About the job

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for two enthusiastic and capable senior HIV/STI Surveillance and Prevention Scientists to join the Blood Safety, Hepatitis, STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) and HIV Division (BSHSH) of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). We are seeking two epidemiologists to lead on the implementation, management and analysis of data from one or more HIV, STI and hepatitis surveillance systems within the Division. One of the successful candidates will work in the HIV/AIDS Reporting Section on the HIV Action Plan monitoring and evaluation framework and monitor progress towards ending HIV transmission in the UK, focusing on mortality and late diagnosis surveillance and outcomes for people living with HIV. The other successful candidate will work in the Interventions: Evidence and Evaluation Section, on surveillance of hepatitis, HIV and/or sexually transmitted infections. The postholders will develop and implement statistical analyses and metrics and use mixed methodologies to lead on research, evaluate the impact of responsive health protection measures, and will prepare surveillance outputs, scientific reports and articles.

Job description

These posts will require project management and potential management of staff.

The postholders will:-

• be expected to lead on the implementation, management and analysis of data from one or more surveillance systems within the BSHSH Division, and to evaluate various health protection measures to inform and evaluate preventative interventions.
• lead on behalf of the division  on developing and designing datasets, managing the collation and validation of data, and the timely production of outputs (e.g. reports and articles).
•  expected to lead on the analysis of datasets, to provide advice and guidance on specialist aspects of the analyses, to interpret and prepare scientific reports and articles of the results and to undertake further research.
• contribute to the teaching activities of the department.

Person specification

The postholders will undertake tasks in the following areas:
Surveillance and Prevention Monitoring:

1.    Develop and utilise information and intelligence systems to underpin public health action across disciplines and organisations, and lead collation and interpretation of relevant data to develop the most appropriate analyses from a range of sources;
2.    Have responsibility for the development and productivity of one or more information systems in the HIV/STI Department, and spanning departments and organisations when necessary, relating to work-areas;
3.    Undertake specialist and complex analyses of quantitative and/or qualitative datasets which will require selection of the best option from a range of possible solutions;
4.    Analyse and evaluate quantitative and qualitative data and research evidence from a range of sources to make recommendations and inform decision making which may have long-term impacts;
5.    Receive, interpret, provide and advise on highly complex epidemiological and statistical information about the health of populations to the NHS, Department of Health and Social Care and others, and challenge or respond to differing opinions;
Specialist Advice and Evaluation
6.    Influence external agencies in their public health policy decisions by working with complex professional, managerial and population groups and other organisations in the statutory, non-statutory and private sectors

Please find a full list of main responsibilities in the job description document attached to this advert.

Essential criteria 

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject e.g. Data analysis, Epidemiology, Population Health or Public Health OR equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• MSc or equivalent experience in public health, epidemiology, health promotion, health-care research or similar
• Training in research methods, infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and/or public health
• Relevant work experience in public health including time spent undertaking surveillance, behavioural research or health promotion
• Significant experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment
• Evidence of continued professional development
• Experience of communicable disease epidemiology, surveillance and/ or prevention, e.g. HIV or STI
• Demonstrated experience of developing and managing projects in complex and challenging environments, including budgets
• Experience of managing risks and reporting
• Experience of using computers and database software packages (such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, PowerBI)
• Experience of using statistical packages, such as STATA or R
• Experience of interpreting and evaluating epidemiological data
• Experience of data management, analysis and reporting
• Experience of preparing scientific reports and presentations
• Ability to maintain required levels of confidentiality
• Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

For a full list of Essential & Desirable criteria, please refer to role requirments and the attached Job Description. 

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift 

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience, skills and capabilities outlined in the essential criteria.  

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) 
• a 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 separately.

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.

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) based at the UKHSA Colindale 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. 

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.