About the job

Job summary

We are currently looking for a Head of Medicines Evaluation Team to join our Innovative Medicines Team within the Healthcare, Quality and Access Group.

This is a full-time opportunity, fixed term contract/internal move or temporary promotion basis until 31 March 2025. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.  

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites.

We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 4 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 8 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly. Remote working is potentially available for some specific roles.
 
Please discuss this with the recruiting manager before accepting an appointment.  

Who are we? 

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.  
The objective of the Healthcare Quality and Access (HQA) portfolio is to drive quality and critically appraise benefits and risks across both medicines and medical devices to enable licensing and market access, as well as ensuring compliance with regulations and standards.

The Innovative Medicines and Population Health functions deliver a risk appropriate critical appraisal of quality, safety and efficacy of innovative and established medicinal products, determining whether a product’s benefits outweigh the risks.

Job description

What’s the role?

This role, you will provide operational management support to one of the multidisciplinary teams that evaluate marketing authorisation applications and variation applications for chemical new active substances and established medicines. Your team will assess applications via national or international recognition routes across one or more therapeutic areas. You will guide and direct the team to drive a targeted and risk proportionate evaluation of benefits and risks in the context of the UK healthcare system. You will also manage at least one specialist team that supports the Innovative Medicines and Population Health functions. 

Key responsibilities: 

•    Provide leadership and management to the multidisciplinary medicines evaluation team, to ensure the quality of assessment decisions to protect public health. 
•    As part of the Innovative Medicines and Population Health senior leadership team, contribute to the wider management of the function. 
•    Maintain oversight of all scientific and regulatory issues relating to medicines evaluation
•    Contribute to Agency policy, engage with stakeholders and respond to issues and requests that arise. 

Person specification

Who are we looking for? 

Our successful candidate will have: 
•    A degree in pharmacy, medicine, or science.
•    Detailed knowledge of and experience in the development or authorisation of new medicinal products and variations.
•    Knowledge of relevant national legislation and procedures applicable to the licensing of medicines.
•    Confidence to work in a pressurised, high demand environment, delivering results while maintaining high standards.
•    The ability to motivate and develop individuals and teams to ensure delivery of targets and objectives.

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification! 

Please note: The job description may not open in some internet browsers. Please use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If you have any issue viewing the job description, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £18,750 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

The selection process: 

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here. 

 

• Online application form, including a statement of suitability, attached as a PDF demonstrating how you meet the person specification. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application.Please ensure not to include any personal identifying information on your supporting information.
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles.

Applicants are assessed on whether they meet any mandatory requirements as well as the necessary skills and experience for the role. Applications are scored based on the statement of suitability provided. You can view the criteria for this role in the job description.

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk as soon as possible. 

  

Closing date: 19 January 2024

Interview date: 05 February 2024

 

If you need assistance applying for this role or have any other questions, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk 

 

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here. 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Any move to the MHRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.

 

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

 

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact Mira Mepa, Head of Recruitment and Operations, Mira.Mepa@mhra.gov.uk.  

 

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk 

 

info@csc.gov.uk 

Civil Service Commission 

Room G/8 

1 Horse Guards Road 

London 

SW1A 2HQ 

 

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. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.