About the job

Job summary

The post holder will take a crucial role in epidemiological control of respiratory viruses as the main system scientist for UKHSA’s internationally recognised, high-profile Respiratory DataMart Surveillance System (RDMS), used for monitoring disease activity and vaccine effectiveness. This is a great opportunity for a technically adept and rigorous data system scientist to join the work of the Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division, due to the planned retirement of the current post holder.

Vaccines are a key strategic priority for UKHSA. The Immunisation and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Division (in the Public Health Programmes Directorate of the Clinical and Public Health Group) is responsible for the national surveillance of most vaccine preventable infections and in providing technical support and clinical expertise to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and to the NHS in planning and delivering the national immunisation programmes. These programmes provide millions of vaccines per year, across the whole life course and are delivered in a range of NHS settings. The division also provides secretariat to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation who recommend any changes to the national immunisation programme and publish “Immunisation Against Infectious Disease” – the single authoritative source of immunisation advice for health professionals.

Job description

The division evaluates the national programme by generating high quality data on disease incidence, vaccine coverage, age-specific immunity, vaccine efficacy and safety and analysis of vaccine policy options (with the statistics and modelling divisions). Surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccine coverage data are vital components of the evaluation of vaccination programmes in the UK. These data inform the understanding of the epidemiology of different infections and the public health impact of vaccination programmes and help develop and improve control strategies.

As a respiratory data system scientist, you will be part of a dynamic national team responsible for delivering the development, management and coordination of enhanced surveillance systems of vaccine preventable diseases, with particular emphasis on disease surveillance systems. You will take lead operational responsibility for the flagship Respiratory DataMart System (RDMS), working under the support and management of a senior epidemiologist and the consultant epidemiologist with overall responsibility for the Respiratory Datamart System.

Respiratory DataMart was established in the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic (Zhao et al, EuroSurveillance 2014) to collect positive and negative results from a newly introduced PCR test from a network of laboratories. It was modified post-pandemic to collect positive and negative results for a wider range of respiratory pathogens, maintaining geographical coverage through a network of NHS and public health laboratories. The negative results and patient level data are critical enablers of high-quality routine surveillance (including by age and short- and long-term trends) and analysis of vaccine effectiveness. Respiratory DataMart is also a valuable source of aggregate data for fitting of scientific models such as transmission dynamic models for vaccine programme impact analysis.

You will be comfortable in statistical programming, coding and the use of dashboard visualisation tools such as SQL, R, PowerBI and R Shiny.

This role involves the management of healthcare datasets and laboratory test data. The post holder will work with others to develop and improve information flows and systems. You will be required to have good working knowledge of the practical application of statistical methods, be highly numerate and have good communication skills.   

Specific responsibilities:

• Provide expert advice and support across a range of public health data.
• Maintain and develop data product tools using SQL, R, Python or other languages.
• Support the development and use of dashboards (eg PowerBI, R Shiny) to facilitate the visualisation and dissemination of data to key stakeholders and the public.
• Planning, managing and delivering on a range of projects requiring potentially complex analytic input, including negotiating and agreeing the most appropriate data output, initiating and planning workloads and setting delivery timescales.
• Analyse and interpret complex data and undertake statistical analyses such as age standardization and significance testing.
• Supporting the analytical work of other members of the Immunisation Division
• Use and develop database queries and spreadsheets to undertake complex analysis.
• Check for data anomalies prior to and during analyses, considering corrective action or bringing to the attention of principle analysts as required.
• Carry out quality assurance of data prepared by others. Take a lead in developing and promoting quality assurance procedures.
• Liaising where necessary with colleagues concerning issues of data quality and effect on analysis. 
• Exercise judgement in interpreting statistics appropriately, especially where the data indicates a negative or contentious situation.
• Communicate analytical/statistical matters to non-analytical/statistical professionals.
• Have expertise in presenting findings of your own analyses to internal and external colleagues.
• Attending local and national meetings with key stakeholders including health intelligence analysts, health improvement and protection colleagues, and partner organisations for UKHSA.
• Actively supporting and participating in networks for public health intelligence specialists.
• Ensuring personal (and promoting team) compliance with corporate policies in relation to security, confidentiality and release of information.
• Performance management of relevant staff within your team as directed

Person specification

For this recruitment campaign we will be assessing the below criteria’s, to view all criteria please refer to the attached job description.

Essential Criteria :

• Educated to first degree level or equivalent relevant experience, preferably in a numerate discipline such as statistics, mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, geography or similar.
• Post-graduate degree or equivalent experience in health intelligence, statistics, or data science.
• Comprehensive skills in the use of at least some of the following: coding/programming (SQL,R, Python), spreadsheets, databases, GIS, statistical software (e.g. R, Stata).
• Significant experience of working with multiple sets of health related data and information systems in health related organisations.
• Experience of developing and using data visualisation tools including dashboards (e.g. PowerBI, R Shiny) for presenting and interpreting complex public health analysis and findings to key stakeholders.
• Knowledge of data security and confidentiality issues
• Ability to create and deliver written and oral presentations, drawing on complex health intelligence, to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to analyse, interpret and present quantitative data.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team, working to instruction and independently, and to use initiative.
• Demonstrated capabilities to manage own workload and make informed decisions in the absence of required information, working to tight and often changing timescales.

Desirable Criteria: 

• Line management experience and an understanding of the principles of good employment practice.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Ability to manage a project team without direct line management responsibility of project team members (matrix working).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,716, UK Health Security Agency contributes £11,533 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 and Sift 

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above 10 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:  

• CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application) 
• 1000 words 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 1000 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 and abilities will be tested at interview . 

There will also be a Technical Test. More details will be provided prior to the interview.

Interviews will be held week commencing 22 July. Please note, the 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 UKHSA's location (London).  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site.  

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 

Reserve List 

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.   

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  

New 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.