About the job

Job summary

The Emerging Pathogen Serology group sits within the Vaccine Development, Evaluation, and preparedness Centre (VDEC) Division of UKHSA Porton. The group was established to function as a high throughput SARS CoV-2 serosurveillance service during the COVID-19 pandemic, where it supported more than 60 different research projects, clinical trials and serosurveillance studies, resulting in over 50 publications. Since its inception, the lab has performed ~1.3 million serology tests, with expansion into different emerging pathogens to support and respond to the recent incidents such as Lassa Fever, Mpox, and H5N1. Much of our work now focusses on immunological assay development, understanding immune responses (humoral/cellular), population-level serosurveillance, and informing vaccine and therapeutic design/policy.

Job description

Key Responsibilities 
The post holder will be expected to have laboratory responsibilities in the following areas: 
1.    Lead on external and internally funded laboratory research, along with the development of independent research projects
2.    Contribute to development and deployment of WGS pipelines to support analysis
3.    Support the identification and sharing of best bioinformatics practice
4.    Accept responsibility for refactoring existing WGS software components
5.    Develop tested, validated and versioned software components for WGS analyses, incorporate into and validate new WGS pipeline versions
6.    To provide training and advice on use and interpretation of bioinformatic tools 
7.    Analyse data from projects to which you are assigned, accepting responsibility for generating reports within agreed timelines
8.    Lead preparation of reports, posters and publications arising from the data
9.    Represent UKHSA at internal, National and International meetings
10.    Provide reports through analysis of data using software and databases as necessary, to meet project targets and for preparation of presentations and publications
11.    Lead in identifying, evaluating and adapting new technologies and scientific techniques where appropriate and ensure that the project operates to a high scientific standard
12.    Perform a range of standard methods/assays/techniques in support of all activities associated with project(s), to ensure project deliverables are met on time and within budget 

Other duties include: 
•    Support in external (e.g., UKRI) and internal funding applications to explore and undertake new areas of research around emerging pathogen immunology/serology
•    Build national and international collaborations with external partners in support of the laboratory through attendance at scientific conferences and workshops
•    Liaise with external/internal collaborators about data, reports, and publications
•    Line manage other junior members of the group and to support them with their research and project work
•    Record, provide, and undertake data analysis as necessary to meet project targets and for preparation of presentations, publications, and reports 
•    Support in the recruitment of new staff
•    Support project management through providing documentation such as costings, project folders and project plans
•    Undertake all assigned work in accordance with UKHSA's Risk Management Systems, policies, and procedures 
•    To perform any other duties required by the Line manager commensurate with grade 
•    To ensure that the project team undertakes work in accordance with UKHSA Code of Safety Practice and to work within any Quality Systems that are applicable to the site 
•    To comply with all UKHSA’s policies and procedures

Our group is now recruiting a fixed term senior research scientist role based at UKHSA Porton Down focussed on sequencing-based serology methods (such as PhIP-seq, PepSeq and MIPSA). This role would suit a candidate with diverse experience in bioinformatics and some experience in serology/immunology for infectious diseases. 
We are a vibrant research group, undertaking diverse research and service testing projects for a range of emerging pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, Lassa, Mpox, Ebola, Marburg, Tick-Borne Encephalitis, West Nile Virus, and many others. In addition to emerging pathogens, we also undertake a number of research projects with the SIREN and PITCH studies on respiratory pathogens such as RSV and Influenza.
Day-to-day, it is expected that this position would involve undertaking various laboratory research projects as aligned with the groups research interests, oversight of individual and group-led research projects, supervision and line management of junior staff and PhD/ undergraduate placement students, facilitating group collaborations, data analysis, and preparation of data for publications, presentations and reports. The successful candidate will be an integral part of the laboratory’s senior management team, aiding in the scientific direction of the group, investigating new areas of research, and applying for additional funding through research grants applications. In addition, as a senior laboratory member within the Emerging Pathogen Serology group, it is expected that the post holder will support and lead the organisation in the event of a public health incident, such as the emergence of new pathogens, requiring considerable flexibility and responsiveness. 
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the division and UKHSA.

Person specification

Essential criteria
•    PhD or equivalent years’ experience in bioinformatics, or similar
•    Familiar with Linux/Unix; proficient on the CLI
•    Knowledge of Next Generation Sequencing technologies and associated bioinformatic analytical approaches.
•    Familiarity with the principles of PhIP-seq, MIPSA, PepSeq and other sequencing based serology methods
•    Experience of developing, modifying, debugging code used for data analysis, preferably python
•    Experience of applying diverse bioinformatics tools, preferably for analysing human serum samples or similar
•    Experience of VCS (e.g., git) for software versioning and documentation
•    Prior experience in writing publications, reports, conference presentations, and ethics and grant applications 
•    Regularly keep up to date with scientific literature where applicable
•    Evidence of prior and ongoing publication record (including preprints)
•    Prior experience of line management and leading of junior scientists within a large team
•    Developing collaborations with internal/external partners

Desirable criteria
•    Demonstrable history of individual research projects with collaborators
•    Demonstrable experience of designing, implementing, testing, and maintaining bioinformatics pipelines for analysis of high-throughput biological data.
•    Experience of managing and analysing large volumes of data in a High-Performance Computing environment
•    Prior experience in working within a team involved in public health incident and responses
•    Experience of supporting the appropriation of new resources and methods to support laboratory research and day-to-day operation
•    Experience assisting junior staff development through supervision and training
•    Previously obtained external funding for research projects

It should be noted that the work of the division is of a confidential nature and must not be communicated to other persons except where required for authorised purposes.

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

Selection Process:  

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Skills and Experience.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

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  1250 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 together.

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

Please do not exceed 1250 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 face to face interview at Manor Farm Road, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JG.

Behaviours, experience and skills will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

•    Seeing the Big Picture
  •    Changing and Improving 
  •    Communicating and Influencing
  •    Working Together

Interview dates TBC.

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

Please note that Hybrid working is not an option at this site. The location is: Manor Farm Road, Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JG.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants). 

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/

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.

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.