biostatistician jobs

This is a senior role within the health protection team and provides leadership, management and oversight of the health protection function, including the response to incidents and outbreaks and responsibility for the day to day operational delivery.

The post holder will play a key role in developing, shaping and assuring the health protection function, which may include managing individuals and teams, working closely with partners, and ensuring delivery of high-quality surveillance, response and support systems. The post holder will have responsibility for developing and maintaining close working relationships both internally and with partner organisations. In addition, they will contribute and lead on regional and national priorities, including contribution to wider public health initiatives consistent with the regional delivery model and integrated working.

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

The post is subject to the core competencies as set out by the Faculty of Public Health for Consultant appointments and the post holder will be expected to demonstrate expertise in all of them (Appendix A).

The main duties and responsibilities include:

RESPONSE

• Will be expected, when required, to assume overall responsibility for the management of incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases, lead the local Health Protection team response to non-infectious environmental hazards and chemical incidents and assume overall responsibility for the day to day running of the acute response function.

SURVEILLANCE

• Contribute strategically to the development and maintenance of effective systems for the surveillance of communicable disease and environmental hazards.

PARTNERSHIP WORKING

• Take a lead in the proactive development and contribution to key relationships with a wide range of individuals and stakeholders and take responsibility for the maintenance of professional networks relevant to role.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of UKHSA Places and regions.

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 Regional teams
• Other UKHSA divisions/directorates

External

• Lower & Upper Tier Local Authorities
• Directors of Public Health & teams
• Education
• Social Services
• Environmental Health
• Health Protection Boards
• NHS England
• Clinical Commissioning Groups
• NHS Acute Trusts & provider organisations
• Infection Prevention & Control teams
• Hospital staff including clinicians, microbiologists and infection control
• Local Resilience Fora and Local Health Resilience Partnerships
• Environment Agency
• Animal Health
• Water / Utilities Companies
• Care Homes
• Universities / Colleges/ Schools
• General Practitioners and other staff in Primary Care
• Health & Wellbeing Boards
• Care Quality Commission
• Local Prisons
• Emergency Services
• Emergency Planning Resilience and Response (EPRR) team

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.

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

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register or UK Public Health (Special Inclusion in the GMC full and specialist register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview); UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists or be eligible within 6 months
• If included in the GMC Specialist Register in a specialty other than public health medicine, infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine, infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology practice
• Public health specialist registrar and specialist trainee applicants who are not yet on the GMC Register/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/UKPHR. 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 in accordance with the requirements of the Faculty of Public Health/Royal College of Pathologists/Royal College of Physicians or other recognised body
• MFPH by examination or evidence of equivalent qualification; FRC Path or evidence of equivalent qualification; MRCP or evidence of equivalent qualification

Desirable criteria

• Have an awareness of and be working towards the key core competencies set out in Civil Service Competency Framework 2010-2017 and KSF for those on AfC terms and conditions

Experience and Knowledge

• Minimum 6 months experience in Health Protection practice
• Practical experience in leading and facilitating change
• Experience of communicable disease control in a wide variety of settings including out of hours on call
• Experience of working with other agencies
• Experience of emergency planning
• Understanding of key agencies involved in health protection
• Knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, audit, quality improvement and evidence based clinical and/or public health practice
• Understanding of social and political environment
• Understanding of laboratory microbiology services
• Understanding of clinical infectious diseases services
• Understanding of clinical toxicology services
• Understanding of the principles of radiological protection

Desirable criteria

• Experience of budget management and financial processes
• Experience and demonstrable competency in dealing with environmental hazards / chemical incidents
• People management and training
• Training and mentoring

Skills and Capabilities

Essential criteria

• Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills, including management of change
• Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
• Adaptable to situations, can communicate with people of all capabilities and attitudes
• Project management
• Understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation
• Resource management skills
• Strong commitment to public health principles
• Commitment to team-working and respect and consideration for the skills of others
• Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative
• High standards of professional probity

Desirable criteria

• Ability to undertake prophylaxis, diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases of public health importance
• Peer reviewed scientific publications, presentation of papers at conferences, seminars, etc.
• 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

Equality and Diversity

Essential criteria

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, and in relation to management systems

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

NHS Pension

If 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.

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.

Job contact :

• Name : Tracy Wharam
• Email : Tracy.Wharam@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : SCS.MDrecruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk