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Job summary

This post is located within UKHSA’s Global Health Protection directorate, led by the Director of Global Health Protection. The Global Health Protection directorate supports the delivery of UKHSA’s Global Health Strategy. It provides a corporate service to UKHSA supporting the oversight, coordination and delivery of UKHSA’s international activity and working with UK government departments and other UK partners to build and strengthen international public health links. The directorate also maintains its own extensive portfolio of global health programmes and projects, focusing on capacity building and health system strengthening in partner countries.

The Postholder will work within the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) Health Security Programme in UKHSA. The programme, which is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its Overseas Territories Resilient Economies and Security & Stability programmes, works collaboratively to strengthen health systems that prevent, detect and respond to health emergencies and threats in the UKOTs. This is achieved through the provision of technical expertise and support across the Public Health field, both for communicable and non-communicable diseases, and other hazards.

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

Job description

The postholder’s responsibilities will be to lead two streams of work under the Resilient Communities portfolio of the UKOTs programme - risk behaviours and non-communicable diseases as well as significant senior contribution to the vulnerable populations and mental health streams. This will include delivery of public health technical advice by working with the UKOTs to identify priority areas to support system-wide and community-driven approaches to build social resilience, reduce vulnerability, and support communities to thrive through change and crisis.

The postholder will work closely in partnership with UKOT Chief Medical Officers (CMOs), members of the UKOT health teams / Ministry of Health (MoH) as well as other key UKOT ministerial departments as required to strengthen development of cross-sectoral approaches to public health issues.

The role will require leadership skills, with the postholder being an active and senior member of the UKOTs team and its Strategic Coordination Group. It will also require collaboration and partnership working with the health professionals based in the UKOTs, Voluntary Community Social Enterprise groups, community leaders, emergency planners and a variety of other international and regional stakeholders such as technical experts at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

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

Person specification

Additionally, this consultant role will require a broad range of skills to be able to flex with the needs of the team, including cross team support to the health protection portfolio as required.

This role requires travel to London and international travel to the UKOTs.

Key Job Specific Responsibilities
• Lead a programme of technical assistance to strengthen capacity and enhance delivery in UKOTs to improve community capacity to withstand, adapt to, and recover from shocks and long-term stressors.
• Lead on core work streams of healthy lifestyles, non-communicable diseases and support vulnerable populations and mental health work streams contributing to considerations of the wider determinants of health whilst taking an asset-based approach.
• Provide and/or coordinate technical assistance to UKOTs on needs assessments, strategy development and evidence-based intervention design
• Develop and deliver support to the UKOTs on cross-sectoral approaches to public health issues to all programme priorities including the development of senior public health leadership in the UKOTs
• Provide leadership to relevant networks of public health professionals across the UKOTs, including significant contribution to the CMO Network
• Provide technical contributions to the design and delivery of the UKOTs CMO Conference on relevant areas
• Development of relationships with other relevant public health agencies and organisations including CARPHA, PAHO, UK and overseas local authorities to support our work with UKOTs
• Support UKOTs to conduct research and contribute to the evidence base
• Line manage Public Health Technical Advisors and other staff as required
• Lead on the appropriate monitoring and evaluation of workstreams in line with programme reporting and quality assurance best practice
• Work collaboratively with programme staff, attending progress meetings and the UKOTs team meetings.
• Carry out other projects and functions as agreed with the UKOT SLT and play an active role in the UKOTs Strategic Co-ordination Group
• Provide strategic leadership to the Resilient Communities portfolio alongside the Deputy Head of Programme
• Representing UKOTs programme at internal and external meetings to discuss international issues as required and providing reports on the outcomes.

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

Benefits

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

NHS Pension
This role is offered under Agenda for Change (AfC) Terms and Conditions:
• If you are already on AfC T&Cs or accept the role on a fixed-term contract, you will be enrolled in the NHS Pension Scheme or keep your current AfC Pension.
• If you take the role on a loan or temporary promotion, you will retain your existing substantive T&Cs.
• If the role is available under either AfC or Civil Service T&Cs depending on your registration, your pension scheme will align accordingly.

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/

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.

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

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).

Application & Sift:

This vacancy is using Competency.

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

You will be required to complete an:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
  • up to 1200 word supporting statement

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1,200-word count.

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)

If we receive a large number of applications an initial sift against the lead behaviour/criteria of insert criteria/behaviour will be conducted: GMC full and specialist register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists or be eligible within 6 months).

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a face to face interview at 10 South Colonnade, London. If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Interviews will be held 2nd September 2026, please note these dates are subject to change.

This vacancy is being assessed using Competency framework. During the interview we will assess against the below:

Knowledge
Experience
Skills and Abilities

You will be asked to prepare and present a 10 minute presentation at the start of your interview. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview; slides will be permitted.

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

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security 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.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Screening.

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.

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.

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.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.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 : Susan Ismaeel, Programme Manager
• Email : susan.ismaeel@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

Attachments

ukhsa-job-description-template - Consultant RC UKOT July 2026_2 Opens in new window (pdf, 333kB)