About the job

Job summary

The Senior Scientist works closely with senior epidemiologist colleagues to provide epidemiological and data management support across a number of topic areas; and to the epidemiological investigation of incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases and routine, supporting local Health Protection Teams and in collaboration with other partners.  This will include supporting and managing the technical and analytical aspects of epidemiological outbreak investigations and supporting a team in carrying out these tasks.

The interface with local, regional and national colleagues, as well as with external stakeholders, will be an important feature of this role.

Job description

Specific duties of the role may vary depending on the site and teams/functions.

Surveillance and Data Analysis

• Identify surveillance needs within given lead areas, create surveillance system specifications, conduct complex statistical analyses and interpret surveillance data, making appropriate recommendations, develop automated routines and solutions and supervise / assure on the preparation, quality and delivery of routine and ad hoc surveillance reports.
• Respond to complex or sensitive data requests.

 Outbreak Support and Epidemiological Investigations

• Where appropriate, lead and manage the technical and analytical (including data management) aspects of epidemiological outbreak investigations, including the supervision of the investigation of exceedances, e.g. write protocol of analytical studies, contribute to the production of outbreak control team reports and train interviewers.

Statistical and Software Skills

• Apply a range of common statistical tests and algorithms including time trend analysis and translate statistical processes into automated solutions where appropriate
• Use common statistical/database/mapping/web tools such as Stata, R, ArcGIS, network analysis, SQL and SharePoint in routine reports, surveillance activities and the development of solutions and undertake complex analytical and programming tasks using common and specialist software packages to support data extractions, analysis and validation

Audit, Quality and Governance

• Advise on quality and governance issues including information security for all aspects of Field Service work, evaluating existing systems and acute response to incidents and outbreak, and use to improve standards and consistency across the team.
• Contribute to the Field Service quality programme such as through audit and be responsible for the quality of data collected, stored and extracted and transferred.

Research and project management

• Support/lead and facilitate the delivery of projects using a framework to ensure they are well planned, efficiently implemented, predetermined benefits are realised and associated risks mitigated
• Project manage research studies, analysing datasets with appropriate methodology to answer research questions, supported by the systematic review of literature and with knowledge of how to develop a grant proposal, and apply for ethical approval.
• Present at scientific conferences, programme area meetings and other for a and publish and present scientific papers on public health surveillance, outbreaks and infectious disease control in collaboration with health, public health, academic and other partners

Management and Leadership

• Contribute to specified quality improvement and governance initiatives as agreed.
• Actively engage in meetings with internal and external colleagues, identify potential problems and seek to resolve and undertake a lead role for a specific topic or function area, on behalf of the service as a whole
• Support defined areas of work as agreed with line manager as well as the development of policies and protocols for use within the team/departments
• Undertake line management responsibilities as agreed, contribute to the supervision and training of junior staff allocated to the team and act as a role model adhering to UKHSA Values and Behaviours.
• Contribute to teaching/training programmes and activities (including to the development of teaching
• material and courses) on surveillance, epidemiology information science, data management, information governance and quality and support ongoing training activities within the team and Service.
• Deal with at times, challenging and/or conflicting subject matter problems in day to day workload referring/escalating to line management as appropriate.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• The post holder will identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with their line manager through appraisal / individual development plan. Attending internal / external training events.
• To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. safeguarding, fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

OTHER DUTIES

• 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 the directorate.
• The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.

COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will build and maintain effective working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA.  This may include:

• UKHSA NICC Cells
• Field Service and Field Services staff
• Health Protection Ops Group staff including:
• PAN Regional
• Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Science Group staff including:
  • Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards
• ICT and Digital staff
• NHS England
• NHS Improvement
• NHS Digital
• Office for Health Improvement and Disparities staff (OHID)
• Test and Trace Programme including Joint Biosecurity Centre
• Scientific and academic staff in national, regional and local institutions
• Agencies contributing to environmental hazards surveillance and members of the public.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

Education and Qualifications

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area (in the maintenance, analysis of data)
• MSc in Epidemiology, public health or allied discipline or equivalent level of experience/education 
• Completion of the Field Epidemiology Training Programme or equivalent training and experience

Knowledge and Experience

• Knowledge of principles and practice of surveillance, including data management, data transmission, data security, data quality, data analysis including descriptive statistics and graphics and data reporting
• Experience of interpreting and evaluating epidemiological data, sensitive health data analyses and performing analytical epidemiology
• Demonstrable experience of public health, health protection or epidemiology
• Knowledge and experience of common statistical tests, modelling and analyses and interpret results appropriately, including for research purposes
• Experience of using epidemiological and statistical software packages
• Knowledge of health and social care environment, and roles and responsibilities within it including information flows in the NHS and allied services
• Experience of effective line management.

Skills and Capabilities 

• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with co-workers and key stakeholders 
• Understanding of information governance including data protection and confidentiality requirements 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with proven presentation and scientific report writing skills
• Understand of information governance including data protection and confidentiality requirements
• Proficient in common statistical/database/mapping tools such as STATA, R, GIS, network analysis, SQL, etc.
• Able to work under own initiative, seek out new information and new ways to develop yourself as well as to respond to sudden unexpected demands whilst maintaining a professional calm and efficient manner

Equality and Diversity

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of research activities with one or more first author publications in peer reviewed journals
• Experience of teaching epidemiology and/or surveillance.

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

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 & Sift

Competency-based assessments

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

• an Application Form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• a 1000 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, knowledge and experience evidence your suitability for the role - with reference to the essential criteria. 

The Application and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered.

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 (competency based)

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview 

Interviews will be held week commencing 15th July. Please note, these 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 Bristol office location.  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs. 

Eligibility Criteria 

External 

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

 

Disability Confident scheme 

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. 

 

Reserve List clause 

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.