent) that you're protecting yourself from any potential competition. That could be received negatively.

job specification are essential parts of job analysis information. Writing them clearly and accurately helps organization and workers cope with many challenges while on board.