Consultant Microbiologist or Consultant Clinical Scientist

Job summary

The UKHSA microbiology laboratory in Cambridge is a directly managed public health laboratory based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The laboratory functions as part of the UKHSA regional laboratory network and partners similar facilities in Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester as well as the collaborating centres in Newcastle, Brighton and Leeds.

The appointee will work with colleagues to enable the laboratory to fulfil its role as a Regional public health laboratory and to contribute to the provision of the local clinical microbiology service in microbiology within Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They will also promote the high quality care of communicable diseases within the local area and more widely in the East of England.

Applicants will be expected to have relevant qualifications and experience in providing specialist microbiology services and the clinical management of communicable disease and its application to public health.

Any medical applicants must have Full and Specialist registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) (with a license to practice) for Medical Microbiology, or be eligible for registration within six months of interview. Consultant Clinical Scientists should have HCPC registration and have exited HSST training programme or provide evidence that completion is expected within 6 months of interview. Applicants wishing to work less than full time are welcomed.

Job description

Clinical
• Provision with colleagues of a service to healthcare providers contracting with the UKHSA laboratory, primarily Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) NHS Foundation Trust, with responsibility for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of infection, and the proper functioning of the department
• Out-of-hours responsibilities, including participation in the Consultant on-call rota
• Work closely with regional and national UKHSA colleagues, particularly those in the Health Protection Team and Field Epidemiology Unit, to optimise the department’s contribution to public health
• Cover for colleagues' annual leave and other authorised absences
• Participate in medical audit, UKHSA and the Trust’s Clinical Governance processes and in CPD
Education and Training
• Professional supervision and management of junior medical staff
• All clinical staff are encouraged to undertake a formal “Training the Trainers” course

Research
• Engagement in research

Leadership and Management
• To act in a professional manner and as a role model to other staff members
• To perform your duties to the highest standard with particular regard to efficient and effective use of resources, maintaining quality and commitment to drive improvements

For full details, please see attached Job Description & Person Specification.

Person specification

Accountability
The post is professionally accountable to the Clinical Services Director of the UKHSA Laboratory, Cambridge (currently Dr Jenifer Mason) and to the Medical Director of Cambridge University Hospitals (currently Dr Sue Broster) for Trust clinical governance matters. It is managerially accountable to the UKHSA Chief Scientific Officer, via the Clinical Services Director and Deputy Director of the Public Health Microbiology Division.

Key Working Relationships
The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include:
• The UKHSA Clinical Services Director, Head of Laboratory Operations, Network Business Managers, and other senior staff of UKHSA.
• Consultant microbiologists and virologists, clinical scientists, BMS and other staff employed at the Cambridge laboratory.
• Consultant clinical staff and medical trainees at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Papworth NHS Foundation Trust and other service users contracting with the laboratory.
• General Practitioners and other Primary Care staff within the catchment areas of the above hospitals and who may have contracts and service level agreements with the Cambridge laboratory.
• Infection control nurses and other senior nursing, paramedical and administrative staff in the Trusts and other healthcare providers served by the laboratory.
• Consultant microbiologists and other health care staff in the wider East of England.
• Senior NHS public health staff, including Directors of Public Health in the Region
• EHOs and other Local Authority staff in the Region
• Local Occupational Health Services

Job Plan
A formal job plan will be agreed between the appointee and their Divisional Director or agreed delegate, on behalf of the Medical Director, three months after the commencement date of the appointee and will be effective from the commencement date of the appointment.

The job plan for the first three months will be based on the provisional timetable shown in the table below. Clinical duties are split between Laboratory-based consultant and ward-based consultant. The Laboratory consultant predominantly provides clinical advice, report validation, trainee supervision and laboratory liaison. The Ward-based consultant predominantly undertakes MDTs and stewardship ward rounds. Opportunities to develop areas of interest can be discussed on appointment.

The job plan will then be reviewed annually. The job plan will be a prospective agreement that sets out a consultant’s duties, responsibilities and objectives for the coming year. It should cover all aspects of a consultant’s professional practice including clinical work, teaching, research, education and managerial responsibilities. It should provide a clear schedule of commitments, both internal and external. In addition, it should include personal objectives, including details of their link to wider service objectives, and details of the support required by the consultant to fulfil the job plan and the objectives.

Desk space in a shared office with a desktop computer will be provided. The hospital and department computer network can be accessed from any computer workstation and remotely from home. Consultants share access to department administrative staff.

For full details, please see attached Job Description & Person Specification.

Benefits

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

NHS Pension
This role is offered under Agenda for Change (AFC) Terms and Conditions:
• If you are already on AFC T&Cs or accept the role on a fixed-term contract, you will be enrolled in the NHS Pension Scheme or keep your current AFC Pension.
• If you take the role on a loan or temporary promotion, you will retain your existing substantive T&Cs.
• If the role is available under either AFC or Civil Service T&Cs depending on your registration, your pension scheme will align accordingly.

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.

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

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 by definition internal applicants).

Application & Sift

This vacancy is using Competencies.

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the job advert and attached Job Description & Person Specification.

You will be required to complete an:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• (up to 1500 number of words) word supporting statement

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1500 words.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible)

Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a face to face/remote interview. If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Interviews are planned to be held Friday 7th August, please note this date may be subject to change.

During the interview we will assess against the below:

Knowledge
Experience
Skills and Abilities

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

Successful candidates for this role must pass an enhanced disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

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.

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 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 : Dr Jenifer Mason, Clinical Service Director
• Email : jenifer.mason2@nhs.net

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

Attachments

UKHSA Cambridge Con Microbiologist April 2026 JD FINAL Opens in new window (pdf, 232kB)