About the job

Job summary

Scientist – Discovery Team

Grade HEO (National) - £30,473 - £37,215

Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG

Permanent

UKHSA-Porton plays an important role in preparing for and coordinating responses to potential healthcare emergencies, including possible acts of deliberate release.

In addition, the centre undertakes both basic and applied research into understanding infectious diseases and manufactures a number of healthcare products, including vaccines and therapeutics.

The Vaccine Development and Evaluation Division at Porton has approximately 250 staff, performing a range of research activities, including high containment level work. The department’s work covers a broad range of projects involving the development and evaluation of interventions into a range of infectious diseases e.g., TB, meningitis, anthrax, plague, and emerging viral diseases.

The Discovery Group aims to discover and evaluate existing and novel therapeutics to protect against and treat Tuberculosis, AMR, and emerging pathogens. Group activities range from the characterisation of novel resistance mechanisms by understanding the links between genotype, phenotype, and resistance, discovery and evaluation of new antibiotics, vaccines for AMR, alternatives to antibiotics/reduction in antibiotic usage, and novel molecular technologies that underpin our understanding of AMR pathogens and the discovery of therapeutics.

Job description

The post holder is required to work on projects and in teams responsible for delivering scientific and technical activities associated with the culture and manipulation of mycobacterial species, AMR/emerging pathogens, particularly in the context of drug discovery and evaluation research. The post- will provide expertise in microbiological/molecular techniques at ACDP Containment Levels 2 & 3. The person in this role is expected to help the team respond to external requests for drug evaluation with academia, industry, and other public-sector bodies.

The post-holder will also be involved in the optimisation and establishment of new methods and technologies for evaluation of antimicrobial compounds, with a focus on AMR pathogens.

The post-holder will have the opportunity to supervise ACDP2 and/or ACDP3 laboratories, maintaining a safe working environment, assessing risks, and organising the provision of consumables and reagents. There will also be some supervision of junior members of staff. 

Location

This is a Lab based role at our Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG lab.

*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 – 37.5 per Week

Job description

Key Responsibilities:

• Implement and utilise a range of drug development methods/assays/techniques and in support of all activities associated with the project aimed to ensure project targets are met.
• To be a scientist in the preclinical evaluation of compounds against mycobacteria and AMR/emerging pathogens; under high containment.
• Contribute to the provision of reagents and consumables required for project area
• Assist the project team in identifying, evaluating, and adapting new technologies where appropriate and to ensure that the project operates to a high scientific standard
• Contribute to the supervision and training of junior staff allocated to the project as required
• Record findings in a lab notebook and provide reports through analyses of data using software and databases as necessary, to meet project targets and for preparation of presentations and publications
• To perform any other duties required by the Line manager and the Senior Line Manager, commensurate with grade
• To ensure that the project team undertakes work in accordance with the UKHSA's Code of Safety Practice and to work within any Quality Systems that are applicable to the site
• To supervise laboratories (ACDP 2&3); duties to include scenario/observational audits, keeping lab codes of practice up to date, and assessing risks associated with lab activities.
• To maintain health and safety competence to the national occupational standard 'Make sure your actions reduce risks to health and safety' (NOS HSS1)

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 your line manager. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department and UKHSA.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 500 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:

This is a research scientist post and is not a suitable position for those wishing to complete their BMS portfolio and HCPC registration.

Essential

• Education to BSc levels in an appropriate biological science.
• MSc or PhD in a relevant area.
• Established practical and/or theoretical knowledge of tuberculosis, antimicrobial resistance, and mycobacterial physiology, including knowledge of carbon metabolism.
• Practical experience of culturing bacteria in complex systems for a research project, ideally fermentation experience.
• Experience of Quality and health and safety systems.
• Ideally, experience of working at ACDP containment level 3.
• Experience in aspects of molecular biology used in a microbial research project; for example, DNA techniques, whole genome sequencing, flow cytometry, RNA analyses.
• Experience of analyses of biological data including the use of statistics.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. Ability to work in teams. Experience of successfully working as part of a team on research projects. Can demonstrate the attributes of a good team player, which includes evidence of appropriate and respectful behaviours towards team members at all levels.
• Adaptable during busy periods or as required by the dynamics and requirements of the team. Able to work flexibly to meet deadlines. Self-motivating, organised, and meticulous. Willing to undertake further training.
• Experience in writing up experiments in a lab notebook. Experience of creating and giving presentations.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Desirable

• Experience of cell culture and macrophage infection.
• Good knowledge of statistical tools and experience of e.g., R, Excel, transcriptomics/RNAseq, DNA sequence, flow cytometry analyses tools.
• Experience of working on collaborative projects and the ability to communicate with external collaborators and customers, which includes delivering project objectives to a deadline and reporting on project progress both in written form and verbally. This requires professionalism in the delivery.
• Experience in scientific writing e.g., creating reports, and publications.

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

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised essential criteria – 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 a face-to-face interview.

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:

• Working Together

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 8th February 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: TBC

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

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.