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UK Health Security Agency
About
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will be responsible for planning, preventing and responding to external health threats, and providing intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage. UKHSA will ensure the nation can respond quickly and at greater scale to deal with pandemics and future threats.
Immunisation Correspondence and Project Support Officer
Closed for applications on: 6-May-2024 00:02
Vacancy status: Closed
Closed for applications on: 6-May-2024 00:02
Key details
Location
- Site
- Canary Wharf
- Address
- 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London.
- Town
- London
- Postcode
- E14 4PU
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
Salary
- Salary
- £30,473 - £41,478 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (Civil Service: Higher Executive Officer (HEO))
Specialty
- Main area
- Administration
The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.
UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:
- Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
- Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
- Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
- Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
- Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.
Job overview
We are looking for a Correspondence and Project Support Officer to work within the Immunisation Planning and Implementation (IPAI) team, which is part of the Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division. The role has two main aspects. The first is oversight of all incoming correspondence to our busy immunisation mailbox and drafting and managing responses, with input and support from subject matter experts. The second aspect of the job is to provide project support to the immunisation planning and implementation team project management office.
Advert
- The post holder will work with the Programme Manager as part of a team with four project managers. There are two aspects to the job
- The main element is the oversight of all correspondence that comes to our busy immunisation mailbox, including general emails, private office cases, freedom of information requests and parliamentary questions and ministerial correspondence and requests. This will involve the drafting of replies, liaising with subject experts as appropriate, often to tight deadlines.
- The second element of the role is to provide project support functions to the Immunisation Project and Programme Boards. This will include helping to arrange meetings, writing minutes, timely preparation and dissemination of meeting papers, and supporting the work of other ad hoc meetings that may arise.
- As already indicated, these responsibilities may change over time. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by the directorate.
Working for our organisation
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Correspondence Functions
• Act as lead contact for all immunisation correspondence, including Parliamentary Questions (PQs), Ministerial and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) correspondence, and requests for information and briefing from DHSC.
• Work closely with the other teams within the department to coordinate responses and lines to take.
• Produce draft responses for correspondence and PQs, and be responsible for maintaining and developing briefing resources used by the team.
• Liaise with other agencies such as the MHRA and NHS England to commission responses and verify accuracy of information.
Project Support Functions
• Support the Programme Manager and Project Managers in running the Programme Management Office (PMO). Specific duties will include: preparing papers, status reports and plans in advance of meetings. Attending meetings to record actions and produce minutes as required.
Other
• The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by the directorate. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.
• To support public health incident responses that the Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Disease division support or lead on, all members of the division who are EO grade and above are required to undertake the appropriate training for ‘task manager’ role, to be able to undertake the role of task manager as and when required.
This role offers the opportunity to work in an interesting area of work within a team responsible for implementation of immunisation programmes – leading to tangible public health benefits. As such, our ideal candidate thrives in a challenging environment, has an attention to detail, and is comfortable with at times working under pressure as well as working to strict timelines. The role requires someone who has the confidence to liaise with senior members of the team to handle all aspects of the correspondence and get sign-off, often at short notice.
Essential criteria
• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
• Appreciation that tasks are expected to be delivered at pace, with competing priorities, but always delivered in an assured and professional manner.
• Excellent organisational skills and flexibility, including ability to multi-task, prioritise workload, and to work at pace and to tight deadlines and unexpected demands.
• A clear communicator with excellent writing skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences - from senior officials to laymen.
• Skills for communication on complex matters and difficult situations, requiring persuasion and influence.
• Skills for nurturing key relationships and maintaining networks.
• Attention to detail combined with the ability to extract key messages from complex information.
• Independent thinker and decision maker with demonstrated good judgement, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload without supervision.
• An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
Desirable criteria
• Evidence of Personal Development.
• Demonstrable understanding of an evidence-based approach to decision making.
• Experience in minute taking and the preparation of meeting papers.
• Demonstrates a strong desire to improve performance and make a difference by focusing on goals.
Selection Process:
This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your Qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and capabilities outlined in the essential criteria.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of
- a CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
- a 1500 word Statement of Suitability.
This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria. The CV/ Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview.
Please do not exceed 1500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a remote interview
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview
There will be a test at the interview. Further information about the test will be provided before the interview date.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered
Location information
UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at your contractual location - Canary Wharf. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs
Eligibility Criteria:
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants/Civil servants on Loan).
Security Clearance Level Requirement
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security.
Working for the Civil Service:
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:
- life sentences
- arson
- sexual offences
- hate and terror offences
Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role.
If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available
Starting salary
Entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase.
Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
For further details please refer to the Information Sheet - Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)
For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.
For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.
For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy.
Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.
Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles (attached as a supporting document).
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website here.
Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.
Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.
UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.
If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
Benefits of working at UKHSA include:
- Generous annual leave:
-26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service
-28 days after 5 years of continuous service
-32 days after 10 years of continuous service
-Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday - Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
- Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
- Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
- We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
- We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.
Hybrid Working
UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce.
As a hybrid worker, you will usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.
Disability Confident Scheme
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview. If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.
To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you.
An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.
This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:
Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Person specification
Statement of Suitability & CV
Essential criteria
- Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
- Appreciation that tasks are expected to be delivered at pace, with competing priorities, but always delivered in an assured and professional manner
- Excellent organisational skills and flexibility, including ability to multi-task, prioritise workload, and to work to tight deadlines and unexpected demands.
- A clear communicator with excellent writing skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences - from senior officials to laymen.
- Skills for communication on complex matters and difficult situations, requiring persuasion and influence.
- Attention to detail combined with the ability to extract key messages from complex information.
- Skills for nurturing key relationships and maintaining networks.
- Independent thinker and decision maker with demonstrated good judgement, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload without supervision.
- An ability to maintain confidentiality and trust.
- An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
Desirable criteria
- An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
- Evidence of Personal Development.
- Demonstrable understanding of an evidence-based approach to decision making.
- Experience in minute taking and the preparation of meeting papers.
Documents
- Job Description (PDF, 408.4KB)
- Functional Requirement Form (PDF, 344.6KB)
- Civil Service Recruitment Principles (PDF, 2.6MB)
- Civil Service Nationality Rules (PDF, 345.1KB)
- Application Form Guidance Notes (PDF, 77.3KB)
- Information Sheet - Starting salaries and benefits (PDF, 129.4KB)
- Information Sheet - Selection Process (PDF, 110.1KB)
- Working at UKHSA and your benefits (PDF, 219.2KB)
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Recruitment
- Job title
- Recruitment
- Email address
- [email protected]
No longer accepting applications
Sorry, this vacancy is no longer accepting applications.
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