Job Description

Details

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Reference number

440899

Salary

41,983 - 52,113
per annum, pro rata - plus market pay supplement of up to
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP

Job grade

Senior Executive Officer

Contract type

Permanent

Type of role

Information Technology

Science

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

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Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information

Location

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Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool or London (Canary Wharf)

About the job

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Job summary

The Chief Data Officer (CDO) Directorate provides business-critical systems and services to UKHSA business users at all locations at which UKHSA staff work.


ICT has primary responsibility for technical infrastructure and the corporate services running upon it. ICT has staff at a number of locations throughout UKHSA.

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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 Lead Specialist Engineer will work within the Specialist Identity and Access Management Team. The team operates an automation discipline which is managed by a Senior Identity and Access Management Architect.


The Lead Specialist Engineer will work with the other team members, who between them will work within specified technical specialties and provide technical expertise in the configuration, implementation and automation of relevant technical areas.


Automation is the cornerstone of all work undertaken by the team, this role will focus heavily on developing and maintaining automated processes that underpin key technologies that are supported by the Identity & Access Management Team;

Identity Lifecyle Windows PowerShell Active Directory Azure Active Directory Entra ID DNS Group Policy Azure Administration DHCP Microsoft Certification Authority PKI End User operating System security policy SQL Microsoft Defender MBAM Azure DevOps

The Lead Specialist Engineer will also have experience of administering as many of the above as possible.


Your main responsibilities will include:

To assist the Senior Security Architect and the Identity and Access Management Team in ensuring that Security and Identity automation services are working, documented and reliable. Administration of user accounts for network access, including creation of accounts, modification of user permissions, and removal of accounts of staff leaving the Agency. Ensuring the provision of support and service to all customers during scheduled hours. Undertake Appropriate system and service Monitoring and Auditing to ensure service state and availability. To maintain awareness of technical developments in Security and Identity Management with a view to providing advice to the Senior Security Architect on suitable technical strategies for UKHSA. To conduct such work as directed by line management consistently with departmental standards and to agreed time scales. To comply with Departmental requirements for staff management activities, including the reporting of all absences and completion of Performance Development processes.

Daily operational duties will include:

Incident and Request management via ITSM suite. Management and Monitoring of existing IAM automation services, predominately focusing on Microsoft PowerShell and Graph API. Development, Test and Release of additional Automation services following DevOps principals. Maintain Git repositories for IAM services. Ongoing alignment of services to best practices with Cyber Security.

This is not an exhaustive list.

Person specification

Essential role criteria

Formal technical qualification (e.g. MCP, MCSAE) or equivalent relevant experience in a similar senior engineer role Demonstrable PowerShell scripting / Automation knowledge and experience Substantive experience in a technical support role, supporting Microsoft Windows Server Operating System based Identity Management Services Experience/knowledge of Azure Services (IaaS,PaaS,Serverless) Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences. Evidence of excellent customer service skills and a commitment to improving services and performance for end users. Ability to analyse and interpret information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload without supervision working to tight and often changing timescales.

Desirable role criteria:

Azure DevOps Pipeline experience via Git repositories Terraforming and Container experience Any development experience/certificates or other scripting languages like python A good understanding of the health and social care environment and roles and responsibilities within it

Benefits

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Alongside your salary of 41,983, UK Health Security Agency contributes 12,162 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.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

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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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your behaviours and technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift


You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed essential criteria, and this will be in the form of:

an application form ('Employer/ Activity history' section on the application) a 750 word supporting statement

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.


Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.


The Application form and supporting statement will be marked together.


Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

Meets all essential criteria Meets some essential criteria Meets no essential criteria

Only those meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.



Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

Demonstratable PowerShell scripting / Automation knowledge and experience Substantive experience in a technical support role, supporting Microsoft Windows Server Operating System based Identity Management Services Experience/knowledge of Azure Services (IaaS,PaaS,Serverless)

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


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


Please do not exceed 750 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.


Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (Success profiles)


You will be invited to a remote interview.


Behaviours and technical skills will be tested at interview.


The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

Making Effective Decisions Working Together Managing a Quality Service Working at Pace

Interviews will be held week commencing 19th January 2026. Please note, these dates are subject to change.


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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool or London.


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) in one of our core HQs.


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).

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.


Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check clearance.


For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 10 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

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.

Salary guides

Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location


Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

41,983- 48,128 (National) 44,148- 50,121 (Outer London) 46,310- 52,113 (Inner London)

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/

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.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.


Link below:


Artificial intelligence and recruitment , Civil Service Careers

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 https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers



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 security check .



See our vetting charter .
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) 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

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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 .
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 the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .

Apply and further information

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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

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Job contact :

Name : Jon Payne Email : jonathan.payne@ukhsa.gov.uk
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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 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