About the job

Job summary

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:

• Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
• Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
• Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
• Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
• Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.

Job description

The Technology Directorate has primary responsibility for service technical infrastructure and support.  Technology has staff at a number of locations throughout the Organisation.  The key functions of IT are to provide and support such systems required by the staff of The UK Health Security Agency, and to provide the technical infrastructure to enable all forms of corporate communication, both within the Organisation and between the Organisation and its customers and stakeholders.

You will manage, support and maintain the hardware and software components of mission critical High Performance Computing (HPC), Unix/Linux, virtualization and cloud platform required for the execution of UKHSA business. 

The post holder will be responsible for availability, performance, efficiency, monitoring, capacity planning, change management, emergency response, and be expected to work across teams and departments to ensure the organisation is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to support the rapidly expanding medical microbiological agenda. 

They will ensure that HPC and Unix/Linux systems are correctly maintained and managed to provide authorized users with optimum access to data/applications as required, to effectively conduct UKHSA business. 

An in-depth working knowledge of Linux clustered computing environments, hybrid networks (Ethernet and InfiniBand), high performance parallel filesystems, software defined storage and enterprise class open source technologies is an essential requirement. The role holder may also need to manage or supervise more junior HPC engineers and contribute to their training and development. 

This role will support expansion of HPC Cloud computing platform and associated environments to support wider business objectives. DevOps skills are desirable to solve problems relating to mission critical services and build automation to prevent problem recurrence, ultimately automating responses to all non-exceptional service conditions.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

•  Plan, configure, manage and maintain all hardware and software components of all HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms in UKHSA to deliver optimum system availability to users, and ensuring all supplier provided patches and upgrades to the operating system, database, tools and utilities are applied in a timely manner. Support High Performance and High Throughput computing operations.
  •    Maintaining the security and integrity of all HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms in UKHSA, including managing all user access rights and implementation of backup regimes and other disaster recovery procedures. 
  •    Providing technical and administrative support for all HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms within UKHSA to all levels of staff. Ensuring systems are documented and formulate relevant procedures and protocols. 
  •    Liaise with the relevant ICT specialist suppliers to ensure that the organisation is equipped with correct and appropriate technology to support the achievement of UKHSA’s objectives. 
  •    Creating and maintaining comprehensive documentation, including procedures and protocols for technical staff and users, on the licensing, components, connectivity, configurations and operation of specialist systems and services and supporting relevant hardware and software. Maintaining such documentation up to date and in an auditable condition. Providing training, where appropriate, to technical staff and users to enable them to utilize particular systems and services optimally. 
  •    Monitoring and managing HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms performance and capacity growth, providing advice on necessary upgrades and replacement of hardware and software so as to maintain the ability of UKHSA HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms to support UKHSA business. Implementing hardware changes and upgrades and database upgrades and migrations to maintain system performance and growth capacity. 
  •    Ensuring compliance with UKHSA IT and other relevant policies in HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms usage in UKHSA. 
  •    To maintain awareness of technical developments and research new technologies in HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms with a view to providing advice on suitable deployment strategies for UKHSA. Advise on the choice of software solutions and hardware platforms for the management of Big Data and analytics platforms and solutions. 
  •    Provide a level of work that adheres to the high standards and best practices in line with the SLAs as agreed with UKHSA Users.

 

Communication and key working relationships

 Internal 

• All Technology staff
• UKHSA business staff across all locations, disciplines, and levels of seniority, who constitute management, audit and control customers of IT services;
• Technology Senior Management
• Facilities Management Departments throughout UKHSA ;
• Local IT leads in Business Centres and Divisions; particularly Bioinformatics & Microbiology
• Project teams;
• IT staff in associated organisations and regulatory bodies, such as Connecting for Health (NHS ICT);
• Auditors

External 

• ICT industry technical specialists;
• Suppliers of ICT goods and services;
• Third party support providers at all levels (technicians to CEO);
• Scientists of all levels
• Auditors.

Other

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by the directorate. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation. 

Professional development

You should pursue a programme of continuous professional development in accordance with any relevant professional registration or statutory requirements, while maintaining appropriate awareness of service provider requirements.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

You will be assessed on the below (four) essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description:

•    A degree in a relevant subject, recognised industry standard qualification, such as RHCE, CIIT, Citrix CCA, MCSE or equivalent
•    Knowledge/substantive experience of: Kubernetes; Terraform; Enterprise class Linux distribution such as RHEL, CentOS, Suse, Debian, Ubuntu; Basic storage configuration: LVM, iSCSI; Unix/Linux scripting; TCP/IP, DHCP, VLANs, spanning tree protocol, link aggregation for performance (MTU settings) and reliability requirements; Design/implementing Unix/Linux system and services open source solutions and performance tuning; Open-source storage technologies such as: Lustre, CEPH, GlusterFS; Samba, NFS; Apache, Ngnix, HAproxy; MySQL
•    Working with Public cloud e.g. Azure/AWS
•    Substantial experience in designing and implementing Unix / Linux systems and services

Desirable Criteria

•    Experience with:  Linux virtualization ; OpenStack cloud computing platform; KVM/LibVirt Linux Virtualization technologies; LDAP, Kerberos; Iptables; PostgreSQL
•    Knowledge/substantive experience of: Kickstart, Satellite and/or Katello; Centralized configuration systems such as Ansible, Puppet and/or Chef; Python, PERL and/or Ruby; WAN/LAN Architectures; Firewall administration
•    Knowledge of maintaining and operating “Big Data” storage systems

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,824, UK Health Security Agency contributes £13,992 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours/Ability/ Experience/Technical skills.
     
STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT:  
 
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed four essential criteria, and this will be in the form of: 
 

• An Application Form, where you will 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.
• A Statement of Suitability, in no more than 750 words outlining how you meet the four essential criteria and why you would be suitable for the role. 

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. Please do not exceed 750 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number. 

The application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately. 

In the event of high application volumes, we will make an initial sift based on essential criteria.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.  If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

 
STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW  

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview. During the interview we will assess your Behaviours/Ability/Experience/Technical skills

The following behaviours will be used at the interview:
Seeing the Big Picture
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace

Interviews are planned to be held week commencing 17th June 2024. Please note, these dates are subject to change. 

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

 

Location Information  

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) working at your contractual work base.  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site.  Please note for this role there is some expectation of travel that will be required to our Colindale, Porton Down and 10SC offices.

 

Eligibility Criteria 

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).   

Security Clearance Level Requirement   

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.   

The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard

 

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.   

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.   

It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:   

• life sentences
• arson  
• sexual offences  
• hate and terror offences   

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role.   

If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available  

  

Starting Salary  

Entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.    

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase.    

Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.   

For further details please refer to the Information Sheet - Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment  

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.