Principal Scientist (Epidemiology)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Location

This role will be based in Colindale, London NW9 5EQ.

UKHSA offers hybrid working for its employees This role will be based at UKHSA offices in Colindale with opportunities for an element of working from home.

Currently this requires working from an allocated UKHSA base location for 60%, from the beginning of 2024.

The balance between home and workplace working is to be agreed with the line manager, determined primarily by business need and in line with departmental policy.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

INTRODUCTION

At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards. We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

Our mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight. We will work to ensure our people have the diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds we need to thrive, that our employees are representative of the communities we serve and feel valued and enabled to play their part in delivering our work.

Creating our working culture is an ongoing process which we are developing by listening and learning together, hearing and acting upon diverse voices and opinions to develop a common sense of identity and effective ways of working.

Blood Safety, Hepatitis, STI & HIV Division

The Blood Safety, Hepatitis, STI and HIV (BSHSH) Division is the national centre for surveillance of hepatitis, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in England. It is based in Colindale, north London. The Division consists of around 100 permanent and project-funded medical, scientific, technical and administrative staff including epidemiologists, public health specialists, microbiologists, virologists, data managers, statisticians and IT specialists. The Division is also closely involved with the work of the NIHR-funded Health Protection Research Units, which are collaborative ventures involving UKHSA and academia.

The BSHSH Division aims to:

• Describe trends in the incidence and prevalence of hepatitis, STIs and HIV, especially in important behavioural population sub-groups;
• Describe trends in the incidence and prevalence of all infections transmissible through blood, tissue and organ donations;
• Provide national reference and specialist microbiology and virology services, for public health, clinical and diagnostic purposes;
• Monitor the outputs and effectiveness of hepatitis, STI and HIV prevention activities and programmes and support development of national policy;
• Provide information for local needs assessment, service commissioning and evaluation, and to guide prevention activities aimed at reducing risk behaviours and interrupting infection transmission, including through blood, organ and tissue donation;
• Investigate national and uncommon outbreaks, respond to international health alerts, and provide advice on the risks posed;
• Train those working in blood safety and in hepatitis, STI and HIV surveillance, monitoring and prevention;
• Lead and contribute to research in hepatitis, STI and HIV epidemiology, diagnostics, and infection prevention and control.

Selection process details

As part of the application process, you will also be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability in no more than 1,500 words outlining why you will be suitable for the role.

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.

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT:

To apply for this role, you will be asked to complete an application and a personal statement (maximum 1,500 words)

Please use your personal statement (maximum 1,500 words) to demonstrate how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for this role, in reference to the essential criteria detailed in the person specification section.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 INTERVIEW

This competition will involve an interview via Teams

All applicants that progress to interview will be assessed on the criteria for the role outlined in the person specification.

Candidates might also be required to prepare and deliver a presentation to the panel. This will be followed by a question-and-answer segment. The presentation will be designed to assess each candidates experience in line with the requirements of the role. Full details will be provided prior to the interview.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 05/02/2024 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.

Interviews date: w/c 19th Feb 2024

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)

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 meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance. If the candidate does not hold this level of clearance it can be applied for on appointment.

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/

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.

Person Specification

Education and qualifications

Essential

• Educated to degree level in a relevant scientific subject or significant experience of working at a similar level in this field
• Higher degree in epidemiology/ public health/ microbiology or related discipline
• PhD or equivalent research experience
• Substantial post-graduate experience
• Training in research methods, infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and/or public health
• Knowledge and work experience of communicable disease epidemiology, surveillance and prevention including STIs and BBVs
• Broad understanding of and experience of health care systems, public health and the communicable disease function in the UK
• Creating, validating and managing large databases and datasets
• Advanced statistical analysis of large and complex datasets, including knowledge and experience with STATA and/or R
• Writing research protocols, grant applications and scientific reports
• Preparing and reviewing standard operating procedures, and project plans
• Presenting scientific papers at national and international meetings and conferences and proven peer review publication record
• Able to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and motivate and encourage team members
• Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues including problem solving, working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Communicate ideas and methods clearly and succinctly
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships .

Desirable

• Experience of working within the NHS or other health-related sectors
• Managing and leading scientific and technical staff including working under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Liaise with a wide range of external collaborators including health service and academic professionals
• Maintain required levels of confidentiality

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

Colindale, London

with Hybrid working

NW9 5EQ

Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)