About the job

Job summary

Senior Biosurveillance Scientist

Grade SEO ( National) - £38,724 to £44,393

UKHSA Porton Down

Permanent Contract

Do you want to join a team that is at the forefront of monitoring and researching diseases that can affect both humans and animals? Are you a scientist with expertise in collecting and testing samples from animals and insects that can carry these diseases? If so, you might be the perfect fit for our Biosurveillance team!

We are part of the VPPC research group, a multidisciplinary team that collaborates with internal and external partners to conduct vector-borne, zoonotic disease surveillance and related research programmes. We use a One Health approach to plan, implement and evaluate surveillance programmes that involve: (i) collecting samples from animals and vectors that can carry diseases (ii) storing and managing the samples in our biobanks and (iii) testing the samples for viruses and reporting the results using various methods. You will help us achieve our team’s goals and work plan.

You should have excellent communication skills and be able to work with different stakeholders, including volunteer/citizen science groups. You should also have experience in designing and delivering vector-borne disease surveillance programmes.

Porton Down – on-site

*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

Job description

Responsibilities section:

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Working with internal and external stakeholders, lead on the design and implementation of vector and animal sentinel surveillance studies, including obtaining ethical approvals. This may involve establishing and running volunteer based/citizen science studies, requiring building networks, maintaining volunteer engagement, overseeing distribution of sampling packs, receipt of samples and sample testing. Develop and coordinate field-based research projects, including conducting wildlife (e.g., rodent and bird) and vector field work studies, including collaborating with the UKHSA’s Medical Entomology and Zoonoses Ecology group
• Implement and utilise a range of sample collection, processing, and analysis methods in support of all activities associated with the project, ensuring that project targets are met
• The post holder will have highly developed communication skills and will be able to liaise effectively and develop excellent working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders (including members of the public), specialist wildlife experts, partners, and organisations. This may involve presenting study information and results to a range of audiences, including through public engagement activities feeding back to stakeholder groups, policy makers and at scientific conferences
• Lead the project team/area to identify, evaluate and adapt new approaches where appropriate and to ensure that the project operates to a high scientific standard using current methods
• Establish links and collaborations within and outside the UKHSA as necessary to benefit the project and/or department
• Maintain and establish links and collaborations within and outside UKHSA as necessary to benefit the project area
• Provide reports through analysis of data using software and databases as necessary, to meet project targets and for preparation of presentations and publications
• Support the epidemiological investigation of incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases, supporting local health protection teams and in collaboration with other partners as required
• The post holder will be required to hold a valid driving licence of use in the UK
• The post holder will be required to travel in the UK and may be required to travel overseas

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Please see full duties and responsibilities attahced

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1250 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:

Essential

• BSc or equivalent years’ experience in subject area and methods used, e.g., disease ecology, eco-epidemiology, entomology, molecular biology, serology, related field work, meta-data analysis
• Significant experience in vector , wildlife and/or sentinel surveillance, including field and laboratory-based techniques
• Experience of developing and coordinating complex field-based research projects in potentially challenging environments with sometimes changing priorities and tight deadlines
• Extensive knowledge and practical experience of ELISA and RT-PCR techniques, including application of methods for high volume sample processing
• Experience of biobank database development and maintenance, data manipulation and management, data visualisation (including GIS) and statistical analysis methods
• Good understanding and experience of safe working practices

Desirable

• PhD or equivalent years’ experience in or higher qualification in subject area and methods used, e.g., disease ecology, eco-epidemiology, entomology, molecular biology, serology, related field work, meta-data analysis
• Experiences of contributing to large scale vector-borne disease and/or zoonosis surveillance programmes using a variety of methods, including citizen science
• Skills in data handling, statistical analysis, and experience of modelling. Coding in ‘R’ or other statistical programming language.
• Previous experience in similar role in public sector

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,724, UK Health Security Agency contributes £10,455 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: 

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 an interview by video. 

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:

• Making effective decisions
• Leadership
• Communicating and influencing
• Working together

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 19th 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.