About the job

Job summary

We are currently looking for a Head of National Partnerships to join our Partnerships group.

 

This is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London. 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 8 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 12 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.

 

 

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 Partnerships Group takes responsibility for the development of the MHRA’s national and international partnerships, leading on policy development and the development of the underpinning legal regime for medicines and medical devices.

 

The Group focuses on areas which are of central importance to the Agency’s future, contributing to the NHS and priority public health objectives; delivering the Government’s Life Sciences Vision and Innovation Strategy; and ensuring continued global leadership through the development of new international partnerships. These, and the other transformational regulatory proposals which are being developed across the Agency, will require legislation to be updated, and potentially, to be reformed into a new legal regime.

Job description

What’s the role?

The aim of this role is to ensure that the MHRA is aligned within the UK healthcare ecosystem to deliver and develop its objectives and wider public health and government outcomes, such as the safe and timely access to medicines and medical devices and the reduction of adverse events relating to these, and to make the UK an attractive place for industry to develop and launch new products.

The postholder will take the lead responsibility for developing the MHRA’s relationships with the national ecosystem, and for representation in a range of partnerships. The postholder will be able to interface with senior representatives across the sector, and with colleagues across MHRA to ensure both that the national partnerships we hold support delivery on MHRA priorities, and that the MHRA, through collaborative working, is integrated into the UK healthcare ecosystem to ensure joined up working.

 

Key responsibilities: 

 

• Delivery and development of the Partnerships Strategy across the UK, developing and convening networks and bilateral relationships in support of the MHRA’s priorities including patient access to medicines and medical devices, working closely with the International team.
• Establish new partnerships externally, and successfully manage these relationships on an ongoing basis. Partner with government and other public health sector teams, industry, and clinical academics as well as the surrounding environment across the UK 
• Foster greater information sharing with public sector health partners to streamline processes and share key data to advance patient access to safe, effective, and high-quality treatments. 

• Maintain UK wide collaboration supporting heath system alignment for promoting patient access and expanding this approach across the UK Research and Innovation sector, enhancing regulatory decision making and planning.

 

Person specification

Our successful candidate will have substantial experience of interacting with the life sciences sector, preferably including the research, innovation and/or safety and surveillance stages, and will be able to demonstrate the following Behaviours from the person specification: 

 

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Leadership

 

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 £70,011, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency contributes £18,902 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

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

 

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour Success Profiles. 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.
• Supporting statement of no more than 1000 words that describes how your career experience makes you suitable for this role. Please submit the supporting statement with your application in pdf format, and remove any identifying information.
• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Strengths Success Profiles.
• Presentation, to be prepared as part of your interview, with further information being supplied if you reach this stage.

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 answers provided- ensure you have read these thoroughly and allow sufficient time. You can view the criteria for this role in the job description. 

 

Use of AI in Job Applications

 

 

Applicants must ensure that anything submitted is factually accurate and truthful. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

 

 

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: 02 June 2024

Shortlisting date: W/C 10 June 2024

Interview date: W/C 17 June 2024

 

Candidates will be contacted within a week of the sift and the interviews completed to inform them of the outcome.

 

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.