Job Summary

We are looking for a scientist to work within the Emerging Infections and Zoonoses team, which is part of TARZET at UKHSA. This role is responsible for supporting the surveillance portfolio, including updating surveillance systems and databases for zoonotic infections in England and undertaking data analysis when required. The post-holder will collaborate with colleagues working in animal health and other agencies/ institutes working on zoonoses. The post-holder will contribute to incident response and guidance development as necessary. Applicants should have experience of analysing complex data and communicable disease epidemiology.

Main duties of the job

Your main duties and responsibilities will include:o To undertake epidemiological analysis of zoonoses surveillance data and ensure the management, quality assurance and ongoing development of associated databases, in liaison with stakeholders, including software developers. o To contribute to the management of the zoonoses inbox including managing and coordinating responses to enquiries from internal and external stakeholders.o To support the management of national enhanced surveillance of non-foodborne zoonoses and develop appropriate information outputs for GOV.UK.o To write and produce scientific reports, in collaboration with senior staff on zoonotic infections, for presentation at national or international meetings and for publication in peer reviewed journals.o To monitor, under supervision, the data gathered through zoonotic surveillance and incidents to allow appropriate public health responses to be taken. This may involve contribution to guidance development and communication with wider UKHSA and stakeholders.o To support the secretariat function for the UK Public Health Network for Zoonoses (UKPHNZ).

For a full list of main responsibilities please refer to the Job Description attached.

About Us

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.

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

Date posted

18 December 2024

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£36,187 to £43,552 a year Per annum, Pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share, Flexible working

Reference number

919-ROG-305256-EXT

Job locations

Colindale

61 Colindale Avenue

London

NW9 5EQ

Job Description

Job responsibilities

This post will provide critical scientific and data-management skills. The post-holder will be responsible for day-to-day management of appropriate data linkage, analysing, and interpreting complex data on the epidemiology of zoonoses and working with a range of national and international stakeholders. In addition, the post-holder will contribute to the management of the zoonoses inbox, including actioning notifications from laboratories on notifiable infections and providing responses to enquiries. Timely information outputs from zoonoses surveillance will be a crucial aspect of the post. The post-holder will also contribute to scientific and logistical support for investigations into national outbreaks of zoonotic infections; the development of research proposals; writing scientific reports and papers for publication; and presenting epidemiological findings at a range of national and international meetings and conferences. The post-holder will undertake specific projects to support other work areas of the EIZ Section, including the response to incidents.

Selection Process:

Please be aware that we will assess on 10 essential criteria stated on the advert rather than the full list on the job description document.

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your knowledge, experience, skills & abilities.

Longlisting:

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the below listed 10 essential criteria and 3 desirable criteria, and this will be in the form of

Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)

a 1250 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.

Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

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

Please do not exceed 1250 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 remote interview

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

There will be a technical assessment.

Interviews will be held week commencing TBC

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

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. 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). If based at one of our scientific locations, you will be required to have 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

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Job Description Job Responsibilities

This post will provide critical scientific and data-management skills. The post-holder will be responsible for day-to-day management of appropriate data linkage, analysing, and interpreting complex data on the epidemiology of zoonoses and working with a range of national and international stakeholders. In addition, the post-holder will contribute to the management of the zoonoses inbox, including actioning notifications from laboratories on notifiable infections and providing responses to enquiries. Timely information outputs from zoonoses surveillance will be a crucial aspect of the post. The post-holder will also contribute to scientific and logistical support for investigations into national outbreaks of zoonotic infections; the development of research proposals; writing scientific reports and papers for publication; and presenting epidemiological findings at a range of national and international meetings and conferences. The post-holder will undertake specific projects to support other work areas of the EIZ Section, including the response to incidents.

Longlisting:

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the below listed 10 essential criteria and 3 desirable criteria, and this will be in the form of

Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)

a 1250 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.

Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

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

Please do not exceed 1250 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 remote interview

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

There will be a technical assessment.

Interviews will be held week commencing TBC

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

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. 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). If based at one of our scientific locations, you will be required to have 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

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Person Specification

Application form and Statement of Suitability Essential

• Application form and Statement of Suitability
  
  

Qualifications Essential

• First degree in a relevant science subject
  
  

Knowledge and Experience Essential

• Experience of analysing epidemiological data, and use of statistical analysis software packages (e.g. STATA or R)
• Using Microsoft office software packages, including MS Access, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint.
  
  

Desirable

• Experience of communicable disease epidemiology and surveillance
• Experience of working within public health or with NHS colleagues
• Experience of writing scientific papers and presentation
  
  

Skills, Capabilities and Behaviours Essential

• Produce accurate and consistent work
• Ability to demonstrate good interpersonal skills and to work as a team member
• Willing to learn new skills where appropriate and to be enthusiastic, flexible and hard working
• Ability to communicate ideas and methods clearly and succinctly
• Ability to maintain required levels of confidentiality
• Ability to work under pressure and respond to sudden unexpected demands and tight deadlines
  
  

Equality and Diversity Essential

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
  
  

Person Specification Application form and Statement of Suitability Essential

• Application form and Statement of Suitability
  
  

Qualifications Essential

• First degree in a relevant science subject
  
  

Knowledge and Experience Essential

• Experience of analysing epidemiological data, and use of statistical analysis software packages (e.g. STATA or R)
• Using Microsoft office software packages, including MS Access, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint.
  
  

Desirable

• Experience of communicable disease epidemiology and surveillance
• Experience of working within public health or with NHS colleagues
• Experience of writing scientific papers and presentation
  
  

Skills, Capabilities and Behaviours Essential

• Produce accurate and consistent work
• Ability to demonstrate good interpersonal skills and to work as a team member
• Willing to learn new skills where appropriate and to be enthusiastic, flexible and hard working
• Ability to communicate ideas and methods clearly and succinctly
• Ability to maintain required levels of confidentiality
• Ability to work under pressure and respond to sudden unexpected demands and tight deadlines
  
  

Equality and Diversity Essential

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
  
  

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).

Additional information 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

Colindale

61 Colindale Avenue

London

NW9 5EQ

Employer's website

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