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Job summary

Main area
Epidemiology
Grade
Civil Service: Grade 7
Contract
Permanent
Hours
  • Full time
  • Part time
  • Job share
  • Flexible working
37.5 hours per week
Job ref
919-LT-305179-EXT
Employer
UK Health Security Agency
Employer type
Public (Non NHS)
Site
UKHSA Colindale
Town
London
Salary
£58,589 - £68,344 per annum, pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
12/01/2025 23:59

Employer heading

UK Health Security Agency logo

Principal Scientist (Epidemiology)

Civil Service: Grade 7

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:

  • Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
  • Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
  • Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
  • Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
  • Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.

Job overview

UKHSA is pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to work in the Hepatitis Section of the Blood Safety, Hepatitis, STI & HIV (BSHSH) Division of the Clinical & Public Health Directorate. We are recruiting a Principal Scientist to lead the Drugs and Infections team focusing on the surveillance of blood borne viruses (BBVs), behaviours and interventions among people who inject drugs.Ìý

The post holder will provide critical scientific advice and leadership to ensure the highest standards in BBV surveillance and related research; design and implement highly specialised multidisciplinary surveillance systems; provide expert scientific advice on infectious disease outbreaks and BBV exposures; manage large programmes of work across BBV; deliver national surveillance and policy reports and lead on engagement with external stakeholders across the BBV commissioning landscape. The postholder will develop existing research partnerships with external research institutions as well as develop and implement new research proposals and projects.

Main duties of the job

  • Manage and direct the work of the Drugs and Infections team in the Hepatitis Section of the BSHSH Division
  • Lead the co-ordination, management and development of the Unlinked Anonymous Monitoring (UAM) Survey of People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) and other surveillance systems designed to monitor infections and behaviours in this population including needle and syringe provision and severe bacterial infections among PWID
  • Design and lead epidemiological analyses on trends in and risk factors for blood-borne viruses among PWID
  • Provide scientific support to UKHSA’s responses to outbreaks
  • Lead on development of national reports and programme management
  • Liaise effectively with clinical and public health colleagues to influence decision-making Ìý Ìý

Working for our organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.  Ìý

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.  

Detailed job description and main responsibilities


We are recruiting a Principal Scientist to join the hepatitis team in the Blood Safety, Hepatitis, STI and HIV (BSHSH) Division.

The post holder will:

  • Provide critical scientific advice and leadership to ensure the highest standards in blood borne virus (BBV) and other hepatitides surveillance and related research
  • Design and implement highly specialised multidisciplinary surveillance systems
  • Design and lead epidemiological analyses on trends and risk factors
  • Provide expert scientific advice on infectious disease outbreaks and exposures
  • Manage large programmes of work across BBVs and other hepatitides
  • Deliver national surveillance and policy reports, and lead on engagement with external stakeholders across the BBV commissioning landscape.Ìý
  • Manage and direct the work of teams within the hepatitis team and liaise effectively with clinical and public health colleagues to influence decision-making.
  • Develop existing research partnerships with external research institutions as well as develop and implement new research proposals and projects.Ìý
  • Provide support to and work closely with the Immunisation & Vaccine Preventable Disease Division to provide expert public health advice and leadership on vaccine preventable diseases and outbreaks, including those related to hepatitis.

Selection Process Details:

For a full list of essential and desirable criteria, please see the attached job description.

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

Stage 1: Application & SiftÌý

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 14 essential criteria, which have been selected from the job description and this will be in the form of a:

  • Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
  • a 1500 word Statement of Suitability.Ìý

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

Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.ÌýÌý

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on the lead essential criteria:

  • Degree in a relevant scientific subject (e.g. biology) or significant experience of working at a similar level in this fieldÌý

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

Please do not exceed 1500 words. ÌýWe 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 Ìý

There will be a presentation.

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.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.Ìý

Eligibility Criteria

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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our lab/office in Colindale. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using 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) at our Colindale site.

If based at one of our scientific locations you will be required to have a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances UK residency lessÌýthan the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. Ìý

Ìý

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Degree in a relevant scientific subject (e.g. biology) or significant experience of working at a similar level in this field
  • Higher degree in epidemiology/ public health/ microbiology or related discipline
  • PhD or equivalent research experience and substantial post-graduate experience in a relevant field e.g. biology
  • Training in research methods, infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance, prevention and/or public health

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge and work experience of communicable disease epidemiology, surveillance and prevention including STIs and BBVs
  • Broad understanding of and experience of health care systems, public health and the communicable disease function in the UK
  • Creating, validating and managing large databases and datasets
  • Advanced statistical analysis of large and complex datasets, including knowledge and experience with STATA and/or R
  • Writing research protocols, grant applications and scientific reports
  • Preparing and reviewing standard operating procedures, and project plans
  • Presenting scientific papers at national and international meetings and conferences and proven peer review publication record

Skills and Capabilities

Essential criteria
  • Able to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team and motivate and encourage team members
  • Ability to make decisions autonomously, when required, on difficult issues including problem solving, working to tight and often changing timescales.
  • Communicate ideas and methods clearly and succinctly

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Carer Confident -Accomplished

Documents to download

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Lisa Tweedie
Job title
Resourcing Support Officer
Email address
[email protected]
Additional information

For information regarding the role please contact David Leeman, Consultant Epidemiologist [email protected]