About the job

Job summary

UKHSA has established the Centre for Climate and Health Security (the ‘CCHS’) to provide scientific advice and support to local, national and international partners to ensure that the impacts of climate change on public health are considered and embedded in system design. Possessing multi-disciplinary teams, scientific infrastructure, and a broad network of partners, UKHSA will speak with an authoritative voice that will aid the design of local, national and international policies, as well as the organisations responsible for delivering them.

Job description

The Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology (MEZE) group assess, prepare, and respond to current and emerging vector-borne disease threats in the UK.

The team:

• provide entomological expertise on vector issues through research and surveillance activities, primarily on ticks and mosquitoes.
• work internationally on vectors and vector-borne diseases to deliver European funded projects and to support the development and delivery of surveillance systems in the UK Overseas Territories.

Research and surveillance activities are translated into expert advice for UKHSA, the Department of Health and related sister agencies and departments, contributing to policy, contingency planning, and public health preparedness on vector-borne diseases.

The post holder will work to actively support and contribute to the delivery of a wide range of projects through literature reviews, ecological field/laboratory-based research and surveillance activities and contribution to peer-reviewed publications, as required by UKHSA and externally funded projects. The main duties of the job holder are related to vector surveillance and research activities in the UK. The post involves data collection, analysis and interpretation, the writing of scientific reports and publications. 

Duties include (but are not limited to):

• Support the delivery of complex scientific studies of high quality to contribute to core funded research and national vector surveillance activities as well as externally funded contract work.
• Investigate specialist worldwide epidemiological and infectious disease literature on emerging and re-emerging vector-borne diseases, through horizon scanning activities, extracting, evaluating and summarising key scientific publications.

For a full list of main responsibilities please refer to the job description attached to this advert.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Degree in relevant subject, e.g. biological sciences, biology, microbiology, ecology and conservation, zoology etc OR equivalent experience such as working as a field biologist, ecologist, molecular biologist, entomologist etc.
• Knowledge of medical entomology and vector-borne diseases.
• Knowledge and experience of conducting robust and/or systematic literature reviews, including use of relevant databases and references management software.
• Knowledge and practical experience of using ecological field-based techniques for research and/or surveillance.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to produce scientific reports and presentations.
• Ability to work as part of a team, and independently, to deliver shared goals.
• Use organisational, time management and prioritisation skills to deliver agreed project goals/milestones within agreed timescales.
• Ability to focus on allocated tasks, producing accurate and consistent work with excellent attention to detail.
• Experience in working within an environment where sudden unexpected demands require flexibility and re-prioritisation of work

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,473, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,227 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 will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your Qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and capabilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Stage 1: Application & Sift 

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application) 

• 1500 word Statement of Suitability.  

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The CV/Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment  

Please do not exceed 1500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number. 

Feedback will not be provided at this stage. 

Stage 2: Interview  

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview.

Interviews dates to be confirmed.

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

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.  
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Reasonable Adjustments 

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. 

To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you. 

An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.  

This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.  

If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:  

Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.  

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/ 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

I understand my application may be rejected or I may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own. 

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.