Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
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UKHSA Colindale, London, NW9 5EQ
About the job
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Job summary
This senior position is based at the Colindale site and offers a key leadership role within the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), overseeing scientific and managerial operations within the Public Health Microbiology Directorate.
The successful candidate will assume comprehensive responsibility for scientific oversight, operational service delivery, and strategic development within a designated Unit. This includes managing cross-functional teams that may operate from different sites or remotely across the country.
As a Senior Leader, you will provide expert scientific guidance, ensure effective resource management, and drive innovation and continuous improvement across all aspects of laboratory services. The role demands active participation in high-level business planning, financial oversight, and the development of national and international partnerships to maintain and elevate the Unit's reputation.
You will work closely with senior management teams, external stakeholders, and business development groups to foster strong governance, meet performance objectives, and contribute to UKHSA's public health mission. A key aspect of this role is leading the Unit's efforts in income generation, procurement, and the implementation of best practices in laboratory service delivery, all while ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and accreditation standards.
Occasional travel may be required for this post.
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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
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Job description
Lead and manage the scientific and operational service delivery for the designated Unit to ensure seamless working between teams and corporate business functions.
Deliver the budgeting, resourcing, planning and business management, working with Heads of Laboratory Business Operations, Heads of Technical Services, SM&L divisions and corporate leads in UKHSA to ensure the division meets its corporate requirements and liaises effectively with others.
Provide expert scientific leadership and be responsible for strategic development and operational service delivery in the designated laboratory Unit.
Develop and implement major change programmes as agreed by the Division's Senior Management Team in liaison with HR, Finance, Project and Change professionals, to support UKHSA core objectives
Chair groups on behalf of the Deputy Directors, ensuring that there is good governance in respect of Health & Safety; Clinical Governance; Information Governance; Quality Standards; Financial Management; HR Management; Regulatory Compliance; and Risk Management generally.
Lead procurement projects for the Unit in conjunction with the Procurement team. This may include planning, developing specifications, approvals (expenditure controls) and key performance metrics. Facilitate timetabling, evaluation and monitoring of suppliers and projects.
Lead income generation planning and identify funding opportunities and lead and support income activity across the business in partnership with business development and other corporate teams as appropriate.
Support the effective management of the Unit's Budget. This will include year-end/monthly close down, regular meetings with the Finance Business Partner and reviewing monthly performance.
The post holder will develop effective working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This may include: UKHSA Directorates and other teams, ministers, suppliers, Cabinet Office, Dept. of Health and Social Care officials, NHS England, NHS Improvement, NHS Digital, local authorities, voluntary bodies, stakeholders and members of the public. Communication will be face to face, including delivering presentations and facilitating workshops, by virtual means, phone, email, correspondence or via reports and briefings.
Please see the job spec for the full list of duties and responsibilities.
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Person specification
Essential Criteria
PhD in a biological science
HCPC Registration or be able to achieve registration within 18 months of appointment.
CPD participation
National/International recognition for organism-specific or subject matter expertise.
Experience working within a quality system, ensuring adherence to standards.
In-depth understanding of quality assurance principles and procedures.
Knowledge and experience of laboratory safety regulations and procedures.
Experience in project management, delivering successful outcomes within scope and deadlines.
Demonstrated ability to use technical expertise to assess and improve existing systems and processes, driving innovation and change in laboratory practices.
Extensive knowledge of specialist and reference microbiology functions and their role in public health.
Strong aptitude for managing teams and assessing individual and collective performance.
Negotiation and influencing skills to collaborate with managers, senior staff, and NHS experts to drive projects forward.
Benefits
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Alongside your salary of 72,739, UK Health Security Agency contributes 21,072 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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Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, experience and technical skills.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 11 essential criteria that have been selected from the job description, and this will be in the form of a:
Application form ('Employer/ Activity history' section on the application)
1500 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 Application form and Statement of Suitability 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:
PhD in a biological science
National/International recognition for organism-specific or subject matter expertise
Experience in project management, delivering successful outcomes within scope and deadlines.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.
Please do not exceed 1500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
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.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.
Behaviours, technical skills and experience will be tested at interview.
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:
Making effective decisions
Managing a quality service
Changing and improving
Leadership
Developing self and others
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 our Scientific Campus in Colindale, 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).
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 Counter-terrorist Check.
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 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) 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.
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)
Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.
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 counter-terrorist 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
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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 : jonathan.payne@ukhsa.gov.uk
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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
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