About the job

Job summary

Database Team Leader - Unlock Your Data Wizardry!

Do you have the technical skills to manage complex data on a modern database system? Do you enjoy solving problems, spotting and fixing bad data, striving for perfection? Could you lead and manage a small team dedicated to providing the highest quality of data to our analysists?

The National Registry for Radiation Workers (NRRW)  is a 50 yearlong study of the health effects of exposure to ionising radiation.  We are preparing to undertake the fourth major analysis of the NRRW – this will be the most important in the history of the study and the results are of greatly anticipated by the radiation protection community worldwide.

As the Database Team Leader, you will play a pivotal role in managing the database system, which houses the NRRW and the Nuclear Weapons Test Participants Study (NWTPS).

You will lead a team of three collecting, processing, and auditing data for the NRRW and NWTPS.  Your main focus initially will be leading the database team to undertake the work necessary to create the dataset that will be used for the fourth analysis of the NRRW.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership: Lead a dedicated team of database professionals, fostering collaboration and ensuring efficient data management.
• System Management: Oversee the maintenance, security, and ongoing development of our database system.
• Data Management: Manage the ongoing process of addressing known data quality problems and support the development of long-term strategies to ensure the largest quantity of high-quality data are available for analysis.
• Collaboration: Work closely with our group’s analysts to support internal and external projects based on NRRW and NWTPS data.
• Evidence Generation: The analysis of data from the NRRW cohort forms the basis of most of our published evidence. Your leadership will directly impact our scientific contributions.

Qualifications and Skills

• Experience/Qualification: Undergraduate degree and/or qualification or equivalent experience demonstrating an ability to handle and manage large datasets.
• Experience of using SQL including SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) working with tables, views, stored procedures, and functions.
• Basic knowledge of data security, information governance including GDPR and confidentiality issues.

Job description

Location

Your primary base will be at our Radiation Chemical and Environmental Hazards Division site in Chilton, Oxfordshire. However, we offer flexibility to incorporate remote work as needed.

*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, Flexible Working, Hybrid Working,

 

Responsibilities section:

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

Database management

• Takes responsibility for the overall data management, overseeing data collection methods and practices and support the development of long-term strategies to maintain high quality data standards for the NRRW and the Nuclear Weapons Test participants cohort study.
• Takes responsibility for the maintenance and ongoing development of the database system to ensure it is fit for purpose including working with specialist external code developers
• Manage the ongoing process of addressing known data quality problems with the NRRW and NWTPS cohorts to ensure the largest quantity of high-quality data are available for analysis.
• Promoting good working practices within the team – developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), metadata, version control, code reviews, project management, agile working, knowledge sharing, information governance and data protection aligned to policies and processes.
• Supporting the maintenance of a secure and robust Information Governance framework for the storage and handling of data for NRRW and NWTPS cohorts.

Support for epidemiological research projects

• Supports the management and ongoing development of data extraction code for provision of data from the NRRW and NWTPS cohorts for statistical analysis.
• Undertake basic analyses of data from the NRRW and NWTPS cohorts.
• Provide support for group participation in international collaborative projects.

Stakeholder liaison

• Liaises with external data suppliers to build and maintain strong relationships to ensure the regular supply of high-quality data.
• Provide administrative support and database expertise to the NRRW Governance Group.

 Supervisory role

• Has line management responsibility for the database team currently comprising 4 members.
• Oversees the work of the database team, setting priorities and allocating work to ensure that deadlines are met.
• Identifies training needs for the database team to support the development of the database systems.

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 see job description attached for full list of duties and competencies associated with the post.

 

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1500 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

• Undergraduate degree and/or qualification or equivalent experience demonstrating an ability to handle and manage large datasets.
• Experience of using SQL including SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) working with tables, views, stored procedures, and functions.
• Basic knowledge of data security, information governance including GDPR and confidentiality issues.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills; ability to convey complex ideas to technical, non-technical and lay persons.

 Desirable

• A postgraduate degree, e.g. a Masters, with formal training in Data Science, Public Health or similar.
• Experience of analysing large datasets using software such as Excel, R, Python, SAS or similar.

 Please ensure that your statement of suitability does not contain any personal identifiers such as Name, Gender, Location, Marital Status, Sexual Orientation or Religion. The UKHSA operates a fair and open recruitment policy.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,721, UK Health Security Agency contributes £10,994 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

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. 

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

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This competition will involve a face-to-face interview. Please note that candidates will also be asked to complete a short test on their SQL skills.

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.

The Success Profiles framework will be used to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following will be used at the interview:

• Technical Skills
• Experience
• Knowledge

 

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 19th June 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.

Interviews: Week commencing 1st July 2024 (TBC)

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. 

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.