Lead Epidemiologist - #1737357

London- Colindale (Scientific Campus)

Job Summary

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.  

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.  

The Immunisation Division is responsible for the national surveillance of most vaccine preventable infections and in providing technical support and clinical expertise to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and to the NHS in planning and delivering the national immunisation programmes. These programmes provide around 22 million vaccines per year, across the whole life course, and delivered in a range of NHS settings. The programmes are supported by a large portfolio of professional and public publication materials and by web-based content on UKHSA and on the NHS websites. Annual tracking of parental attitudes to vaccination is used to inform the development of public facing publications.

The department also provides secretariat to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation who recommend any changes to the national immunisation programme and publish “Immunisation Against Infectious Disease” – the single authoritative source of immunisation advice for health professionals and the UKHSA site that consistently receives the highest number of web-hits.

Job Description

Vaccination has been identified as a key strategic priority for UKHSA and is a rapidly evolving field. This new senior post has been created to provide senior scientific oversight and coordination alongside the medical consultant staff to support the monitoring and evaluation of the routine immunisation programme and development of public and professional resources to support future changes to the national programme.

The post holder will manage senior scientists in the division and be responsible for providing the scientific leadership on the surveillance systems used to monitor the routine vaccine programmes, vaccine preventable diseases and respiratory viruses. This may include epidemiological investigations of vaccine impact and effectiveness, adverse events and relevant research in the division.

It is expected that the post holder will take a lead role in human metapneumovirus epidemiological assessment, as candidate vaccines enter late-stage clinical development.

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

Scientific Management

• Provide scientific and surveillance leadership on surveillance systems to monitor disease burden of seasonal respiratory viruses, COVID-19 and/or other vaccine preventable diseases
• Evaluate impact of vaccine programmes
• Undertake epidemiological investigations of adverse events reported following vaccination
• Use scientific knowledge and expertise, to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of the various surveillance systems to be able to correctly report scientific information to key stakeholders such as NHS-E and DHSC at meetings and teleconferences, and to prepare, supply and assist in the submission of project proposals, reports and publications
• Assist the consultant leads and other senior staff in developing the scientific and technical direction of the work programme
• Present updates regularly to JCVI.
  
  

Stakeholder management

• Proactively create, maintain and promote a strong network of connections with senior colleagues across the UKHSA, DHSC and NHS E to understand the policy objectives
• Personally lead, support and contribute to formal negotiations with senior level staff from external stakeholders
• Have regular contact with internal and external stakeholders and engage frequently with them over sensitive, complex, contentious and confidential issues; liaise with other UKHSA leaders to share best practice and achieve collaboration that contribute to UKHSA’s mission
• Take a leadership role in relevant internal and external working groups/projects, services and initiatives to provide senior programme, information and analytical advice and expertise, working collaboratively with service delivery partners.
  
  

Communication

• Oversee the response to formal correspondence and preparation of material to and support senior members of UKHSA and DHSC for a variety of media, parliamentary and speaking appearances in relation to vaccines. This includes translation of complex scientific surveillance and research information, policy, commissioning, and delivery arrangements into key messages suitable for the audience being addressed
• Work with other members of the Implementation Team and satisfy the communications needs of diverse audiences – clients, government stakeholder groups, partners, media and employees; to build and maintain constructive relationships and balance a range of different demands
• Represent the division at a range of national and international groups.
  
  

Management Responsibilities

• Deputise for the Deputy Director and other senior staff to represent Division at UKHSA, external (national and international meetings)
• Line manage senior scientists in the division.
  
  

Other

• To perform any other duties required by the Line manager commensurate with grade.
  
  

Vaccination has been identified as a key strategic priority for UKHSA and is a rapidly evolving field. This new senior post has been created to provide senior scientific oversight and coordination alongside the medical consultant staff to support the monitoring and evaluation of the routine immunisation programme and development of public and professional resources to support future changes to the national programme.

The post holder will manage senior scientists in the division and be responsible for providing the scientific leadership on the surveillance systems used to monitor the routine vaccine programmes, vaccine preventable diseases and respiratory viruses. This may include epidemiological investigations of vaccine impact and effectiveness, adverse events and relevant research in the division.

It is expected that the post holder will take a lead role in human metapneumovirus epidemiological assessment, as candidate vaccines enter late-stage clinical development.

Other

• To perform any other duties required by the Line manager commensurate with grade.
  
  

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Degree or equivalent in a relevant scientific subject (e.g. epidemiology/biomedical sciences) or significant experience of working at a similar level in the Immunisation field
• Postgraduate degree or equivalent qualification in relevant topic area (e.g. epidemiology/public health) or equivalent relevant experience.
• Professional/scientific knowledge and research or surveillance experience relevant to the Immunisation field
• Experience of programme and surveillance management – planning, monitoring and controlling single or multi-disciplinary project groups, including managing risks and reporting
• Experience of working in the NHS, UKHSA, or similar healthcare/public health service.
• Experience in team leadership and supervision
  
  

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in providing and receiving highly complex scientific, clinical and operational information and to present this to influential groups
• Ability to negotiate on difficult and controversial issues including performance and change.
  
  

Alongside your salary of £72,739, UK Health Security Agency contributes £21,072 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 employer contribution of 28.97%
  
  

Selection process details

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge, experience and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Competency-based

You Will Be Required To Complete An Application Form. You Will Be Assessed On The Listed 6 Essential Criteria, And This Will Be In The Form Of A:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1500 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.

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
  
  

Piles 'meets all essential criteria' and 'meets some essential criteria' will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• Degree or equivalent in a relevant scientific subject (e.g. epidemiology/biomedical sciences) or significant experience of working at a similar level in the Immunisation field
• Postgraduate degree or equivalent qualification in relevant topic area (e.g. epidemiology/public health) or equivalent relevant experience.
  
  

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

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

Please do not exceed 1500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Competency-based

You will be invited to a single face to face interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills and abilities will be tested at interview

There will be a presentation- details will be confirmed to those who are invited to interview.

Interviews dates to be confirmed.

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

Selection Process

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.

Eligibility Criteria

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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Scientific Campus in Colindale. 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 our Colindale site.

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. If based at one of our scientific campuses, you will be required to have a minimum of a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. 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. In exceptional circumstances 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.

Face to Face interviews

In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.

Internal Fraud check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

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 Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

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

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact :

• Name : Lisa Tweedie
• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Further information

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: [email protected] 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: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

http://www.healthjobsuk.com/vacancy/7238385