About the job

Job summary

The Blood Safety, Hepatitis, STI and HIV (BSHSH) Division is the national centre for surveillance of hepatitis, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in England.

As a Scientist the postholder will be part of a dynamic team responsible for delivering the development, management and coordination of surveillance systems of communicable diseases, focusing on hepatitis. The postholder will support the data collection and validation, and production of routine surveillance intelligence in these areas.

The main responsibilities of the postholder will be to maintain and develop hepatitis surveillance systems, working closely with a wide variety of professionals both within and outside UKHSA to ensure high quality data. The postholder will oversee the co-ordination of requests for data associated with hepatitis, the production of regular and ad hoc outputs from these systems for inclusion in routine national and international reports and information requests from external stakeholders. The role requires liaising with stakeholders within the organisation and outside to lead on the mandatory reporting, quality assurance and standard processes. The postholder will have strong data management skills, ideally with experience in surveillance data. The postholder must have excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively both autonomously and within a team.

The BSHSH Division aims to:

• Describe trends in the incidence and prevalence of hepatitis, STIs and HIV, especially in important behavioural population sub-groups;
• Describe trends in the incidence and prevalence of all infections transmissible through blood, tissue and organ donations;
• Provide national reference and specialist microbiology and virology services, for public health, clinical and diagnostic purposes;
• Monitor the outputs and effectiveness of hepatitis, STI and HIV prevention activities and programmes and support development of national policy;
• Provide information for local needs assessment, service commissioning and evaluation, and to guide prevention activities aimed at reducing risk behaviours and interrupting infection transmission, including through blood, organ and tissue donation;
• Investigate national and uncommon outbreaks, respond to international health alerts, and provide advice on the risks posed;
• Train those working in blood safety and in hepatitis, STI and HIV surveillance, monitoring and prevention,
• Lead and contribute to research in hepatitis, STI and HIV epidemiology, diagnostics, and infection prevention and control.

Job description

Location

This role is based in the UKHSA Colindale office, 61 Colindale Avenue, London, NW9 5EQ

The UK Health Security Agency (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 one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London). 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.

*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, Part Time, Job Share, Flexible Working

Responsibilities section:

As a Surveillance and Prevention Scientist your main responsibilities will include:

• Develop, maintain and document (standard operational procedures) the surveillance systems
• Planning, organising and delivering on a range of data requests requiring analytic input, including negotiating and agreeing the most appropriate data output, initiating and planning workloads and setting delivery timescales
• Support senior staff in the management and continued development of surveillance databases.
• Support senior staff in the management of outbreak investigations, liaising with internal and external stakeholders.
• Perform all work in cognisance of data protection requirements and the need to maintain confidentiality and security of surveillance information
• Understanding which are the key local and national stakeholders with an interest in hepatitis data both within and outside UKHSA. Attending meetings with key local stakeholders, representing the hepatitis team and BSHSH department at events
• Communicate effectively specialist information with colleagues
• Using a variety of methods including written briefings and oral presentations to communicate the implication of public health analytical outputs for action to improve local population health to internal and external stakeholders from a range of backgrounds
• Working collaboratively as part of the analytical capacity. Assisting colleagues in the delivery of the analytical work programme and with colleagues in other analytical teams in UKHSA as required

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 review the job description for a full list of roles and responsibilities.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 750 words that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description, you must review this to produce your statement of suitability):

Essential

• First degree in a relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Data management, analysis and reporting as well as significant experience of working with multiple sets of data and information systems in health or related
• Knowledge of data security and confidentiality issues
• Work on several separate tasks at the same time, whilst keeping to agreed deadlines; identify and solve day-to-day practical problems
• Analysing, summarising and interpreting complex epidemiological data, and resolving problems
• Ability to work independently and take responsibility for own technical work and time and to work as an effective team member
• Communicate ideas and methods clearly and succinctly to include excellent oral and written communication skills
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

 Desirable

• Post-graduate degree and / or equivalent or significant experience related to health information
• Experience of working as part of an outbreak investigation
• Experience of scripting and applied use of statistical computing environments such as R, SAS, STATA, SPSS, Mathematical or equivalent

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

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 full list of essential criteria as detailed in the attached job description – 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 post 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.

Expected Timeline:

Advert close: 23:55hrs on 28th January 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: w/c 5th February 2024

Interviews: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change. 

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.