Job responsibilities
Surveillance, Epidemiology & Public Health
- Lead and manage the design, development, introduction, audit and continuous improvement of HCAI & AMRP surveillance systems as required. Responsibility for specific systems will be assigned upon appointment and reflected within associated job advertisements noting that these may evolve in response to emerging public health priorities.
- Conduct complex statistical and epidemiological analyses of data on HCAI and AMRP drawn from a variety of surveillance sources. Providing expert technical advice and assistance to public health and clinical practitioners on the design, maintenance, analysis and interpretation of HCAI & AMRP databases.
- Provide expert advice in response to ad hoc enquiries from Government agencies, public health practitioners, academics, media, commercial organisations and members of the public.
- Ensure emerging threats are recognized in a timely manner by the analysis and interpretation of often complex data from a variety of sources to understand the public health significance of the potential risk. Provide epidemiological support to incidents or outbreaks both within UKHSA and externally to NHS and Independent Sector health providers. Ensure the scientific validity and evidence-base of risk assessments, and that findings are communicated to the relevant stakeholders nationally and internationally through situation reports and briefing notes.
- Provide specialist advice on the epidemiological aspects of the prevention and control of HCAI & AMR by contributing to the development of guidance, designing data collection systems, interpreting epidemiological data, conducting statistical analyses, and scientific publications.
- Manage scientific and administrative staff in the maintenance, development, statistical analysis, quality outputs and reporting from HCAI & AMRP datasets. Undertake periodic evaluation of surveillance systems including stakeholder engagement exercises.
Research
- Design analytical strategies and supervise complex statistical analyses of research datasets for the production of project reports, papers for peer reviewed journals and conference presentations.
- Initiate collaborative projects within UKHSA and external collaborators to address public health research questions. This may also include taking a lead on research proposals for externally funded projects and provision of expert advice to academic units and other agencies involved in collaborative epidemiological and microbiological studies.
Management and Planning
- To work alongside other members of the HCAI & AMRP Division on:
- the business planning process and the development of surveillance/research, communication, training strategies etc;
- Compare, analyse and interpret highly complex options for running projects identified as key public health priorities, and communicate this information across organisations and key stakeholders;
- Budget responsibility for Section led grants
- Selection and recruitment of staff, including, shortlisting applicants and interviewing candidates selected for interview;
- Staff management responsibilities to be agreed with line manager.
- Responsible for developing quality control processes, participating in audits and ensuring resilience through maintaining Standard Operating Procedures and business continuity planning.
- Be responsible for ensuring their teams work complies to UKHSA standards and governance requirements including maintaining confidentiality and security of surveillance information.
- Development of business cases to support system developments, this may include undertaking relevant procurement requirements and management of supplier relationships.
- To deputise for the Section Lead/Lead Epidemiologist as required.
Publications and presentations
- To plan and oversee the development of HCAI & AMRP epidemiological outputs including outward facing publications including annual reports, web pages, writing of scientific papers for publication in peer reviewed journals and to manage junior scientific and administrative colleagues in the development of manuscripts.
- To represent the Division on expert committees, national and local incident control teams, national/international meetings and conferences.
Teaching and Training
- To develop public health capacity by contributing to teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level and by supervising those training and working in public health and epidemiology.
- To contribute to the training for new members of staff on the epidemiology and surveillance of communicable disease.
- To participate in wider scientific activities to maintain professional standards including peer review
Please see the job description for the full list of duties and responsibilities.
Essential role criteria:
- Educated to degree level in a relevant subject (ie Public Health or biological sciences) 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
Selection Process
This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria. .
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
- Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
- 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.
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.
The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.
Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:
- Meets all essential criteria
- Meets some essential criteria
- Meets no essential criteria
Only those meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and 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
You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to consider remote interviews.
You will be asked to prepare and present a 5-10 minute presentation as part of your interview. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Location
This role is being offered as lab based at our Scientific Campus in Colindale, London.
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our lab in insert location. 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, averagedover a month).
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 Counter Terrorism Checks.
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. 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.
