Deputy Director for Data Science, Geospatial and Analytical Innovation

Job summary

The Deputy Director role provide strategic leadership and direction across substantial areas of UKHSA business. The postholder will be accountable for delivering cross-cutting objectives, influencing senior stakeholders (including Ministers), and ensuring policy and operational delivery meets Government priorities. The Deputy Director operates in ambiguous and politically sensitive environments, providing authoritative advice, taking decisions with significant implications for public expenditure, policy direction, or UKHSA reputation. The Deputy Director defines the vision for analysis across a whole division. They shape analytical strategy, influence policy at ministerial level and across UKHSA, champion professional standards, and ensure the analytical workforce is capable, impactful, and aligned to government priorities.

The Data Science, Geospatial and Analytical Innovation Division brings together UKHSA’s core expertise in advanced data science, geospatial, and innovative analytical methods. The division develops and operationalises cutting‑edge tools, models, and analytical approaches, including generative AI, machine learning, advanced statistical methods, and modern GIS, to enhance public health decision‑making, strengthen surveillance, and drive operational efficiency.

For full details, please refer to the attached Candidate Pack.

Job description

Key responsibilities will include:

• Providing strategic and functional leadership across the division and directorate.
• Setting the vision, priorities, and culture for excellence.
• Ensuring work underpins agency objectives and priorities.
• Potentially overseeing a civil service profession as UKHSA Head of Profession.
• Representing UKHSA in cross-government meetings and boards.
• Ensuring compliance with government standards for analysis and assessment (where applicable).
• Securing resources, capability, and professional development opportunities.
• Providing senior assurance and accountability for advice to senior officials.
• Providing strategic leadership for UKHSA’s data science, geospatial, and analytical innovation capability, ensuring high‑quality, impactful analytical products aligned to organisational priorities.
• Overseeing delivery of advanced analytical tools, methods, and services, including data science projects, geospatial systems, and innovative AI‑ and ML‑driven approaches.
• Ensuring effective stewardship of analytical standards, tooling, and infrastructure, modernising UKHSA’s analytical ecosystem and promoting best practice across the agency.
• Strengthening cross‑organisational collaboration, ensuring data science, geospatial analysis, and innovative methods support surveillance, operational response, and strategic decision‑making.

For full details, please refer to the attached Candidate Pack.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Bachelor’s degree or higher with significant analytical content (e.g., statistics, data science, epidemiology, or similar), or at least 6 years of relevant experience in a comparable analytical or health-related field.
• Proven experience in strategic leadership across large, complex organisations.
• Experience shaping analytical or professional strategies.
• Ability to set vision and priorities, aligning work to organisational objectives.
• Track record of building high-performing, inclusive teams and fostering a positive culture.
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills at senior levels.
• Experience representing an organisation at internal and external senior meetings.
• Demonstrated ability to manage resources and capability at scale.
• Ability to provide authoritative advice in politically sensitive or ambiguous environments.
• Expertise in integrating AI innovation, operational research, and geospatial analysis.
• Experience leading Data science transformation.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and fostering collaboration across analytical divisions.

This role will influence the following key stakeholders:

Internal

• Director of Analysis and Intelligence Assessment
• CEO (where appropriate)
• UKHSA Heads of Functions (e.g. in Chief Operating Officer, Chief Medical Adviser and Chief Scientific Officer Groups)
• Chief Data Office Directors and Deputy Director peers

External

• Government departments and organisations e.g. Government Digital Service
• Academic leaders and research bodies
• Devolved Administrations, Departments and Organisations.
• International bodies and Government
• Private sector leaders

For full details, please refer to the attached Candidate Pack.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £81,000, UK Health Security Agency contributes £23,465 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%

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of
• an Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• a 1000 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.

The Application Form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist against the essential criterion of: Experience leading Data science transformation.

Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered.

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

Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a (single) face to face interview (in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview).

Behaviours, technical and experience will be tested at interview.

There will be a 5-minute presentation, based on Technical and Experience, the topic of which will be confirmed prior to the interview. Slides will be permitted.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Interviews are currently planned to be held from 20 July 2026 TBC. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

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 must pass a disclosure and barring security 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.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance.

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 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC).

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.

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.

If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 2 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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 security 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 : Olly Clifton-Moore, Director, Analysis & Intelligence Assessment
• Email : Olly.Clifton-Moore@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

Attachments

SCS1 Candidate Pack DD Data Science, Geospatial and Analytical Innovation Opens in new window (pdf, 772kB)