Vaccine & Immunisation Programme Operations Lead

Job summary

The Vaccine & Immunisation Programme Operations Lead plays a critical role in supporting the delivery of national immunisation programmes within the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Reporting to the Head of Vaccine and Immunisation Programmes, the postholder will lead the operational delivery of a defined portfolio of vaccine programmes, ensuring the continuity of vaccine supply across the NHS and wider health system.

The role sits within the Commercial, Vaccines & Countermeasures Delivery Directorate and requires close collaboration with colleagues across Commercial, Finance, Digital, Analytical and Policy functions, alongside external partners including vaccine manufacturers, suppliers, the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS organisations and public health stakeholders.

The postholder will:

• Be responsible for programme planning, supply chain oversight, stock optimisation and governance activities, ensuring programmes are delivered effectively, efficiently and in line with strategic objectives.
• Coordinate complex operational activity, manage risks and issues, support procurement activity and contribute to the development of business cases and decision-making processes.
• Provide leadership within a matrix environment, fostering collaborative working across organisational boundaries to achieve programme outcomes.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives, maximise value for money and contribute to the resilience of vaccine supply arrangements, helping to protect public health and ensure the successful delivery of national vaccination programmes across the UK.

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 Vaccine & Immunisation Programme Operations Lead will:

• Lead the operational delivery of a portfolio of vaccine and immunisation programmes, ensuring the effective procurement, supply, distribution and management of vaccines to support national immunisation objectives and maintain continuity of supply.
• Coordinate programme delivery across a complex matrix of Commercial, Finance, Digital, Analytical, Public Health and Policy functions, developing delivery plans, managing competing priorities, monitoring performance, and ensuring robust governance and assurance arrangements.
• Support vaccine procurement and contract delivery by working closely with commercial teams, manufacturers and suppliers to maintain supply resilience, optimise stock management, minimise wastage, and lead responses to shortages, recalls and other supply chain incidents.
• Prepare business cases, investment proposals and senior briefings, supporting governance processes and securing organisational, departmental and ministerial approvals where required, while providing assurance and advice to senior leaders and programme sponsors.
• Build strong relationships across UKHSA, DHSC, the NHS, devolved administrations, suppliers and external partners, driving collaboration, continuous improvement, value for money and supply chain resilience, while leading and developing staff through effective line management and fostering an inclusive, high-performing team culture.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will:

• Lead end-to-end delivery of vaccine and immunisation programmes, ensuring reliable procurement, supply and distribution to maintain vaccine availability.
• Oversee programme planning, implementation and governance, coordinating activity across multiple teams and functions.
• Manage vaccine stock, supply optimisation and operational risks, minimising wastage and ensuring resilient supply chains.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, government, NHS and other key stakeholders, providing clear programme leadership and alignment.
• Drive continuous improvement, value for money and workforce development, including business case support, line

Please note, the above is not exhaustive.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g. public health, public policy, management, economics or related field) or significant equivalent experience demonstrating advanced analytical capability, structured problem solving and leadership of complex programmes.
• Demonstrable experience of working in complex programme, operational or delivery environments, including pharmaceutical, health, supply chain or other large-scale public service settings.
• Proven experience of managing complex operations or programmes, including planning, monitoring and delivering projects/workstreams to time, cost and quality requirements.
• Experience of project and programme management, including defining scope, managing interdependencies and delivering agreed objectives.
• Ability to mitigate risks, optimise processes and achieve timely, cost-effective outcomes aligned with organisational objectives.
• Ability to work autonomously, make decisions and lead projects at middle-management level using sound judgement.
• Ability to build and sustain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior leaders, partners and suppliers, and to navigate complex stakeholder environments.
  

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of line management.
• Ability to draft robust and evidence-based business cases.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor and develop high-performing teams.
• Experience of fostering collaborative and supportive working environments.
• Ability to provide clear direction, empower team members and ensure accountability for the delivery of objectives.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,494, UK Health Security Agency contributes £17,525 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

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 7 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 500 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 500 words. We will not consider any words over 500 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:

• Demonstrable experience of working in complex programme, operational or delivery environments, including pharmaceutical, health, supply chain or other large-scale public service settings.
• Proven experience of managing complex operations or programmes, including planning, monitoring and delivering projects/workstreams to time, cost and quality requirements.
• Experience of project and programme management, including defining scope, managing interdependencies and delivering agreed objectives.

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

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

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Success profiles Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be invited to a single face to face interview at UKHSA, 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PU .

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

Behaviours and Technical skills will be tested at interview.

You will be required to deliver a 5-minute presentation titled Delivering Project Impact, based on a project you worked on that delivered significant impact.

Please explain:

• The impact the project achieved
• Your specific role in driving the project forward
• The actions and decisions you took
• How you overcame any challenges along the way.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Managing a Quality service (Lead behaviour)
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

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.

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.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our core HQ in London (Canary Wharf) . 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 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 Basic Personnel Security Standard

Eligibility Criteria

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

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:Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers

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 UKHSA Hub , Civil Service Careers

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.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (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

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 : Charlene Gwekwerere
• Email : charlene.gwekwerere@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

http://www.healthjobsuk.com/vacancy/8265871