Associate Non-Executive Member

Job summary

The Advisory Board of the UKHSA Health Security Agency is seeking to appoint an Associate Non-Executive member to contribute to the work of the Advisory Board and its Committees. Associate Non-Executive members have a crucial role and are appointed to provide independent and constructive challenge to enable the Board to achieve its responsibilities.

UKHSA provides scientific and operational leadership, working with local, national and international partners to protect the public’s health and build the nation’s health security capability.

UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

We are a centre of scientific and operational excellence in health protection. Our reach is local, national and global as we collaborate and share learning across the NHS and wider health and care system and with partners to improve health security worldwide. The threats we protect against range in type, scale and intensity, covering infectious diseases – from pathogens with pandemic potential to everyday infections such as measles – and environmental threats including radiation, chemical, nuclear and extreme weather events.

This is an exciting time to be joining UKHSA, which was formed from four previous organisations at the height of Covid and has since radically downsized and stabilised. In the context of volatile geo-politics, climate change, increasing human mobility and changes in societal attitudes, our next three year strategy is crucial in fulfilling our broad public health remit. The successful candidate will be exposed to leading edge scientific activity and an expansive learning opportunity as part of a diverse board.

Diversity at UKHSA is about reflecting the communities we serve, holding the principles of equality and inclusion at the heart of everything we do and all that we stand for, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together. We aim to foster a culture where individuals of all backgrounds feel confident in bringing their whole selves to work, feel included and their talents are nurtured, empowering them to contribute fully to our purpose.

Job description

Having been created during the Covid pandemic in 2021, UKHSA is in the process of developing a new three year strategy which will be prioritised to reflect the current context. This will be led by the Executive team and our new Chief Executive, Susan Hopkins, with input, guidance and constructive challenge from the Advisory Board.

For most of UKHSA’s work, our remit covers England as health protection is largely a devolved policy area. We hold some UK-wide responsibilities on reserved matters where the UK government has retained policy responsibility.

Details of UKHSA’s Governance structure, including previous Advisory Board minutes, can be found at: Our governance - UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK

All Associate NEMs must be independent of management and able to allocate sufficient time to the Board to discharge their responsibilities effectively. This includes ensuring that high standards of corporate governance are observed at all times and ensuring that the Agency operates in an open, accountable and responsive way.

As an Associate NEM, you will:

• Contribute to the development of the Agency’s strategic direction and strategic objectives, taking into account your own understanding of the external environment that could impact on the achievement of these objectives.
• Contribute to the governance of the Agency by ensuring that independent oversight is maintained on the Agency’s operational effectiveness, patient engagement, risk management, financial efficiency and working relationship with key stakeholders.
• Monitor the overall performance of the Agency and advise UKHSA’s Executive on the delivery of the agreed strategic imperatives and business plan objectives.
• Become an active and constructive member of at least one of the four UKHSA Board Committees and ideally take on at least one special interest role, so that the Board can benefit from independent, specialist expertise built outside the Agency.
• Act as an ambassador for the Agency at all times and help connect the Agency with stakeholders in other organisations when appropriate. Individual NEMs may be asked to represent the Agency in external meetings in some situations, but only with the prior agreement of both the Chair and the Chief Executive.
• Identify any matters that may adversely affect the reputation or public trust in the Agency’s work, through a broad understanding of the wider UK and international environment in which the Agency operates.
• Act as a “critical friend” by providing independent counsel, support and constructive challenge to members of the Executive Committee without straying into the day-to-day management of the organisation.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

To be considered, you must be able to demonstrate that you have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment:

• A career track record of achievement in a significant senior role in either the public or private sector.
• An ability to operate effectively on the board of a significant national organisation, with the highest standards of personal propriety in relation to governance, accountability and conduct.
• Demonstrable interest in the work of the UKHSA, and particularly in the development of new and improved methods of prevention, detection and response to infectious diseases and other threats to the nation’s health.
• Excellent communication skills, sound judgement and demonstrable experience of strategic thinking, with the ability to scrutinise and challenge complex proposals constructively.

Desirable Criteria

We would particularly welcome applications from candidates with a background in a senior role in HR, workforce planning and/or change management.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

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/

BENEFITS

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. 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.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

Application Stage:

You will be required to submit a CV and Supporting Statement. You will be assessed on essential criteria.

• A CV
• A Supporting Statement setting out how you meet each of the criteria set out in the person specification (no more than 1500 words).

Please send your CV and Supporting letter to corpgovernance.secretariat@ukhsa.gov.uk by 23:55 on the 26th January 2026.

Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview. Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Interview Stage:

You will be invited to a single face to face interview from Late February 2026 (please note, this date may be subject to change). In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

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.

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.

For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

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

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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 : Hannah Frude, Board Secretary
• Email : corpgovernance.secretariat@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : scs.mdrecruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

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: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk 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/

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