Healthcare Scientist

Job summary

The postholder will work in the Colindale Sequencing Laboratory (CSL) in Colindale and contribute to ensuring the provision of genomic services to our customers, including Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Sanger sequencing, and fragment analysis using a variety of instruments and technologies.

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

• To provide and support molecular routine service delivery within the remit of CSL.
• To carry out NGS on Sequencing platforms using automated liquid handling procedures and equipment.
• Job Holder is expected to work under the supervision of a HEO/Biomedical Scientist, following defined SOP/protocols and would be expected to refer non-routine issues to their supervisor.
• Use the NGS LIMS system to carry out sample tracking throughout the procedure.
• To ensure the smooth flow of samples through the laboratory, from receipt to testing.
• To carry out routine quality control procedures to ensure that samples are being prepared, recorded, and archived to a high standard.
• To maintain equipment, including routine monitoring, calibration and safety checks and maintain records of these.
• To facilitate the day-to-day running of the laboratory by ensuring the availability of stock and reagents.
• To assist in the instruction and training of other staff and visitors, and to ensure compliance with safety and quality systems.
• To encourage the development of a flexible team by supporting training, development, and rotation.
• Any other duties within the framework of the job summary.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities:

Communication and Key Working Relationships

Internal

• Work in collaboration with the Head of the Colindale Sequencing Laboratory, Deputy Head and other staff within CSL, Genomics and Colindale.
• Liaise with other staff within PHM Reference Services and Laboratories and assist and advise other scientists, Biomedical Scientists and trainees working in the group.

External

• To liaise with collaborators and external CSL customers.
• To liaise with staff in other diagnostic and research laboratories outside of UKHSA.

Quality

In collaboration with the Quality Team & local management, to:

• Maintain a high standard of work, and appraise and contribute to developing services so that they are safe, effective, and economical and follow best practice.
• Work towards ensuring an efficient quality management system.
• Contribute to internal and external quality assurance programmes.
• Ensure compliance with UKAS and other accreditation and certification standards.
• Ensure the continual development and compliance of internal and external audit programmes and corrective actions.

Information Technology

• To use software packages as appropriate for word processing, as well as specialist packages as required.
• To be competent in the use of the Laboratory Information System (LIMS) and use the LIMS system to carry out sample tracking throughout the procedure.

Safety

To agree on safety objectives and to review performance at appraisal, and support the Senior Management Team in performing duties with respect to:

• Ensuring health, safety and welfare of self, staff, and visitors.
• Ensuring relevant UKHSA health and safety policies and laboratory safety committee recommendations and actions are implemented.
• Ensure implementation of remedial actions resulting from safety inspections and audits.

Other

• The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.
• The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the division and UKHSA.
• It should be noted that the work of the division is of a confidential nature and must not be communicated to other persons except where required for authorised purposes.

Personal Development

• You should pursue a programme of continuous professional development in accordance with any relevant professional registration or statutory requirements, while maintaining appropriate awareness of service provider requirements.
• Identify, discuss, and action own professional performance and training/development needs with your line manager through appraisal/individual development plan.
• Attending internal/external training events.
• To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.
• Undertake specialist training in NGS and molecular techniques.

Please note the above is not exhaustive.

Person specification

Essential Role Criteria:

• BSc in a relevant biological science
• Knowledge of automated liquid handling
• Knowledge and understanding of laboratory safety requirements and procedures

Desirable Role Criteria:

• Experience in NGS Platforms
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to prioritise

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,624, UK Health Security Agency contributes £9,451 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 is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 3 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1000 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 1000 words. We will not consider any words over 1000 words.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

1. Meets all essential criteria
2. Meets some essential criteria
3. Meets no essential criteria

If used, the pile(s) ‘Meets all essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting:

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

• BSc in a relevant biological science

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

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Success profiles Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be invited to a face to face interview at our site in Colindale.

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

Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills will be tested at interview.

Technical skills will be assessed via a technical based question.

Experience will be assessed via an experience based question.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Making effective decisions (Lead Behaviour)
• Developing Self and Others
• Delivering at Pace
• Working together

Interview dates are 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.

Location

This role is being offered as lab based at our site in Colindale. 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. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances 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.

Please note, hybrid working is not available for this role.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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 : Vanessa Otoo
• Email : vanessa.otoo@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