About the job

Job summary

We are seeking a dedicated and innovative policy professional to join us as the Operational Preparedness and Partnership Lead. In this role, you will play a pivotal role in fulfilling UKHSA's first strategic priority: to be ready for, and prevent, future health security hazards. You will lead the development, implementation, and management of a comprehensive preparedness plan for UKHSA, ensuring readiness for various health security challenges, including pandemics, infectious disease outbreaks, chemical and biological hazards, radiological and nuclear incidents, and natural disasters.

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.   

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all. 

Job description

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Planning

• Manage the development of a strategic preparedness plan aligned with UKHSA's mission and goals.
• Lead on aspects of the overall preparedness cycle, to provide a comprehensive overview of the agency’s readiness to respond to key threats through liaison with analysts within the team and other stakeholders across UKHSA.

 

Capacity Enhancement

• Collaborate at senior level across the organisation to identify capacity and capability gaps in the UKHSA’s ability to respond to threats.
• Develop multidisciplinary teams within UKHSA to ensure that mechanisms for rapid escalation to respond to health security demands are in place

 

Relationship management

• The post holder will establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of stakeholders, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA.
• Work across UKHSA  to ensure that programmes identified to address capacity and capability gaps are integrated into business planning processes and are consistent with our requirements as a Category 1 responder.
• Working with the Head of Readiness and Assurance, collaborate with partners across government departments and health security systems to anticipate threats and opportunities, aligning UKHSA preparedness across DHSC and the wider health security landscape.

 

Strategic

Support the Head of Readiness and Assurance by;

• Translating emerging visions, priorities, and objectives for the organisation into specific actions to support the development of the strategic preparedness plan, and proactively drive them forward with relevant partners.
• Leading high-impact pieces of work in support of the organisation’s key strategic priority with tangible outcomes, developing evidence-based recommendations, ensuring stakeholder buy-in, supporting teams through delivery of the change process.
• Ensuring that changes to the plan are agreed with stakeholders and perform as expected in real-world scenarios. Ensure effective processes are in place to agree and document changes to deliverables identified through engagement with stakeholders and in support of the development of the strategic preparedness plan.
• Working with all UKHSA Groups as required, to ensure an integrated approach to preparedness and response activities.
• Encouraging and supporting teams to embed improvements as identified as a result of the readiness assessment, to ensure managers and staff are trained to optimum levels and able to self-support.

 

Leadership and management

• Act as a credible leader within the Directorate and role model effective leadership across UKHSA and externally
• Line management of the SEO Operational Preparedness and Partnership Manager, providing clear direction, support, and motivation and fostering a positive and collaborative working environment. Conduct regular performance reviews and goal-setting discussions, ensuring they receive constructive feedback and have opportunities for professional development.
• Ensure activities and behaviours are aligned with UKHSA’s organisational vision and values and are embedded within the team’s culture.
• Deputise for the Head of Readiness and Assurance as required.

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Identify, discuss, and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan.  Attending internal / external training events 
• To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Post graduate level qualification in an appropriate managerial discipline of relevance to the role, such as a MBA or NVQ7 or equivalent work experience
• Experience of stakeholder management at all levels; working with and through others to make change happen, implementing new ways of working.
• The ability to think rapidly and creatively when dealing with issues and problems, identifying and proposing solutions. Able to work with and through ambiguit
• Able to interpret a broad range of complex information quickly (including data and analytics) to draw out key insights to support decision making. Make reasoned recommendations and decisions based on this, planning and implementing any changes rapidly when required
• Proven experience of leading others in a managerial or supervisory role including performance management, carrying out appraisals and supporting learning and development.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders across all levels, presenting information clearly using the appropriate tools.
• Highly developed negotiating and influencing skills, overcoming barriers to understanding and acceptance with the ability to gain confidence and credibility of a range of professionals, motivating and inspiring commitment and buy-in.
• Demonstrable ability to think strategically and apply that, implementing change where needed.
• A clear and proven ability to be proactive and work at pace, managing competing demands (self and others) in an outcomes and quality focused way.
• Demonstrate appreciation and acknowledgment of the range and complexities of diversity; self-awareness in terms of emotional intelligence, biases and personal triggers; cultural competence – cultural sensitivity and awareness.

Desirable criteria

• Have a broad understanding of the health security environment, understanding the relationship between the Department of Health and Social Care /UKHSA and the wider healthcare system.

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success profiles 

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

• a CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• a 1,000 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 and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview

 

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist.

 

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on the essential criteria: 'Proven experience of leading others'

Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered 

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

Please do not exceed 1,000 words.  We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview  (success profiles)

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview 

Behaviour and strengths will be tested at interview

 The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be

• Seeing the big picture
• Communicating and influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Delivering at pace

Interviews will be held week commencing 13th May 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.

Eligibility Criteria

External  

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

  

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.