About the job

Job summary

This exciting role is within the Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health) Division (GIFSOH) at UKHSA.

As an Epidemiologist, you will report to the Head of Incidents and Response and be an integral part of the GIFSOH team. The team’s primary responsibilities include providing specialist epidemiology and surveillance for Gastrointestinal Infections (GI), coordinating the investigation of national outbreaks, advising the government on risks posed by various gastrointestinal pathogens, and responding to national and international health concerns.

In this role you will develop, manage and maintain gastrointestinal pathogen surveillance systems (including surveillance databases) and produce comprehensive surveillance data outputs for external stakeholders, incorporating both whole genome sequencing and epidemiological data. 

Location:

This role will be based at UK Health Security Agency Colindale Office (61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5EQ).

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) operates 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) based at Colindale, London.  For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

*Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available. *

Job description

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

• Manage existing national surveillance systems and co-ordinate the development of new surveillance systems for gastrointestinal pathogens and to supervise and advise junior scientific and administrative staff in the maintenance and development of integrated or enhanced surveillance datasets.
• Conduct complex statistical analyses of data on gastrointestinal pathogens drawn from a variety of surveillance sources in response to enquiries from external stakeholders
• Advise and support scientific and administrative staff in conducting routine analyses of surveillance datasets for standardised outputs and ad hoc enquiries.
• Supervise junior scientific colleagues and the administrative team in the production of standard GI pathogen surveillance and outbreak reports and publications.
• Coordinate the activities of scientists in partner institutes involved in collaborative surveillance programmes.
• Provide technical advice and assistance on the design, maintenance, analysis and interpretation of surveillance database outputs.
• Assist in the design and development of new surveillance and data management systems in response to developments in the application of microbiological typing methods including contributing to the drafting of Standard Operating Procedures.
• Write or contribute to the drafting of scientific papers for publication in peer reviewed journals and detailed reports for UKHSA or Government departments.
• Collating and interpreting epidemiological and microbiological data drawn from a variety of sources
• Providing statistical analyses for government agencies, health protection teams and environmental health departments
• Writing Briefing Notes (BN’s) and Situation Reports (SitReps).
• Present epidemiological findings at national and international meetings and conferences.
• Manage the technical and analytical aspects of outbreak investigations, under the supervision of the Head of Incidents & Response. 
  

Please refer to the Job Description for a full list or Responsibilities

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.

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1200 words (max) 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

• Higher degree (MSc or equivalent) in Public Health, Epidemiology or an allied subject
• Experience of postgraduate work/study in public health, epidemiology or an allied subject
• Significant experience of interpreting and evaluating epidemiological data, using databases, spreadsheets,
• statistical and graphics packages to an advanced level (R skills)
• Ability to work independently and take responsibility for own technical work and time and to work as an effective team member
• Ability to analyse, summarise and interpret complex epidemiological data using R
• Ability to create and give presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders and an ability to liaise with a range of health professionals and scientific industry specialists.

Desirable

• Demonstrable experience of outbreak investigation
• Thorough understanding of recent advances in the epidemiology and microbiology of infectious intestinal disease and presenting scientific papers at national and international conferences.

Please refer to the Job Description for the full list of the essential & desirable criteria

Benefits

• 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 average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form and Statement of Suitability. Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section). You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history.  

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

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW 

This stage will involve a remote interview.  

As part of the process, you will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and you will be assessed via the Success Profiles framework.

This stage will also include candidates to complete an analytical test, with full details provided at the interview.

The following Success Profile behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Communicating & influencing.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 11th August 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.

Shortlist: 12th August 2024

Interviews: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

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.