Job responsibilities
Responsibilities section:
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:
- Growth and maintenance of mammalian cell culture lines.
- Growth, amplification, and characterization of clinical virus isolates.
- Extraction of viral nucleic acid from clinical samples by manual and automated methods.
- Propagation of respiratory viruses and quantitation by methods such as determination of titre by plaque assay.
- Support for serological analysis using neutralization, ELISA and haemagglutination inhibition.
- Genetic characterisation of respiratory viruses.
- To be responsible for the reading and analysis of test results generated and entry of results onto the LIMS system.
- Collate and present data for discussion.
- Adhering to external and internal quality control practices.
- Monitor safety cabinets and carry out routine quality control procedures in order to maintain set standards.
The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.
Please see full duties and responsibilities attached
Essential Criteria:
It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1200 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:
Essential
- BSc or equivalent in a biological science.
- Post-qualification laboratory experience in microbiology or virology, cell culture and virus isolation and characterization.
- Knowledge of emerging and zoonotic respiratory virus threats, influenza virology, therapeutics and vaccines.
- Experience in use of LIMS, and a range of common software (Microsoft Office, Access).
- Good communicator and team worker with leadership skills. Able to organise own workload and delegated priorities to junior staff.
- Self-motivating, organized and meticulous, and able to problem solve in a calm and efficient manner.
Desirable
- Experience of mammalian cell.
- Familiar with sequence analysis software packages.
Selection process details
STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT:
You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised essential criteria please do provide evidence of how you meet this.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.
STAGE 2 INTERVIEW
This competition will involve a face-to-face interview.
As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.
Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section).
You will also be asked to provide information within the Employer/ Activity history section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.
The competency based framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate. The following will be look at during your interview:
- Experience
- Knowledge
- Technical Skill
For further information on the selection process, please refer to the attached Candidate Pack.
Expected Timeline:
Advert close: 23:55hrs on 7th October 2023 unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Shortlist: 22nd November 2023
Interviews: w/c 4th December 2023
Please note these dates could be subject to change.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)
Nationality requirements
Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rulesThis job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of theEuropean Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
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 embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
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. People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.
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.
Please Note
This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&Cs are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.
Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/
Complaint process:
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. 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:Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. 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.
