About the job

Job summary

This vacancy presents an exciting opportunity for a Consultant Epidemiologist (1.0 FTE) to join the UKHSA Field Service Midlands team on a permanent basis, based in either Birmingham or Nottingham.

The Field Services Division (FS) was established to provide a national comprehensive service which is geographically dispersed and integrates epidemiological, microbiological, infectious diseases and data science capacity and expertise to deliver high quality surveillance, outbreak investigations and operational research.

FS provides an effector arm for UKHSA, supporting the translation of evidence into practice as well as having a role in strengthening surveillance through closer links with the NHS and other partners. It also provides valuable links to academic centres and effective leadership and coordination of the UKHSA field epidemiology training function.

Working for your organisation

At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) our mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards. We are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health. 

Our mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight. We will work to ensure our people have the diverse skills, experiences and backgrounds we need to thrive, that our employees are representative of the communities we serve and feel valued and enabled to play their part in delivering our work. 

Creating our working culture is an ongoing process which we are developing by listening and learning together, hearing and acting upon diverse voices and opinions to develop a common sense of identity and effective ways of working. 

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. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Job description

The post-holder will contribute to the local and national UKHSA surveillance, epidemiology and outbreak control function, supported by information, administrative, and scientific staff within the both the local FS Midlands team and the wider national Field Services Division. Specific lead areas and work portfolio will be agreed with the Heads of Team and Deputy Director of Field Services.

Key Job Specific Responsibilities:

The consultant will take a lead role in the daily reactive on-call service with Scientists, Information Officers, Epidemiology Fellows, Specialist Registrars in Public Health Medicine / Specialist Trainees and administration team                                                                                                 

The consultant will take a lead role in the daily reactive on-call service with Scientists, Information Officers, Epidemiology Fellows, Specialist Registrars in Public Health Medicine / Specialist Trainees and administration team 

1. The consultant will take a lead role in the daily reactive on-call service with Scientists, Information Officers, Epidemiology Fellows, Specialist Registrars in Public Health Medicine / Specialist Trainees and administration team
2. The consultant will be expected to lead and complete major incidents or outbreaks across the team locality and national incidents where required
3. To provide epidemiological advice and support to Regional Deputy Directors of Health Protection, Consultants in Health Protection, Directors of Public Health and others involved in the control of communicable disease and infection and the management of regional and national incidents/outbreaks
4. To undertake the surveillance of communicable disease and infection, both in hospitals and the wider community, at local and national level where required, to ensure that timely and accurate information is available to those involved in the surveillance, prevention and control of communicable disease and infection at local, regional and national levels
5. Other duties as agreed by negotiation between the post holder and the Heads of Team or Deputy Director of the Field Service

Please see attached JD outlining full responsibilities of the Consultant Epidemiologist role.

The post is subject to the core competencies as set out by the Faculty of Public Health for Consultant appointments and the post holder will be expected to demonstrate expertise in all of them (JD - appendix A)

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential criteria

• GMC full and specialist register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists or be eligible within 6 months
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine/infectious diseases medicine/or medical microbiology practice
• Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
• If an applicant is UK trained, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
• Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements in accordance with the requirements of Faculty of Public Health/ Royal College of Pathologists/Royal College of Physicians or other recognised body
• MFPH by examination (or exemption or assessment) or equivalent MRCPath or MRCP

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• Strong commitment to public health principles
• Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
• Adaptable to situations, can handle people of all capabilities and attitudes
• Commitment to team-working, and respect and consideration for the skills of others
• Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative
• High standards of professional probity

Experience

Essential criteria

• Significant strategic experience of leadership for public health
• Staff management and training
• Practical experience in facilitating change
• Experience of communicable disease control in a wide variety of settings including out of hours on call
• Experience and demonstrable competency in dealing with environmental hazards/chemical incidents
• Experience of working with other agencies
• Experience of emergency planning
• Experience in the application of epidemiological methods such as case-control and cohort studies to investigate public health problems

Desirable criteria

• Scientific publications, presentation of papers at conferences, seminars etc

Skills

Essential criteria

• Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills
• Proven excellent oral and written communication skills (including presentation skills and dealing with the media)
• Proven and effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills
• Ability to respond appropriately in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
• Sensible negotiator with practical expectation of what can be achieved
• Substantially numerate, with highly developed analytical skills using qualitative and quantitative data
• Ability to apply epidemiological methods and statistics
• Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement policies
• Resource and staff management skills
• Project Management skills
• Budget management skills

Desirable criteria

• Ability to undertake prophylaxis, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases of public health importance
• Training and mentoring skills

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• High level of understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation.
• Understanding of NHS and local government cultures, structures and policies
• Knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement and evidence based clinical and/or public health practice
• Understanding of social and political environment
• Understanding of interfaces between health and social care
• An understanding of the public sector duty and the inequality duty and their applications to public health practice
• Understanding of key agencies involved in health protection
• Understanding of laboratory microbiology services, clinical infectious diseases services and clinical toxicology services

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of grant development and research methodology

Equality and Diversity

• 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

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

Things you need to know

Selection process details

STAGE 1 – Application & Sift:

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your Qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and capabilities outlined in the person specification.  You will be required to complete an application form. You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised criteria.

Applicants are strongly advised to use the person specification section as sub-headings in the application to make it clear how you meet each of the selection criteria.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview and assessment

STAGE 2 – Interview 

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will progress to an interview and will be assessed on the essential criteria as advertised. 

Option 3 – External - Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)

Applicants are strongly advised to use the criteria in the Person Specification of the Job Description & Role Profile as sub-headings in their application to make it clear how they meet each of the selection criteria. Consideration should be given to the secondment role description.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d.

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)

If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice

Public Health Specialty Registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC

For further information or an informal discussion about the post, please contact:

John Mair-Jenkins, Joint Head of Team & Consultant Epidemiologist, Field Services Midlands UKHSA, email: john.mairjenkins@ukhsa.gov.uk, or

Dr Carol Chatt, Joint Head of Team & Consultant Epidemiologist, Field Services Midlands UKHSA, email: carol.chatt@ukhsa.gov.uk

UK Health Security Agency promoted diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunities employer.

 

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.