Epidemiology and Information Scientist

Job summary

The Epidemiology and Information Scientist will support senior epidemiologist colleagues and wider team in the provision of a range of activities including, surveillance of infectious diseases, including exceedances, contributing to outbreak management and response and epidemiological investigation through designing questionnaires and outbreak databases, contributing to the production of outbreak reports using a variety of software and databases.

The position holder will also be expected to contribute to teaching and training, quality and governance activities and potentially line management to more junior members of the team.

The interface with local, regional and national colleagues, as well as with external stakeholders, will be an important feature of this role.

Job description

Specific duties of the role may vary depending on the site and teams/functions.

Outbreak support and epidemiological investigation

• Where appropriate, undertake specific steps of an epidemiological study under direction including to design and develop protocols, questionnaires e.g., using Snap Survey, design and administer outbreak databases, prepare descriptive epidemiology, contribute to the production of outbreak reports, investigate exceedances and interview cases and controls.
• Undertake complex analytical tasks and use common statistical, database and mapping software and tools to support outbreak investigations such as producing tables, graphs, maps etc. and developing advanced queries.

Surveillance and data analysis

• Within given topic lead areas, identify surveillance needs, create surveillance system specifications, conduct complex statistical analyses, and interpret surveillance data in order to make appropriate conclusions and recommendations to support public health action.
• As required, develop automated routines and solutions and lead the preparation, quality and delivery of routine and ad hoc surveillance reports. Seek and act on feedback from stakeholders and actively seek opportunities to present information.
• Outside of lead areas, there may still be requirements to support complex or sensitive data requests across different topics.

Statistical and Software Skills

• Confident in the use of a range of common statistical tests appropriate to surveillance and outbreak investigations
• Translate descriptive, routine or statistical processes into automated solutions where appropriate
• Be able to use common statistical/database/mapping/web software and tools such as R, Power BI, SQL, ArcGIS, network analysis and Stata, and work collaboratively when using these.
• Undertake complex analytical and programming tasks using common and specialist software packages to support data extractions, analysis and validation

Research and project management

• Project manage research studies, analysing datasets with appropriate methodology to answer research questions
• Support research through contribution to scientific papers and projects on public health surveillance, outbreaks and infectious disease control and sharing findings at conferences and meetings

Teaching and training

• Contribute to teaching/training activities, withing the team and Service (including to the development of teaching material and courses) on surveillance, epidemiology, data management, information governance and any other relevant subject

Audit, quality and governance

• Contribute to the Field Service quality programme such as through audit and be responsible for the quality of data collected, stored and extracted and transferred.

Management and Leadership

• To act as role model adhering to team professional standards, actively engage in meetings, identify potential problems and seek to resolve and undertake a lead role for a specific topic or function area
• Provide line management, mentorship, and leadership to junior colleagues as required.

This list is not exhaustive.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject (Epidemiology or Public Health) or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area (in the maintenance and analysis of data)
• Knowledge and experience of principles and practice of surveillance, including data management, data transmission, data security, data quality, data interpretation and analysis including descriptive statistics and graphics and reporting
• Knowledge and experience of common statistical tests, modelling and analyses and interpretation of results, including for research purposes and outbreak investigations
• Experience using common statistical/database/mapping/web software and tools such as R, Power BI, SQL, ArcGIS, network analysis and Stata, including for automation purposes.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with proven presentation and scientific report writing skills
• Good organisation, prioritisation and time management skills and able to work in a multidisciplinary team, as well as on own initiative
• Understanding of information governance including data protection and confidentiality requirements

Desirable criteria:

• Working in a Public Health environment and/or in communicable disease epidemiology.
• Knowledge of health and social care environment, and an awareness of surveillance and epidemiology and information flows in Public Health and allied services

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).

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. UKHSA's 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.

• 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.

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 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). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 750 words. We will not consider any words over 750words.

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 used, the pile(s) that meets ALL essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting:

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

• Educated to degree level in relevant subject (Epidemiology or Public Health) or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area (in the maintenance and analysis of data)
• Experience using common statistical/database/mapping/web software and tools such as R, Power BI, SQL, ArcGIS, network analysis and Stata, including for automation purposes.
• Knowledge and experience of principles and practice of surveillance, including data management, data transmission, data security, data quality, data interpretation and analysis including descriptive statistics and graphics and reporting

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 Core HQ, Canary Wharf, London

When face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview in the form of questions.

There will be a Presentation.

• This will be a short presentation analysis on a data set and should last no more than 5 minutes, further instructions will be sent should you be invited to interview.

Interview dates are yet 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.

Eligibility Criteria

External - This vacancy is open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service as well as internal applicants.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our core HQ in Canary Wharf, London.

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) working at our office. Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

• Successful candidates must pass a standard 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 Baseline Personnel Security Standard.

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. Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location.

Permanent and Fixed Term

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.

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 maybe 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.

Careers website

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

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) 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.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 : John Inglis
• Email : john.inglis@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