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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.

Contact

Address
10 South Colonnade
London
E14 4PU

Find out more

Jobs Website
Open
Ref: 919-HM-300785-EXT Vacancy ID: 7731235

Consultant Virologist or Consultant Clinical Scientist in Virology

Accepting applications until: 11-Feb-2026 23:59

Open

Accepting applications until: 11-Feb-2026 23:59

Location

Laboratory
Cambridge
CB2 0QW
London

Contract type & working pattern

Fixed term: 12 months (12 months from start date)
  • Part time
  • Job share
  • Flexible working
8 sessions per week (8 Programmed Activities per week / 32 hours per week (NHS Medical and Dental pay scale) or 30 hours per week (NHS Agenda for Change).)

Salary

£91,342 - £145,478 per annum, pro rata
Yearly

(NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant or AfC Band 8d)

Specialty

Virology

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

The UKHSA microbiology laboratory in Cambridge is a directly managed public health laboratory based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The laboratory processes approximately 850, 000 specimens (1.4 million investigations) annually.

The laboratory functions as part of the UKHSA regional laboratory network and partners similar facilities in Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester as well as the collaborating centres in Brighton and Leeds. The laboratory is currently not UKAS accredited.

The appointee will work with colleagues to enable the laboratory to fulfil its role as a Regional public health laboratory and to contribute to the provision of the local clinical microbiology service in virology within Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the surrounding health economy, including healthcare providers contracting with the Cambridge laboratory. He or she will also promote the high quality care of communicable diseases within the local area and more widely in the East of England.

This post is to cover an expected vacancy for 12 months.

The successful candidate will have access to office space with a PC and departmental administration.

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General duties & responsibilities of the post

  • Provision with Consultant colleagues of a service to healthcare providers who contract with the UKHSA Cambridge Laboratory (especially Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the ‘host Trust’), with responsibility for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, and the proper functioning of the Clinical Microbiology & Public Health Laboratory;
  • Out-of-hours responsibilities, including participation in the Consultant Virologists’ on-call rota at a frequency of 1:5 including prospective cover
  • Any responsibility which relates to a special interest;
  • Professional supervision and management of resident doctors;
  • Responsibilities for carrying out teaching, and accreditation duties as required and for contributing to undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education activity, locally and nationally;
  • Participating in Medical Audit and Quality Improvement, the UKHSA and host Trust’s Clinical Governance processes and in CPD (development);
  • Managerial responsibilities where appropriate;
  • A willingness to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional or national levels;

For further details, please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification.

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.  

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include:

Internal

  • The UKHSA Clinical Services Director, Head of Laboratory Operations, Network Business Managers, and other senior staff of the UKHSA Science Group.
  • UKHSA Consultants in Public Health and Infection, Regional Epidemiologists, and other senior staff in Field Services.
  • The local HPT Director, and Consultants and senior staff of HPTs within the Region 

External

  • Consultant microbiologists and virologists, clinical scientists, BMS and other staff employed at the Cambridge laboratory.
  • Consultant clinical staff and medical trainees at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Papworth NHS Foundation Trust and other service users contracting with the laboratory.
  • General Practitioners and other Primary Care staff within the catchment areas of the above hospitals and who may have contracts and service level agreements with the Cambridge laboratory.
  • Infection control nurses and other senior nursing, paramedical and administrative staff in the Trusts and other healthcare providers served by the laboratory.
  • The Chief Executives, Medical Directors, Directors of Pathology and other senior staff of, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Papworth NHS Trust and East & North Herts NHS Trust.
  • Consultant microbiologists and other health care staff in the wider East of England.
  • Senior NHS public health staff, including Directors of Public Health in the Region
  • EHOs and other Local Authority staff in the Region
  • Local Occupational Health Services

Applicants will be expected to have relevant qualifications and experience in providing specialist microbiology services in virology and the clinical management of communicable disease and its application to public health.

Any medical applicants must have Full and Specialist registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) (with a license to practice) for Medical Microbiology & Virology/Medical Virology, or be eligible for registration within six months of interview.

Clinical Scientists should have a PhD, or equivalent, in a relevant subject and hold state registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), or be within 6 months of exit from Virology HSST.

