Job description

Job responsibilities

The success of the PHM Division will be dependent on two key activities: firstly, the effective and efficient delivery of laboratory microbiology services to the highest scientific, quality and safety standards and, secondly, robust career development of staff. The first of these requires close working with other laboratory functions and with other UKHSA leaders. The second is to ensure career development of all staff groups within the Division. The complementary roles of the PHM Divisions two DDs will cover these, and both individuals are expected to work together to manage the single Division.

The DD PHM Network laboratories will be expected to lead and manage the PHM Division alongside the Deputy Director for Public Health Microbiology (Reference Services), supported by a senior management team who will assist in the management and delivery of laboratory services and associated research and development programmes on a day-to-day basis.

Key responsibilities include the direct management of a team of senior specialists, leadership of a large multidisciplinary team, and acting as a spokesperson and champion for UKHSA on all matters pertaining to public health microbiology laboratories. The Deputy Director will develop strategic partnerships with local, national and international organisations, academia, industry and research funding bodies to maintain and develop world-class expertise in public health microbiology.

The key deliverables are to develop and implement laboratory microbiology activities to reduce the impact of infectious diseases on health, prepare for effective contribution to outbreaks and incidents and to ensure that public health microbiology is at the heart of relevant policies, programmes, and interventions in the UK and internationally.

Main Responsibilities

The post holder is required to:

• Lead and strengthen the Clinical and Scientific aspects of the Public Health Microbiology Division within the Network Laboratories, and the provision of clinical and scientific laboratory services to stakeholders, internal and external, including the public.
• Be responsible for Health and Safety across the PHM Network Laboratories.
• Ensure effective public health microbiology contribution to outbreak response and other efforts to protect health from infectious diseases.
• Ensure the PHM Network Laboratories effective contribution to the delivery of UKHSAs strategic priorities.
• Establish a network model for UKHSA laboratory services to ensure coordination and consistency of PHM service delivery in UKHSA laboratories.

In conjunction with the Deputy Director for Public Health Microbiology (Reference Services), and for those departments under the post holders direct management:

• Management and Leadership: Lead the PHM Division to deliver defined outputs and services safely, to the required quality standards, within budget and on-time.
• Management and Leadership: Ensure the business and budgetary planning processes are fully in place and functioning effectively, reporting to agreed standards and timescales.
• Management and Leadership: Lead and manage change positively, when necessary.
• Management and Leadership: Review services currently delivered in each of the regional, reference and partner PHM laboratories in order to assess future services and how these could be delivered within existing laboratory infrastructure
• Be responsible for policy development in the PHM Division and the creation, implementation and review of clinical guidelines in conjunction with other consultant colleagues and clinical users
• Research & Development: to undertake programmes of research, test and product development and evaluation in the PHM Division that are aligned with the research priorities of UKHSA.
• Research & Development: Take scientific responsibility for development work for the PHM Division.
• Clinical Governance: Ensure that the PHM Division works to the highest standards of Clinical Governance.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with key partners and stakeholders in the UK and internationally.
• Providing input to policymakers in DHSC and other government departments.
• Maintain technical expertise and research commitments and support report writing and relevant peer review publications.

Other Information

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 and / or skills and capabilities outlined in the person specification. You will be required to complete an application form. You will also be asked to provide information within the Employer/ Activity history section of the application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised criteria.

Applicants are strongly advised to use the person specification section as sub-headings in the application to make it clear how you meet each of the selection criteria.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview and assessment, a presentation will form part of this assessment.

STAGE 2 Interview

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will progress to an interview and will be assessed on the essential criteria as advertised.

Option 3 External- 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: SC.

Working for the Civil Service

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.

TheCivil Service Codesets 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'srecruitment principles.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction.Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Its important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:

• life sentences
• arson
• sexual offences
• hate and terror offences

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 9.

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)

If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice

Public Health Specialty Registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC

Reserve List:

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

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email:[email protected].

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission websitehere.

For further information or an informal discussion about the post, please contact: (Professor Deborah Williamson, Director Specialised Microbiology and Laboratories [email protected])

UK Health Security Agency promoted diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunities employer.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualification requirements: MBChB and / or PhD in an appropriate scientific discipline or equivalent experience
• FRCPath
• For medical practitioners: In line with legislation, inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List or inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists at the point of application
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
• Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register, UKPHR register or GDC Specialist List in dental public health must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry to a register at the date of interview
• If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview. If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
• For Clinical Scientists: Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) or demonstration of active work to complete the portfolio within 1 year of appointment in appropriate discipline
• For other professions: Registration with the UKPHR or Consultant level accreditation for nurses or allied health professionals or equivalent
• OR For those from other professional backgrounds professional registration is not required; equivalent level of expertise and experience is required
• Professional Qualification requirements for candidates from a medical, public health or clinical background: For public health consultants: Membership of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) by examination by exemption or by assessment, or equivalent OR Fellowship of the Faculty of Public Health (FPH)
• For Clinical Scientist and other Specialities: For non-medical or Clinical Scientist applicants, qualifications and experience commensurate with a Clinical Scientist of equivalent standing (inclusive of a PhD and substantial appropriate post-doctoral experience and state registration with the HCPC)
• Evidence of continuing professional development (existing consultants must be able to demonstrate active participation in a recognised CPD scheme)
• Public Health consultant applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body

Desirable

• Management / Leadership / Finance qualification

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Strong leadership capability to drive work across a broad portfolio;
• Experience in the management of multidisciplinary teams
• Broad experience and understanding of public health microbiology and virology
• Experience of leading microbiology laboratories
• Experience of managing financial resources

Desirable

• Experience leading complex network of laboratories
• Experience in providing advice for government policy
• Experience of national policy development and implementation
• Evidence of commitment to research and development, e.g. peer reviewed scientific publications

Skills and Capabilities

Essential

• Evidence of managing major change successfully and positively
• Proven skill in people management in mobilising and motivating multi-disciplinary teams to learn, develop and deliver to high standards
• Able to coach teams and individuals to deliver improvement
• Demonstrated ability to operate at pace in a fast-changing complex environment to manage competing priorities effectively
• Proven skills in development of creative and innovative interventions to support the organisation and development of a high performing workforce
• Excellent written and oral communication skills proven when communicating to national and local audiences
• Enthusiastic team player with a can-do attitude
• Comfortable with Information Technology and experienced at introducing and managing Information Systems projects
• Able to relate to all grades of staff.

Equality and Diversity

Essential

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
• Knowledge and understanding of the public sector equality duty (the Equality Act 2010). Understanding of the protected characteristics in terms of both epidemiology and barriers to access are critically important in delivering this role

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants .

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website .

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

UKHSA

National

NW9 5EQ