Job Summary

We are looking for two Senior Scientists to join the Travel Health and International Health Regulations (IHR) team, which is part of the Chief Medical Advisor group – Epidemic & Emerging Infections Directorate. The Travel Health and IHR team contributes to the health of UK travellers through surveillance, information, teaching and research, and has a central role in supporting UKHSA’s role of National Focal Point under the IHR, and as EU Focal Point under the EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

This is an exciting opportunity to join and work with the team in its two main areas of work: travel health and IHR. The post will include responding to high level international communications, conducting and overseeing data analysis, provision of information and scientific advice to a range of national and international stakeholders, production of scientific publications, teaching, supporting the identification of research priorities and supporting policy development. Close collaboration will be required with other teams in UKHSA responsible for surveillance of disease where travel has a large impact and where international communication may be required. The post holder will also play a pivotal role in supporting the delivery of UKHSA’s Focal Point for communication with the European Commission and National Focal Point role under the IHR for all of the UK territory on behalf of the UK Government.

Job Description

The main duties of the post relate to:

• Managing and responding to international communications, outbreak notifications and requests for information and action including from the European Commission (EC), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), World Health Organisation (WHO) and other WHO Member States and ensuring these are disseminated and responded to appropriately
• Surveillance of illness in returning travellers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, together with timely information outputs in response to outbreaks. The post-holder will be responsible for the development and provision of information on the surveillance of travel-associated illness, including in particular the determination of the burden and distribution of such illness in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and monitoring the progress in reducing the risk of travel-associated illness
  
  
  

The work of the team covers a range of activities and the postholder will work across both the travel health and IHR functions. They will support the national focal point function under the International Health Regulations (IHR) by:

• Contributing to the day-to-day management of IHR National Focal Point inbox and phone line, including responding to international contact tracing situations, drafting notifications for WHO and the European Commission, managing information requests to and from international partners, supervising and advising other scientists as appropriate, UKHSA Incident Management Teams with international communications and ensuring that all emails are responded to appropriately and in a timely fashion.
• Contributing to and supporting other scientists on the Event Information Site (EIS) Duty Scientist rota, ensuring that international public health event information is disseminated within the UK territories efficiently and appropriately and co-ordinating responses, as required.
• Coordinating the UK State Parties Annual Self-Assessment (SPAR) activity report for WHO and support work on the IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.
  
  
  

The postholder will also have key responsibilities within the surveillance and reporting work undertaken by the team. Alongside other members of the team, they will:

• Take scientific responsibility for national surveillance of selected travel-associated infections in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Identify gaps in surveillance activities related to travel-associated infections and contribute to the design and development of new surveillance initiatives in collaboration with other parts of UKHSA.
• Contribute to complex epidemiological analysis and interpretation of surveillance data relating to travel-associated infections and ensure the data outputs for the relevant GOV.UK pages and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), as well as any other ad hoc reports, are timely and accurate.
  
  
  

Alongside routine work undertaken by the team, they also will form an integral part of international event and outbreak response work when required, by:

• Monitoring clusters of infection in UK residents in tourist resorts abroad and conduct appropriate public health responses to these; this may involve communication with wider UKHSA, the tourist industry, other international public health institutions and WHO.
• Undertaking risk assessments in collaboration with National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and UKHSA disease specific teams in response to international outbreaks or natural disasters that may affect UK travellers.
• With other section members and as required, supporting those at local, regional or national level who are managing incidents or outbreaks that have an international dimension and/or are relevant under IHR or which affect the health of travellers specifically.
  
  
  

The postholder will also:

• Contribute to scientific reports and papers for publication
• Produce regular and ad hoc topic specific surveillance reports on a variety of travel-associated infections
• Present at specialist meetings
• Contribute data and expertise to the production of advice and official guidance
• Take part in the provision of travel advice and outputs published by NaTHNaC
• Contribute to teaching and training
• Manage scientific staff and undertake their annual appraisals
  
  
  

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. They may be asked to deputise and cover as necessary for colleagues during annual leave, study leave and other absences and will be expected to be able to work independently.

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

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level qualification or equivalent experience
• Educated to master’s degree level in science or health related topic or equivalent level qualification, or experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Knowledge and experience of using computer and database software packages (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)
• Experience in data management, analysis and reporting
• Experience in scientific report writing and scientific presentations
• Experience of working in epidemiology, communicable disease surveillance, public health or the health sector
• Work as a team member
• Liaise with a range of health and other professionals
• Communicate ideas and methods clearly and succinctly and tailor communication to a broad range of stakeholders including the public
• Identify and solve day-to-day practical problems
• Maintain required levels of confidentiality and handle sensitive issues with tact and understanding
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
  
  
  

Desirable Criteria

• Training in epidemiology and/or public health
• Experience of staff management
  
  
  

Alongside your salary of £44,852, UK Health Security Agency contributes £12,993 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 employer contribution of 28.97%
  
  
  

Selection process details

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your knowledge, experience, skills & abilities.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 12 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• a 1250 word Statement of Suitability.
  
  
  

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.

A lead criteria may be used to help sift if a high number of applicants apply for the role- ‘Experience in data management, analysis and reporting'.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria
  
  
  

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

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

Please do not exceed 1250 words.We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (competancy 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 TBC, 2025

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. 

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Scientific Campus 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). If based at one of our scientific campuses, you will be required to have a minimum of 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 less than 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. 

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.

To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you.

An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.

This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.

If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:

Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check:

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.

Careers website:

Please visit our careers site for more informationhttps://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window) . See our vetting charter (opens in a new window) .

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Parisha Katwa
• Email :
  
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email :
  
  
  

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: 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 website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/