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Nik Robinson

    • About Me:

      I live just outside of Aberdeen, but came from London and South East originally.  I am an environmental and chemical regulatory scientist.  I love the outdoors and hill walk, kayak, rock climb, mountain bike, and do a lot of running, obstacle course races and a few triathlons.

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      I like to set myself challenges and goals and work towards them, be that in my free time, by signing up to a race ofr challenge, or through work, where I set goals and work towards them.

    • My pronouns are:

      he/him

    • My Work:

      I have two jobs, I work as a scientst for a trade association of chemical manufacturers supplying the offshore industry, and the rest of my time I am a consultant, advising companies on chemical and environmental regulation.

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      Trade Association work:

      Here I organise the association’s 4 quarterly meetings where the members come together to discuss the chemical legislation and the challenges it presents, we organise work programmes to address issues, e.g. improving the science and calucaltions behind assessing what proportion of a chemical might be discharged to the environment as part of routine operations.

       

      Consultancy work:

      This can be very varried, and is dictated by the needs of my clients.  There is a certain amount of marketing my services involved and then supporting clients with technical services, like chemical registration, risk assessments, reporting and modelling.

    • My Typical Day:

      Coffee – always start with a tea or coffee!

      Most of my work is about distilling down data and information form other sources, or lab experiments and using these to risk assess and model chemicals in different applications.

      Because I have two roles, consutlant and trade assocaition role, I have to split my time between the requirements of these roles.

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      I keep quite a detailed calendar, not only for meetings with other people, but also blocking out time to work on different projects.

      So I might start the morning working on Trade Association work, finish the morning gathering chemical data for a clients chemical registration.

      Then work through various emails, if it is quick to respond, I’ll do it there and then, if it requires consideration, or needs input from others or resources, then I will put a placeholder in my diary to come back to the request and file the email.

      Afternoons, I’ll set into longer pieces of work, maybe writing a report on work previously completed, or preparing a presentation on soem work.

      As a consultant, I have to bill clients for my time, so at the end of the day I capture hopw much time was spent on each project, so that at the end of the month I can bill clients correctly and accuately.

    • What I'd do with the prize money:

      I would set up an engagement scheme with local schools, it would be like The Apprentice but where students pitched STEM experiments and demonstrations that linked into and built on Core Curriculum subject areas!

      A panel would review the pitches, offer feedback, and the winning idea would be “hired” and built into a fully useable module for curriculum delivery, and made available as a free resource to all schools!

      As an example, I have used a water powered rocket to introduce Newton’s laws of motion to school children!

    Candidate CV questions (extra)

    • Education:

      St Marks Junior School, Binfield

      St Crispins Senior School, Wokingham

      Thomas Peacock Senior School, Rye

      William Parker School, Hastings

      My family movved about a bit, meaning I went to a few different schools, which can be a challenge, but try to keep your focus, and attain the grades you need for the next stage College/A-Levels

      I went to University at Brunel (North West London) and did an Undergraduate Degree in Chemistry with management  (4 year course, with thin sandwich placements).
      I stayed on to do a Doctorate in Environmental Risk Assessment sponsored by and while working with the Environment Agency.

      I have continued to maintain what is termed “Continual Professional Development” (CPD) and have since become a Chartered Scientist, and a member of various groups, RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry), CIWEM (Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management) and IES (Institute of Environmental Science).

    • Qualifications:

      GCSEs – 12 A-C

      A-levels – Maths – B, Physics – B, Chemistry – D

      Bachelors of Science – Chemistry with Management (2.1)

      Engineering Doctorate in Environmental Risk Assessment (Pass)

    • Work History:

      Risk Assessment Consultant, NCEHS, Wallingford  Oct. 2001 – Dec. 2001
      Risk assessments of chemicals in rivers.

      Voluntary Project Manager, Raleigh International, Chile Jan. 2002 – Apr. 2002
      Managed environmental projects in Patagonia, working with Chilean and UK scientists and young adults.

