Epidemiological Analyst

Job summary

The main responsibilities of the postholder will be to develop and maintain enhanced surveillance systems for vaccine preventable diseases, working closely with a wide variety of professionals from both within and out of UKHSA to ensure high quality data. They will understand vaccines, how they work and their utility in the national immunisation programme. They will be proficient at using different database platforms and tools (R, MS Access and SQL) and experienced in using statistical packages for performing epidemiological analyses and writing scientific papers for publication. They will produce regular and ad hoc outputs from these systems for inclusion in routine national and international reports, information requests and peer review articles. They will be comfortable presenting research work at local and national meetings and conferences. They will also manage the disease-specific web pages on the UKHSA website, ensuring that the old content is reviewed and updated in a timely manner. They will be responsible for supporting other departmental staff in website maintenance, developing infectious disease surveillance databases, database querying and report running.

Working for your organisation

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

Job description

The postholder will:

• Maintain and develop surveillance systems and databases with relevant scientific, clinical, laboratory and Health Protection colleagues.
• Create queries and validation checks to remove duplicates and improve data quality and completeness.
• Liaise with stakeholders, clinicians, laboratories and HPTs regarding surveillance data, cases and outbreaks.
• Maintain UKHSA website pages and dashboards, ensuring content is validated and meets relevant guidelines.
• Run database queries and prepare annual surveillance reports.
• Support ad hoc queries, Parliamentary Questions and other information requests.
• Help prepare annual datasets for international organisations, including WHO and ECDC.
• Maintain disease-specific Reference Manager databases with scientific and medical staff.
• Contribute to scientific papers and reports for the Department of Health and JCVI as required.
• Present surveillance data and findings at internal and national meetings and conferences.
• Support databases and websites for other infectious disease surveillance projects.
• Undertake other duties as required by the line manager or Head of Department.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Maintain continuous professional development in line with relevant professional, statutory and service requirements.

Agree performance, training and development needs with your line manager through appraisal and development planning. Attend relevant training, share data science practices and promote best practice.

Complete all required mandatory training, including fire safety and information governance.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Develop effective relationships and communicate regularly with clinical and non-clinical stakeholders within and outside UKHSA, including:

Internal

• Vaccine coverage, safety and effectiveness teams
• Immunisation Division
• Reference Laboratories and Data and Information Systems
• ICT and Digital
• Public Health Data Science
• Local and Regional Services and Health Protection Teams

External

• NHS laboratories
• NHS Digital, NHS England, NHS Improvement, DHSC and NIMS
• Child Health Records, Screening and Immunisation teams, PHEC staff, Directors of Public Health and immunisation leads
• Other UK Public Health Agencies

This list is not exhaustive.

Main Duties

• Develop and utilise information and data systems related to the projects to underpin public health action across the department and surveillance systems
• Have responsibility for the development and productivity of the data system(s) related to the projects
• Undertake specialist and complex analyses of quantitative and/or qualitative datasets
• Analyse and evaluate quantitative and qualitative data and research evidence from a range of sources to inform decision making
• Receive, interpret, provide and advise on complex epidemiological and statistical information about the health of populations to the NHS, Department of Health and others

Specialist Advice and Evaluation
• Communicate effectively and diplomatically research and other specialist information with colleagues from own or other disciplines and present findings at local, national and international meetings and conferences
• Write and/or contribute to national and local policy setting reports, as well as peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals, on the health of the population

Research and Development
• Undertake literature reviews, perform statistical analysis, evaluative research surveys, audits and other research as required

Teaching and Training
• Assist in teaching and training courses run at Centre for Infectious Disease Surveillance and Control, Colindale and outside, by producing presentation materials

Please note this list is not exhaustive.

Person specification

Essential role criteria

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent level of qualification) in a relevant science subject e.g., Biomedical sciences, mathematics, epidemiology or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
• Post-graduate (MSc) degree in Epidemiology, completed or near completion
• Experience of scientific research, particularly in public health or epidemiology
• Data management, analysis and reporting of epidemiological data using R, SQL and Microsoft Access
• Able to work as a team member
• Able to work independently and to deadlines
• Able to liaise with a wide range of external collaborators including health service and academic professionals

Desirable role criteria

• Experience working within health protection

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,749, UK Health Security Agency contributes £10,935 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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%

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 will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Competency Based

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 7 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 750 word supporting statement.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 750 words. Please do not exceed 750 words.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

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 CV – please note you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

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

We will take pile ‘Meets all essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting. Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

• Post-graduate (MSc) degree in Epidemiology
• Experience of scientific research, particularly in public health or epidemiology
• Data management, analysis and reporting of epidemiological data using R, SQL and Microsoft Access

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

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

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview
Competency Based

You will be invited to a single face to face interview at our site in Colindale. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview.

There will be a one-hour technical assessment prior to the interview (on the same day) and the first part of the interview will be based off of the assessment followed by more generic questions, leaving time for you at the end to ask us questions. The assessment will be a short coding assessment in R. A dataset will be provided for analysis, and candidates will be asked to demonstrate their ability to write clear, structured code to explore the data. The exercise is designed to assess epidemiological thinking and coding approach, rather than arriving at the “correct” answers. We are primarily interested in how candidates structure their analysis, interpret data, and communicate their reasoning through code.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

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

Additional Information

Location

This role is being offered as office based at our Scientific Campus in Colindale. Based at our scientific campus, you will be required to have 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. For meaningful national security vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the United Kingdom for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years as the role requires CTC clearance. 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.

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter-Terrorist Check.

Eligibility Criteria

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

If this role is fixed term and 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 UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. Loans are normally agreed for a period of two years. However, this may be extended where required, subject to agreement between UKHSA and your home department. 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. If this role is permanent, it may also be available as a loan (for existing civil servants only) or secondment arrangement, subject to business need and agreement from the hiring manager and, where applicable, the employee's home organisation.

Salary Information

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.

Reserve List

If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.

The panel will assess if candidates meet the requirement of the role first, using a specific benchmark system. If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

Incident Response Activity

From time to time, the role holder may be required to support UKHSA’s incident response activity by contributing their appropriate expertise within an Incident Cell; during such periods, supported by the line manager, this work will take priority over normal day-to-day responsibilities, commensurate with their grade, skills and experience.

Qualifications and Registrations

For roles where specific qualifications or registrations are required, successful applicants will be asked to provide appropriate evidence. Employment cannot commence until satisfactory documentation has been received and verified.

Future location

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.

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.

Internal Fraud Check

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 basic (or equivalent) 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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in 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 : Tom Geldeard
• Email : tom.geldeard@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@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 the UKHSA Complaints team via email at: 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 for further information: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk