Senior Medical Advisor & Consultant in Public Health

Job summary

The All Hazards Public Health Response (AHPHR) Division is in the Health Equity and Clinical Governance Directorate which sits in the Chief Medical Advisor (CMA) Group. AHPHR works closely with Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) led by the Director of EPRR and Response Operations, an operating directorate within CMA Group to deliver EPRR activities and policies for UKHSA. The EPPR and Response Operations Directorate’s work is central to the UKHSA’s mission “to keep the public safe” from public health hazards and threats and in ensuring that UKHSA’s EPRR activities are assessed as being world-leading. AHPHR is critical in providing the public health clinical advice and leadership to enable successful delivery of this work.

The Senior Medical Advisor will work as part of a team of senior medical staff in AHPHR to provide medical/clinical advice to internal and external stakeholders in the areas of EPRR and CBRN.

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 Senior Medical Advisor will work as part of a team of senior medical staff in AHPHR to provide medical/clinical advice to internal and external stakeholders in the areas of EPRR and CBRN.

The key elements of the service are to:

• Review and analyse clinical and other intelligence relating to CBRN threats and incidents on a national and international basis in order to inform the continuous quality improvement of UKHSA’s emergency preparedness, resilience and response
• Work closely with others in the wider CBRN community to interpret the threat to the UK and provide Senior Medical Advisor leadership to partner agencies including other government departments as agreed
• Provide medical advice on clinical investigations and on CBRN medical countermeasures
• Provide urgent medical advice for overseas incidents affecting British nationals
• Provide public health /medical /clinical input into the work of other parts of UKHSA, DHSC and other government departments, other agencies and organisations
• Provide AHPHR Senior Medical Advisor advice and leadership to UKHSA’s response to incidents
• Participate in the on-call rota for the duty Senior Medical Advisor
• Contribute to the management of staff as agreed
• Promote professional standards including training, research and audit

For further details, please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification.

The job description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder in the light of the needs of the employing organisation, the development of the speciality of public health and any wider developments in the field of public health, and the post holder’s specific sub-specialisation and experience.

This post will support the Deputy Director in AHPHR across the wide specialist public health, medical and clinical range of responsibilities.

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;

Internal

• UKHSA Executive and Senior Leaders across all operating divisions / Groups
• UKHSA Chief Medical Advisor
• UKHSA Health Protection Operations
• UKHSA Chief Science Officer and Group
• UKHSA Chief Data Officer Group
• UKHSA Communications Directorate
• UKHSA Strategy and Policy Directorate
• UKHSA Commercial and Corporate Services colleagues, including Finance, People and Workplace, Security and Health and Safety

Working from within Health Equity and Clinical Governance to support the Director EPRR’s remit to operate horizontally across all the UKHSA’s operating divisions and Groups to deliver a coordinated and coherent approach to health emergency preparedness, resilience and response across the Agency.

External

• Government departments, especially DHSC, HO, DEFRA, FCDO, DSIT (Go Science), CO (COBR), MOD
• Government Agencies especially FSA, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) the Animal and Plant Health Agency, local authorities, ADsPH and Police
• National and international organisations and committees relating to EPRR, especially WHO, partner national public health response organisations such as USCDC, RKI and others international organisations such as the Global Health Security Committee, International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI) etc

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Inclusion in the GMC full and specialist register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists or be eligible within 6 months of interview
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
• Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must be included on one of the specialist registers at the point of application
• If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview. If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
• Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body
• MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

• Strong commitment to public health principles
• Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
• Adaptable to situations, can handle people of all capabilities and attitudes
• Commitment to team-working, and respect and consideration for the skills of others
• Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative
• High standards of professional probity

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience of the control of communicable disease outbreaks and environmental hazards in a wide variety of settings including out of hours on call
• Practical experience of working with UK health protection and emergency response agencies
• Experience of working in an acute medical setting
• Practical experience in facilitating change across complex systems
• Experience of emergency planning
• Experience of leading and implementing multiagency strategies
• Experience of training and providing mentoring
• Understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation
• Understanding of social and political environment, laboratory microbiology services, clinical infectious diseases services, clinical toxicology services, the principles of radiological protection and of potential CBRN agents and methods of dissemination
• Understanding of the public sector duty and the inequality duty and their application to public health practice
• Knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement and evidence based clinical and/or public health practice

Desirable criteria

• Staff management and training
• Budget management

Skills, Capabilities & Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills (including dealing with the public and the media
• Effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills
• Ability to respond appropriately in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
• Sensible negotiator with practical expectation of what can be achieved
• Substantially numerate, with highly developed analytical skills using qualitative and quantitative data
• Computer literate
• Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement policies
• Ability to concentrate for long periods (e.g. analyses, media presentations)

Desirable criteria

• Provision of medical advice to managing clinicians on clinical investigations for patients who may have been exposed to CBRN agents
• Provision of medical advice on CBRN medical countermeasures
• Application of epidemiological methods and statistics

Equality & Diversity

Essential criteria

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Benefits

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

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.

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).

Stage 1: Application & Sift

This vacancy is using Competency .

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

You will be required to complete an:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1000 word Statement of Suitability/ behaviour statements / technical statements

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000

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)

An initial sift against the lead criteria will be conducted:

• Inclusion in the GMC full and specialist register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists or be eligible within 6 months of interview

We will only take through applications to full sift that meet the lead essential criteria.

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Interviews will be held at 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, E14 4PU on 25 February 2026. Please note this date is subject to change.

This vacancy is being assessed using a competency based method. During the interview we will assess against the below:

Knowledge
Experience
Skills and Abilities

At interview you will be asked to carry out a scenario-based assessment, assessing candidate's ability to analyse complex information and make decisions based on a fictional national security incident.

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

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority.

Security Clearance

Successful candidates will require Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) as a minimum with willingness and capability to work towards Developed Vetting (DV) clearance.

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

You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 10 years to obtain Developed Vetting (DV) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting at this higher level and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Hybrid

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ’s. 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 one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London)

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

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.

Consultant

£109,725 - £145,478 (National)

AfC band 8D

£91,342 - £105,337 (National)

UK Health Security Agency promoted diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunities employer

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: Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information UKHSA Hub , Civil Service Careers

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.

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 developed vetting (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

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 : Renu Bindra
• Email : Renu.Bindra@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