Job summary
Employer heading
Senior Surveillance Scientist
Civil Service: Senior Executive Officer (SEO)
Job overview
The post holder will contribute to the maintenance, development, and analysis of surveillance systems for the evaluation of national vaccination programmes, specifically vaccine coverage and inequalities in uptake of vaccinations. They will support the ongoing work of the department, contribute to the publication of routine and ad-hoc statistics and specifically develop processes to evaluate new data against existing gold-standard data collections. In addition, the post holder will contribute to research studies of vaccine preventable diseases.
Main duties of the job
- Develop and maintain surveillance systems for monitoring vaccine coverage.
- Undertake evaluation of existing and novel surveillance systems.
- Management and epidemiological analysis of data.
- Prepare routine surveillance reports.
- Work closely with members of the team to assist in responding to ad-hoc queries which require scientific input.
- Liaise with NHSE and other stakeholders to assure the quality and validity of vaccination data in the investigation and control of outbreaks, as required.
- Contribute and project manage specific research studies evaluating immunisation programmes.
- Analyse surveillance data and results of studies and write reports and papers for scientific journals.
- Assist in the preparation of papers and reports to inform policy for the UK Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
- Design presentations and present surveillance data and study results at in-house, national, and international meetings/conferences and attend national and international conferences.
- Develop teaching material and teach on in-house courses and external courses.
- Line management responsibilities of scientists and administrative officers.
Working for our 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.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
These roles offer the opportunity within a national team to lead on delivering routine and emergency surveillance and evaluation of vaccine programmes through high quality data.
Working to a Senior Epidemiologist, you will lead workstreams producing routine vaccination coverage reports, which meet stakeholder needs. You will ensure surveillance systems can support timely, quality surveillance outputs and will lead the further development of data management, processes, ensuring systems are fit for purpose to meet current and future challenges. This will include responding to the implementation of new vaccination programmes, such as the RSV programme starting in September 2024, and leading on additional epidemiological analyses to evaluate programmes and inequalities in vaccination coverage.
As such, our ideal candidate is a self-starter with strong data management, analytical and scientific writing skills who can work effectively in a team, and with stakeholders, to deliver high quality outcomes. They should be comfortable with working under pressure at times as well as working to tight timelines with multiple stakeholders.
For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Essential Criteria
You will be assessed on the below 5 essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description.
• Degree in a science subject/Epidemiology or allied discipline or relevant postgraduate experience
• Postgraduate work/study in Public Health, public health microbiology, epidemiology, or an allied subject
• Experience of developing/using relational databases (including Access, SQL), spreadsheets, statistical and graphics packages (e.g., Stata or R) to an advanced level
• Experience of writing/evaluating scientific work, including report writing
• Able to interpret and evaluate microbiological or epidemiological data on vaccine preventable diseases and numerate with deep analytical skills.
Selection Process Details:
This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your Qualifications, knowledge and experience and skills and capabilities outlined in the essential criteria.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
Competency-based assessments
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 5 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
-
CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
-
1000 word Statement of Suitability.
This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.
The CV / Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment
Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview (competency based)
You will be invited to a single face to face interview to be held at :
61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview
There will be a Technical Test 30 mins before the interview.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Security Clearance Level Requirement
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Face to Face interviews
If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview .
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- First degree in a science subject Higher degree in Epidemiology or allied discipline or relevant postgraduate experience
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Postgraduate work/study in Public Health, public health microbiology, epidemiology or an allied subject
- Experience of developing / using relational databases (including Access, SQL), spreadsheets, statistical and graphics packages (e.g. Stata or R) to an advanced level
- Experience of writing/evaluating scientific work, including report writing
- Of interpreting and evaluating microbiological or epidemiological data on vaccine preventable diseases and numerate with deep analytical skills
Desirable criteria
- Experience co-ordinating projects in complex and challenging environments
Skills / capabilities/ behaviours
Essential criteria
- Ability to work as an effective team member
- Ability to work independently and take responsibility for own technical work and time
- Ability to analyse, summarise and interpret complex epidemiological data
- Ability to prepare and produce concise yet insightful communications for dissemination to senior stakeholders and a broad range of stakeholders as required
- Able to liaise with a wide range of external collaborators including health service and academic professionals
- Ability to work on a number of separate tasks at the same time, whilst keeping to agreed deadlines
Desirable criteria
- Experience of creating and giving presentations to a varied group of internal and external stakeholders
Knowledge & Experience
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of vaccine schedule and polices in the UK
Equality and diversity
Essential criteria
- An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Irene Scahill
- Job title
- Resourcing Support
- Email address
- [email protected]
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