This is an exciting role within The Gastrointestinal Infections and Food safety (One Health) Division is located within UKHSA’s Clinical and Public Health Directorate at Colindale.
As the Senior Scientist you will analyse and interpret surveillance data and develop automated routines and solutions as well as overseeing and responding to more complex or sensitive data requests. This will be through their application of, and expertise in, analytical, statistical, database, mapping, and web tools, underpinned by knowledge of information and data science approaches.
The postholder will also contribute to public health scientific analyses and writing reports on specific projects, regular and ad hoc publications, and peer reviewed publications.
Location:
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) operates 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 in the office.
• Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available. *
Working Pattern – Full Time, Part Time, Job Share, Flexible Working, Hybrid Working.
Responsibilities section:
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities, and duties:
• Identify surveillance needs, create surveillance system specifications, conduct complex statistical analyses, and interpret surveillance data, develop automated routines and solutions.
• Develop and utilise information and intelligence systems to underpin public health action, including outbreak and incident response.
• Respond to complex or sensitive data requests including Parliamentary Questions.
• Lead and manage the technical and analytical (including data management) aspects of enhanced surveillance for purposes of One Health
• Analyse and evaluate quantitative and qualitative data and research evidence.
• Apply a range of common statistical tests and algorithms and translate statistical processes into automated solutions.
• Use common statistical/database/mapping/web tools such as Stata, R, ArcGIS, Access, SQL and SharePoint in routine reports, surveillance activities and the development of solutions.
• Advise on quality and governance issues including information security for all aspects of surveillance work, evaluating existing systems, and use to improve standards and consistency across the team.
• Project manage research studies, analysing datasets with appropriate methodology to answer research questions, supported by the systematic review of literature and with knowledge of how to contribute to grant proposals, and apply for ethical approval.
• Present at scientific conferences and programme meetings
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 review the job description for the full list of responsibilities.
Essential Criteria:
It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1000 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description):
Essential
• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area (in the maintenance, analysis of data).
• MSc in Epidemiology, public health or allied discipline or equivalent level of experience/education.
• Completion of the Field Epidemiology Training Programme or equivalent training and experience.
• Knowledge of principles and practice of surveillance, including data management, data transmission, data security, data quality, data analysis including descriptive statistics and graphics and data reporting
• Experience of interpreting and evaluating epidemiological data, sensitive health data analyses
• Demonstrable experience of public health, health protection or epidemiology including experience of complex and/or sensitive health data analyses.
Desirable
• Training in research methods, infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance and/or public health
• PhD or equivalent experience in public health, epidemiology, health-care research or similar
• Experience of teaching epidemiology and/or surveillance
• Experience of research activities with one or more first author publications in peer reviewed journals
Please review the job description for the full criteria.
Working for the UKHSA
For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Benefits
• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Range of health and wellbeing support
Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at Childcare Choices | 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More | Help with Costs | GOV.UK
Selection process details
STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT:
You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – please do provide evidence of how you meet this.
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).
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.
STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW
This stage will involve an interview in person or via Teams.
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.
Expected Timeline:
Advert close: 23:55hrs on 7th January 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.
Shortlist: w/c 9th January 2024
Interviews: w/c 22nd January 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)
Nationality requirements
Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This 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 the European 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&C’s 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
