Job summary

Consultant Epidemiologist, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Health Protection Division, Public Health Wales

Substantive 10 sessions/week or WTE post

Location/base: Negotiable, travel to PHW bases will be required

To complement our team, Public Health Wales is seeking to appoint highly motivated, enthusiastic Public Health Specialists to the positions of Consultant Epidemiologist in the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC) at 10 sessions/week or WTE, in our Health Protection Division on a permanent basis.

The appointee will also be part of the Health Protection Out of Hours Rota providing consultant support regarding incidents and enquiries made to the service.

Candidate must be on the GMC Specialist Register in Public Health, Microbiology or Infectious Diseases Medicine, or UK Public Health Register for Public Health Specialists.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the Medical and Dental Consultant salary scale (£91,722-£119,079) or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 9 (£101,390-£116,673).

Main duties of the job

The Consultant Epidemiologist will join a team of consultants within CDSC, providing surveillance, field epidemiology, research, and teaching and training in the area of infectious disease epidemiology. They will contribute to the CDSC duty rota (in hours), providing leadership and oversight for surveillance and epidemiological investigations. There are also opportunities for developing a research portfolio, working with academic partners, and for teaching and training. This post will be the lead for the Statistics, Data Science and Genomic Epidemiology specialty group, which works to improve data sources, linkage and analysis using data science methods, and to provide genomic epidemiology working with colleagues in pathogen genomics. Wales has shown leadership in genomic epidemiology and has an excellent record of sequencing coverage and international contributions, particularly in the areas of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. The postholder will work with the lead for the Public Health Genomics Programme in developing this area.

About us

Public Health Wales

Public Health Wales is the host organisation that includes the Health Protection Division as part of its Health Protection and Screening Services Directorate. Established in 2009, it provides expert public health advice in relation to disease surveillance, prevention and control; environmental hazard surveillance and control; child protection; promoting health and well-being; health, social care and well-being strategies; public health policy and healthcare planning.

Other functions of Public Health Wales include; child protection, promoting health & well-being, health, social care & well-being strategy, public health policy & healthcare planning.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Job description

Job responsibilities

You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential

Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register or UK Public Health (Specialist) Register If included in the GMC Specialist Register in a specialty other than public health medicine, infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine, infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology practice Applicants who are not yet on the GMC Register/UKPHR 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/UKPHR [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance] Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements in accordance with the requirements of the Faculty of Public Health or other recognised body and be licensed to practise MFPH, or MRCPath, or MRCP

Personal qualities

Essential

Strong commitment to public health principles Strategic thinker Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty Adaptable to situations, can handle people of all capabilities and attitudes Commitment to team-working, and respect and consideration for the skills of others Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative High standards of professional probity

Experience

Essential

Significant experience of health protection, including out of hours on call Practical experience of field epidemiology Practical experience in facilitating change Scientific publications, presentation of papers at conferences, seminars etc. Experience of working with other agencies

Desirable

Experience of health protection at consultant level Project management Staff management and training

Skills

Essential

Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills Excellent oral and written communication skills (including dealing with the public and the media) Effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills Sensible negotiator with practical expectation of what can be achieved Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement policies Expertise in epidemiological and statistical methods Substantially numerate with highly developed analytical skills Computer literate (MS Office, statistical software) Resource management skills

Desirable

Able to develop research proposal and grant applications Budget management skills

Knowledge

Essential

Detailed knowledge of the epidemiology of infectious disease and environmental hazards Familiarity with the symptoms, signs, investigations and treatments used in the diagnosis and management of health protection problems Detailed knowledge of NHS and key agencies involved with health protection Understanding of public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation Knowledge of methods for developing quality assured and evidence based public health practice Knowledge and understanding of information, sources on health and the wider determinants of health Understanding of social and political environment Understanding of laboratory microbiology services Understanding of clinical infectious disease services Understanding of local authorities and social services