External 
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).  

Stage 1: Application & Sift  

This vacancy is using Competency .

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the Job Description & Person Specification attached to this vacancy advert.

You will be required to complete an:

•    Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application) 
•    Up to 800 word Statement of Suitability

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 800

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible)

An initial sift against the lead criteria will be conducted:

  • Medical applicants should have full registration (with license to practice) with the GMC and be on it’s Specialist Register Medical Microbiology & Virology or Medical Virology (+/- Infectious Diseases) or be eligible for registration within six months of interview
  • Consultant Clinical Scientist applicants should have HCPC registration, or demonstration of active work to complete the HSST portfolio in an appropriate discipline within 6 months of interview

We will only take through applications to full sift that meet the lead essential criteria.

Desirable criteria may be used if we receive a large number of applications

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Interviews will be held at Cambridge Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, dates to be confirmed.

This vacancy is being assessed using a competency based method. During the interview we will assess against the below:

Knowledge 
Experience 
Skills and Abilities 

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. 

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d.

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview).

Specialty Registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC.

Security Clearance

Successful candidates for this role must pass an enhanced disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter Terrorist Check.

Successful candidates will require Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) as a minimum, with a willingness and capability to work towards Counter Terrorism Check (CTC)

You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years to obtain Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting at this higher level and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Salary Information

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Consultant

£109,725 - £145,478 (National)

AfC band 8D

£91,342 - £105,337 (National)

Location

This role is based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Please note hybrid working is not available for this role. 

This role is being offered as lab based at our site in Addenbrooke’s Hospital

You will be required to have a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Medical applicants must have MBBS or equivalent medical qualification Consultant clinical scientist applicants must have a PhD or equivalent in virology, microbiology or molecular biology
  • Medical applicants should have full registration (with license to practice) with the GMC and be on it’s Specialist Register Medical Microbiology & Virology or Medical Virology (+/- Infectious Diseases) or be eligible for registration within six months of interview Consultant Clinical Scientist applicants should have HCPC registration, or demonstration of active work to complete the HSST portfolio in an appropriate discipline within 6 months of interview
  • Medically-qualified applicants that are UK trained, must be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview. Applicants that are non-UK trained and not on the GMC Specialist Register, will be required to show evidence from the GMC that they are eligible to join the Specialist Register in Medical Microbiology & Virology or Medical Virology within 6 months of the interview date Clinical Scientists should have exited Virology HSST with certification, or be within 6 months of exit
  • Both medical and clinical consultant scientist applicants must have FRCPath in Virology by examination or evidence of an equivalent qualification
Desirable criteria
  • Further academic qualifications (MD, PhD, MPhil, Masters) in Medical Virology or related area are desirable for both medically qualified applicants and clinical consultant scientist applicants
  • Formal Teaching and Training qualification(s) (Diploma, Masters) are desirable
  • Formal Leadership and Management qualification(s) (Masters, Diploma) are desirable

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria
  • Clinical virology experience with the ability to offer an expert clinical and laboratory opinion on a range of problems relating to virology in primary and secondary care, and tertiary referral settings, including infection control
  • Experience of teaching and training both medical and non-medical staff at undergraduate and postgraduate level
  • Understanding of laboratory and clinical quality assurance principles and safety requirements
  • Evidence of engagement with quality improvement activity
Desirable criteria
  • Experience of public health virology and understanding of the role of UKHSA and the importance of a good relationship with staff and stakeholders
  • Active interest in research and development in medical virology & microbiology evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, invited presentations, prizes and/or honours

Skills and Capabilities

Essential criteria
  • Able to motivate others, encourage teamwork, delegate and get the best out of people
  • Ability to prioritise work in a timely manner and to work across organizational boundaries
  • Good interpersonal, written and communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients, relatives, GPs, nurses and staff from other agencies

Equality and Diversity

Essential criteria
  • An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Documents

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Jennifer Mason
Job title
Clinical Service Director
Email address
[email protected]
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Age positive
Improving working lives
Mindful employer. Being positive about mental health.
Disability confident employer
The Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion (enei) is the UK's leading employer network covering all aspects of equality and inclusion issues in the workplace.
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Happy to Talk Flexible Working

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