About the job

Job summary

External Quality Assessment (EQA) Services, a vital component of the UKHSA Quality and Regulatory Assurance division, offers proficiency testing (PT)/EQA schemes to food, water, and clinical microbiology laboratories across the United Kingdom and globally. These EQA schemes play a crucial role in ensuring that microbiology laboratories produce accurate, reliable, and reproducible results. Given that the outcomes reported by these laboratories significantly impact health protection and public health management, EQA/PT tools are essential.

The UK NEQAS for Microbiology team, operating within the EQA Services department, specialises in providing EQA schemes to clinical microbiology laboratories worldwide. As a Healthcare Scientist Practitioner, you will collaborate within the laboratory team to uphold quality standards and enhance testing accuracy.

Location

This role will be based full time at our UKHSA Colindale site (61 Colindale Ave, London, NW9 5EQ).

*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

Job description

• Work responsibly and safely with large volumes of organisms in hazard groups 2/3 on daily basis.
• Prepare all types of quality assessment specimens distributed.
• Undertake quality control and stability testing of these specimens applying knowledge of diagnostic microbiology.
• Ensure all processes and results are documented in accordance with quality requirements.
• Ensure all non-conforming results are fully investigated and are brought to the attention of the scheme manager.
• Participate in rotation around the various sections within the clinical microbiology schemes.
• Ensure that health, safety, and welfare is an afforded priority over other issues and demonstrate a commitment to health, safety and welfare regarding self, staff, and visitors.
• Report/notify all accidents and incidents or near misses, dangerous situations or shortcomings in health and safety training instructions via the appropriate management structure.
• Participate in the internal and external safety audits, as required.
• Comply with safety policies, procedures, COSHH and risk assessments.
• Co-operate on matters of health and safety to enable UKHSA to comply with its health and safety responsibilities.
• Maintain a high standard of work and contribute to developing the service of the laboratory so that service delivery is safe, effective, and economical and follows best practice.

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 1250 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

• Degree in biomedical science.
• GCSE or equivalent qualifications at C or above in English and Maths.
• Clinical diagnostic microbiology laboratory experience.
• Evidence of use of computer software and packages.
• Management of time – able to plan and use own time economically and effectively.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision working to tight and often changing timescales.
• Able to identify and solve practical problems.
• Able to communicate with staff at all levels, both written and oral.
• Able to work to written procedures.
• 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 system

Desirable

• Registration with the HCPC.
• Experience in freeze-drying.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,737, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,028 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 an interview held at our UKHSA Colindale site.

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. 

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.

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

• Making effective decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Delivering at Pace

After the interview a 30-minute practical assessment will assess your technical skills.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on the 22nd of April 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: From the 24th of April 2024

Interviews: 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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission. 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.