      Various temporary jobs Apr. 2002 – Sep. 2004
      Photocopying, filing, data entry, anything that was going through the job centre whilst applying for scientific jobs.

      Product Development Manager, Provensis Ltd., Harefield Sep. 2002 – Nov. 2004
      Managed research laboratory and staff, designing experiments to study a novel drug/device product.  Developed analytical methods to characterise a novel dose form with knowledge of GLP and GMP.

      Environmental Protection Officer, SEPA, Elgin Nov. 2004 – Jun. 2005
      I completed inspections of industrial processes to ensure compliance with environmental regulations, and drafting of industrial process licences following strict quality systems.

      Human Health Scientist, SEPA, Aberdeen Jun. 2005 – Oct. 2006
      As North region representative for a national support team, I responded to technical queries requiring human health risk assessment, PEC, PNEC, fate and behaviour modelling.

      Senior Consultant BMT Cordah, Aberdeen (Oct. 2006 – Oct. 2007)
      Principal Consultant       (Oct. 2007 – Oct. 2008),
      Deputy Associate Director       Oct. 2008 – Mar. 2010
      Led REACH Team, identified markets and achieved market presence, completed pre-registrations, Art. 28 enquiries, full registrations, consortia and OR services, and wrote oil and gas industry guidance documents which I presented at an Oil & Gas UK meeting. As Principal Consultant managed a team working on EIAs and environmental accounting software.  As Senior Consultant, completed offshore permits and EIAs, and onshore PPC projects, undertook socio-economic impacts of coastal seismic surveys and discharges.

      REACH Specialist, Ecolab, Aberdeen (Mar. 2010 – Apr. 2013)
      Senior Regulatory Specialist: (Apr. 2013 – Sept. 2013),
      Senior Regulatory Specialist & Black Belt Sept. 2013 – Jun. 2014
      Lean Six Sigma lead for a project to address company-wide REACH chemical registration programme for 2014-2018, avoiding $8MM of potential costs. I also led a DMAIC project to make internal registration process more efficient, increasing capacity to meet business needs.
      As a REACH specialist I completed more than 30 registrations for substances, including offshore, water treatment and fluid additives.  Obtained regulatory approvals for key surfactant chemicals.  Also managed business support for substances, managed toxicity testing programmes and REACH activities.

    • Current Job:

      Executive Secretary, European Oilfield Speciality Chemicals Assoc. Aberdeen Jun. 2014 – Present
      Represent the association at technical meetings: observer at OSPAR OIC, member of ICG-RBA working group, and industry working groups for fraction released of surfactants, marine vs. freshwater toxicity data and ECHA restriction of microplastics. Steering group member of enhance OECD 306 method, and improvement of EUSES, and bioaccumulation of surfactants. Member of RSC Chemistry in the Oil Industry symposium organising Committee (10 years).

      Principal Consultant & Director, NIKAM Consulting Limited, Aberdeen  Jun. 2014 – Present
      Consultant in chemical environmental risk assessment and regulatory compliance, completing Danish Product Registrations, Biocidal Product Regulation obligations and UK/EU REACH support projects.  Provided training on chemical regulation and controls for Nigerian Department of Petroleum Resources and Guyana EPA.  Associate for BMT working on permitting and Author of IOGP Microplastics Briefing Report.

    • Employer:

      Contracted to EOSCA for association role.

      Director of my own consultancy company for consultancy work.

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        Climbing risk expert

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        Originally I wanted to do exhibiton stand design

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        Just once; wrong place at the wrong time!

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        Environmental restoration projects

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        Queen

        What's your favourite food?

        Curry

        If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

        World peace, global financial equity, and to get the opportunity to talk to the Dalai Lama

        Tell us a joke.

        There are three parrots in a cage, which one owns the cage? The one at the bottom, the other two are on higher perches (hire purchase)!

Questions answered by Nik

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