Deputy Director PHM Operations and CSO Group Performance

Job description

Job responsibilities

The key deliverables are to develop and implement laboratory microbiology operations to reduce the impact of infectious diseases on health and to ensure that public health microbiology is at the heart of relevant policies, programmes, and interventions in the UK and internationally. The postholder will ensure that the operations are underpinned by an effective performance management system.

This role may be a Senior Leader for one of our main scientific sites.

• Ensure the Division operates effectively, efficiently and to consistent high standards of quality.
• Ensure that PHM services are delivered to budget and within agreed service level agreements.
• Ensure that income is recovered for services provided to external and internal partners.
• Implement a culture of continuous process improvement and service improvement.
• Ensure robust contracting, procurement, capital and business planning, leading the management of NHS and other partner commercial contracts.
• Own emergency response planning, business continuity arrangements and continuous improvement of services for PHM.
• Ensure that performance is recorded, reported and monitored across PHM and that action is taken where intervention and improvement is necessary.
• Lead the PHM directorates input to business planning and SR activity to support group submissions.
• Ensure that recruitment across the Division is efficient.
• Ensure the Division has robust planning for workforce development, career pathways, training and succession.
• Lead the development of a new performance function for the CSO Group, developing performance metrics to enable the senior leadership team.
• Be accountable for the implementation of enhanced operational and performance analytics across the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) Group, driving a data-led approach to performance improvement.
• Continually develop and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of PHM.
• Work with colleagues to identify and ensure the maintenance of business-critical activities, e.g. through contracts, supply chains and to ensure that there are effective business continuity plans in place, and they are tested regularly.
• Work with colleagues within and external to UKHSA to ensure surge capacity is in place at all times.
• Ensure effective succession planning within the PHM Division.
• Resolve complaints, grievances, capability and disciplinary issues at the appropriate level.
• Lead and manage change positively, when necessary.
• Take responsibility for the upkeep and provision of quality and information systems related to the Division.
• Support and develop the workforce across the whole system, in line with UKHSAs remit, to support capability and capacity, including scientific and professional skills to meet the challenges involved in protecting and improving the publics health.
• Ensure oversight and assurance of ongoing research is maintained within the Division.
• Develop and implement the Division workforce plan, including retention, recruitment and career development of staff.
• Work with PHM DDs, Head of Science Profession and Head of Science Talent Management to ensure the Division provides training opportunities appropriate for its clinical, scientific and other staff groups and students, including programmes for Biomedical Medical Scientist (BMS) placement students, Scientist Training Programme (STP) and Higher Specialist Scientist training (HSST) programme candidates.
• Developing and maintain relationships with key partners and stakeholders in the UK and internationally.
• Providing input to policymakers in DHSC and other government departments.
• Maintain technical expertise and research commitments and support report writing and relevant peer review publications.
• Manage Project Management transition programmes across Public Health microbiology delivering innovative new functions including Molecular, genomics, proteomics and serology (as they are developed and implemented).

Please see Candidate Pack for full overview of duties.

Essential criteria

• Demonstrable experience in creating, leading and managing high performing multidisciplinary teams and laboratory services either in the public or private sectors.
• Broad experience and understanding of public health microbiology and virology.
• Evidence of managing major changes successfully, including experience of creating and implementing continuous improvement programmes and business planning for future success.
• Experience of managing budgets to balance, across a geographically dispersed operational organisation.
• Experience in contracting, contract negotiations and procurement.
• Experience with specialist training and development of staff.
• Experience of successfully leading responses to and investigation of health and safety- and quality- related incidents.
• Demonstrated ability to operate at pace in a fast-changing complex environment to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Experienced at introducing and managing Information Systems projects.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems

• Programme or Project Management Qualification or equivalent experience

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge, experience and awareness of the laboratory landscape, particularly within the Public Health Genomics environment.
• Experience in providing advice for government policy.
• Experience of national policy development and implementation.

Qualifications/ experience:

Essential:

• MSc in an appropriate scientific discipline or equivalent experience.
• Management / Leadership / Finance qualification e.g. BSc/MSc / MBA or equivalent.
• The professional registration requirements for this post depend if you are a Biomedical Scientist, Clinical Scientist or other registered professional. Please note these as follows:
• For Biomedical Scientists or Clinical Scientists:

Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or demonstration of active work to complete the portfolio within 1 year of appointment in appropriate discipline

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success profiles behaviours

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of -

an 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 essential criteria.

The Application Form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Longlisting: A long list stage may be introduced if we receive a large number of very credible applications.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on Evidence of managing major changes successfully, including experience of creating and implementing continuous improvement programmes and business planning for future success."

Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered.

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 (success profiles)

You will be invited to a remote interview.

Behaviours will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

Leadership Managing a Quality Service Changing and Improving Delivering at pace

Interviews will be held week commencing TBC Please note, these dates are subject to change.

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

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 Security Clearance.

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 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC).

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.

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs or Scientific Campuses. This role will require regulartravel to London 10SC, and laboratory sitesacross the UK. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using 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 one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton).

Relocation expenses are not available.

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

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Application Form & Statement of Suitability

Behaviours

Essential

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Changing and Improving
• Delivering at Pace

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

UKHSA Core Locations and Scientific Campus'

Birmingham B2 4BH, Leeds LS2 7UE, Liverpool L3 1DS, London E14 4PU, Salisbury SP4 0JG, Didcot OX11 0RQ, Essex CM17 9TX

Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Salisbury, Didcot

E14 4PU

Employer's website

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