Scientific Information Manager - #1775328

Colindale, London.

Job Summary

The mission of the division is to protect people from healthcare-associated and antimicrobial resistant infections, through world-leading public health microbiology, outbreak response, surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, modelling, research and interventions.

As Senior Scientific Information Manager you will be part of a dynamic national team responsible for delivering an effective health intelligence service supporting public health delivery.

You Will Be Required To

• Work to promote the use of data science and help develop the AMR & HCAI division by identifying and developing opportunities for further automation and reproducible analyses, developing new data products, and pipelines enabling the service to take advantages of technological advances in UKHSA like High Performance Computing.
• Work with others to identify opportunities and applying modern data analytical techniques including machine learning to the division and public health intelligence problems and issues.
• Advocate data science approaches and help develop data science capacity and capability in the division and wider local public health systems. This may include training, developing packages and tools.
• Undertake analyses, interpretation and presentation of public health data to provide health intelligence to meet the needs of local and national stakeholders.
• Lead the delivery of analytical and technical work on a wide range of public health priority topics driven by the needs of internal UKHSA colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Data analysis, pipeline development, data warehousing techniques, production of health indicators, quality assurance of health intelligence products, as well as the supporting the provision of training and translational support so that stakeholders can understand and act on health intelligence.
• You will work matrix style with colleagues across the country to develop and deliver national health intelligence outputs on a range of public health priority topics.
  
  

Working for your organisation

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.  

Job Description

• Maintain and develop data products and database tools in the team using SQL, R,git and/or other languages. Work with colleagues from across AMR & HCAI to produce innovative and reproducible data products
• Develop scalable, innovative approaches to extract, manage, and analyse epidemiological surveillance and outbreak data
• Develop, manage and maintain databases and data pipelines involving ingress and egress of data from disparate systems using data warehousing techniques
• Support the development and use of dashboards (eg PowerBI, R Shiny, SSRS) to facilitate the visualisation and dissemination of data to key stakeholders and the public
• Planning, managing and delivering on a range of projects requiring potentially complex analytic input, including negotiating and agreeing the most appropriate data output, initiating and planning workloads and setting delivery timescales
• Analyse and interpret complex data and undertake statistical analyses and exercise judgement in interpreting statistics appropriately, especially where the data indicates a negative or contentious situation
• Carrying out innovative analysis to determine the return on investment of preventive interventions and programmes.
• Supporting the analytical work of Health Protection Operations, including epidemiological studies
  
  

For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

• Maintain and develop data products and database tools in the team using SQL, R,git and/or other languages. Work with colleagues from across AMR & HCAI to produce innovative and reproducible data products
• Develop scalable, innovative approaches to extract, manage, and analyse epidemiological surveillance and outbreak data
• Develop, manage and maintain databases and data pipelines involving ingress and egress of data from disparate systems using data warehousing techniques
• Support the development and use of dashboards (eg PowerBI, R Shiny, SSRS) to facilitate the visualisation and dissemination of data to key stakeholders and the public
• Planning, managing and delivering on a range of projects requiring potentially complex analytic input, including negotiating and agreeing the most appropriate data output, initiating and planning workloads and setting delivery timescales
• Analyse and interpret complex data and undertake statistical analyses and exercise judgement in interpreting statistics appropriately, especially where the data indicates a negative or contentious situation
• Carrying out innovative analysis to determine the return on investment of preventive interventions and programmes.
• Supporting the analytical work of Health Protection Operations, including epidemiological studies
  
  

For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Comprehensive skills in the use of at least some of the following: coding/programming (R, Python), SQL, databases, GIS, statistical software (e.g. R, Stata, SAS, SPSS).
• Experience of working with public health or health care data
• Experience of writing reports and communicating analytical/statistical matters to non-analytical/statistical professionals.
• Experience of developing and using data visualisation tools including dashboards (e.g. PowerBI, R Shiny) for presenting and interpreting complex public health analysis and findings to key stakeholders
• Knowledge of data security and confidentiality issues
• Experience of using epidemiological and statistical software methods and packages
• Ability to demonstrate high degree of literacy, numeracy, accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to create and deliver written and oral presentations, drawing on complex health intelligence as well as presenting findings of your own analyses to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to accurately analyse, interpret and present quantitative data
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary steam, working to instruction and independently, and to use initiative
• Ability to demonstrate capabilities to manage own workload, make informed decisions in the absence of required information, work under pressure to tight and often changing timescales to meet deadlines
• 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
• Educated to first degree level or equivalent relevant experience, preferably in a numerate discipline such as epidemiology, statistics, mathematics, coding/programming, sciences, social sciences, economics, geography or similar
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Line management experience and an understanding of the principles of good employment practice.
• Ability to manage a project team without direct line management responsibility of project team members (matrix working).
• Experience in public health, epidemiology, health intelligence, statistics, computer science or data science.
  
  

Alongside your salary of £44,852, UK Health Security Agency contributes £12,993 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 and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Required

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed (13) essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• Up to 1,250 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
  
  

The following will be taken through to the next stage:

• Meets all essential criteria
  
  

Shortlisting

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

• Comprehensive skills in the use of at least some of the following: coding/programming (R, Python), SQL, databases, GIS, statistical software (e.g. R, Stata, SAS, SPSS).
• Experience of developing and using data visualisation tools including dashboards (e.g. PowerBI, R Shiny) for presenting and interpreting complex public health analysis and findings to key stakeholders
• Experience of using epidemiological and statistical software methods and packages
  
  

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 up to 1,250 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

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.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview.

There will be a Presentation, further details will be provided at this stage.

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

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).

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.

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-terrorist Check.

 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. 

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 undergo a criminal record check.

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 undergo a criminal record check.

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).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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 : Gurkamal Bhambra
• 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