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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.
Principal Scientist (Epidemiology)
Accepting applications until: 25-Jul-2024 23:59
Vacancy status: Open
Accepting applications until: 25-Jul-2024 23:59
Key details
Location
- Gwefan
- London, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham
- Tref
- London, Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- 9 months (Fixed term until - 31/03/25)
- Oriau
- Full time
- Part time
- Job share
- Flexible working
Salary
- Cyflog
- £55,799 - £65,089 Per annum, pro rata
- Cyfnod cyflog
- Yearly
- Gradd
- (Civil Service: Grade 7)
Specialty
- Prif leoliad
- science
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.
Trosolwg o'r swydd
The postholder will lead a cross organisational needs assessment relating to outbreak surveillance, an important priority for the HCAI & AMR Division in 2024-25 and a deliverable for the UK National Action Plan for antimicrobial resistance. The needs assessment will describe: current capacity, practice and areas for improvement in the detection of outbreaks of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) within healthcare settings; their notification; surveillance and reporting; capture of learning; and linking reporting with implementation of public health action. Recommendations arising from this assessment may include interventions to enhance detection, improve understanding of transmission, facilitate information sharing and inform mitigation and control of MDRO outbreaks to prevent harms to patients and the public. This work should lead to publication.
The postholder will be a senior member of the scientific staff of the HCAI & AMR Division, within the Incidents, Outbreaks and Stewardship (IOS) Team and will be supervised in this work by a Consultant Epidemiologist and supported by members of the team. The HCAI & AMR Division is a multidisciplinary team including epidemiologists, microbiologists, public health specialists, bioinformaticians, behavioural scientists, data managers, statisticians, IT specialists, and operational and administrative staff.
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The postholder will lead a cross organisational needs assessment relating to outbreak surveillance as described above. This post will also provide senior scientific support to the epidemiological investigation of HCAI & AMR related incidents and outbreaks as required, supporting local Health Protection Teams, the Field Service and in collaboration with the NHS and other partners. This will include leading and managing the technical and analytical aspects of epidemiological outbreak investigations and supporting junior team members in carrying out these tasks.
The post holder will also take a lead role in public health scientific analyses and writing reports on specific projects, regular and ad hoc publications and peer reviewed publications. Contributions to the work and professional development of other staff in the team are also expected. Building and maintaining strong relationships with colleagues across UKHSA and the NHS will also be required.
For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Gweithio i'n sefydliad
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.
Swydd ddisgrifiad a phrif gyfrifoldebau manwl
Main responsibilities
Surveillance and Data Analysis
- Identify surveillance needs (including horizon scanning), create surveillance system specifications, conduct complex statistical analyses and interpret surveillance data, making appropriate recommendations, and translating it in to public health action, develop automated routines and solutions and supervise / assure on the preparation, quality and delivery of routine and ad hoc surveillance reports.
- Authorise /manage complex or sensitive data requests and in the development of outputs and statistical analysis.
- Responsible for planning, implementing and maintaining a high level of surveillance and high quality epidemiology to meet needs, providing expert technical advice to PH practitioners on the design, analysis and interpretation of surveillance databases and data whilst assessing the current and future political /economic /scientific /technological /legal /environmental influences on team work.
- Experience of using Stata and / or R
Outbreak Support and Epidemiological Investigations
- Lead and manage the technical and analytical aspects of epidemiological outbreak investigations including advising on study design, writing protocols for analytical studies, overseeing questionnaire design and study database development, training interviewers, preparing outbreak reports and supervising and supporting investigations into exceedances.
Audit, Quality and Governance
- Evaluate existing surveillance systems (acting on results) and the acute response to incidents and outbreak, ensuring that it is used to improve standards and consistency across the team, evaluate teaching sessions and undertake and supervise audits as part of the team audit programme.
Research
- Identify research questions, project manage a research study, analyse datasets with appropriate methodology to answer research questions, and translate results into public health action.
- Perform systematic reviews of literature, co-author grant proposals/applications (including applying for ethical approval), present at scientific conferences, programme area meetings and other fora, and publish and present scientific papers on public health surveillance, outbreaks and infectious disease control in collaboration with health, public health, academic and other partners.
Management / workforce / HR
- Effectively manage others and yourself: lead, supervise and motivate scientific and information staff; effectively appraise, manage performance, and address HR/disciplinary issues for staff line managed; be recruiting manager for posts, update JDs, be responsible for managing own workload, including developing objectives and reviewing progress against these.
Teaching/Training
- Teach colleagues and stakeholders on surveillance and epidemiology, supporting ongoing training activities within the department, develop teaching material and courses, assess teaching requirements of team and colleagues and supervise MSc and other short term team attachments.
Strategic thinking / partnership working
- Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders and partners, manage delivery of agreed work programme including timely reporting to stakeholders and work in partnership to ensure needs of stakeholders are met.
Selection Process:
This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your skills and capabilities outlined in the essential criteria.
Application & Sift
competency-based assessments
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 5 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of
-
a CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
-
a (1000) word Statement of Suitability.
This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the (5)essential criteria.
The CV / Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.
In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on (lead criteria) - Experience of interpreting and evaluating complex epidemiological data, sensitive health data analyses and performing analytical epidemiology and concepts in outbreak situations
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment
Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview (competency based)
You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview
There will be a Presentation task and details will be sent to applicants.
Interviews will be held week commencing TBC. Please note, these dates are subject to change.
Please note all the essential criteria listed in the job description will be assessed at interview stage.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
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 our Leeds, Birmingham, Liverpool or London site.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
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 Standard.
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
Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.
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/
Person specification
Knowledge and experience
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Knowledge of principles and practice of surveillance, including data management, data transmission, data security, data quality, data analysis including descriptive statistics and graphics and data reporting
- Experience of interpreting and evaluating complex epidemiological data, sensitive health data analyses and performing analytical epidemiology and concepts in outbreak situations
- Demonstrable experience of public health, health protection or epidemiology including epidemiology for outbreak investigations
- Proficient and/or expert in common statistical/ database/mapping tools such as Stata, R, GIS, network analysis, SQL, etc.
Meini prawf dymunol
- Experience of research activities with a suitable publication record (3+ papers including 1+ first author) and grant writing experience
Skills / capabilities/ behaviours
Meini prawf hanfodol
- Able to build and maintain effective relationships with co-workers and key stakeholders, negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups
Documents
- Job Description (PDF, 464.4KB)
- Civil Service Recruitment Principles (PDF, 2.6MB)
- Civil Service Nationality Rules (PDF, 195.3KB)
- 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
- Enw
- Recruitment
- Teitl y swydd
- Resourcing support
- Cyfeiriad ebost
- [email protected]
- Gwybodaeth i gefnogi eich cais
For information regarding the role please contact James Elston at [email protected]
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