The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health. UKHSA's remit, as an agency with a global‑to‑local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation's expert national health security agency UKHSA will:
* Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation's readiness, defences and health security
* Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
* Analyse: use world‑class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
* Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
* Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.
Job Overview
Anti‑Microbial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections (AMR & HCAI) Division – The mission of the division is to protect people from healthcare‑associated and antimicrobial resistant infections, through world‑leading public health microbiology, outbreak response, surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, modelling, research and interventions. The AMR & HCAI Division is the national centre for surveillance of AMR & HCAI in England. The Division is multidisciplinary including epidemiologists/public health specialists, analysts, microbiologists, data managers, statisticians, IT specialists and administrative staff. The Division is responsible for a range of national surveillance programmes that collect epidemiological data on a number of HCAIs and invasive bacterial infections, as well as monitoring antimicrobial usage and resistance.
This post within the Surveillance and Epidemiology Section of the AMR & HCAI Division provides epidemiological and data management support across a number of areas. Key focus areas include:
* Surgical Site Infection Surveillance (SSI)
* Streptococcal Infections
* Antimicrobial Resistance and Prescribing (AMRP)
* Mandatory Surveillance of Bloodstream Infections, including Gram‑negative infections and Clostridium difficile
* Infections in Critical Care Units (ICCU)
Responsibilities
1. Identify surveillance needs within given lead areas, create surveillance system specifications, conduct complex statistical analyses and interpret surveillance data, making appropriate recommendations, develop automated routines and solutions, and supervise/assure on the preparation, quality and delivery of routine and ad‑hoc surveillance reports.
2. Develop and utilise information and intelligence systems to underpin public health action, including outbreak and incident response, across disciplines and organisations, and lead collation and interpretation of relevant data to develop the most appropriate analyses from a range of sources.
3. Respond to complex or sensitive data requests including Parliamentary Questions.
4. Where appropriate, lead and manage the technical and analytical (including data management) aspects of enhanced surveillance within the HCAI, Fungal, AMR, AMU & Sepsis Division, e.g. write protocol of analytical studies, contribute to the data collection, develop questionnaires and train interviewers.
5. Analyse and evaluate quantitative and qualitative data and research evidence from a range of sources to make recommendations and inform decision‑making which may have long‑term impacts.
6. Apply a range of common statistical tests and algorithms and translate statistical processes into automated solutions where appropriate.
7. Use common statistical/database/mapping/web tools such as Stata, R, ArcGIS, Access, SQL and SharePoint in routine reports, surveillance activities and the development of solutions and undertake complex analytical and programming tasks using common and specialist software packages to support data extractions, analysis and validation.
8. Advise on quality and governance issues including information security for all aspects of surveillance work, evaluating existing systems, and use to improve standards and consistency across the team.
9. Contribute to the HCAI, Fungal, AMR, AMU & Sepsis Division quality programme such as through audit and be responsible for the quality of data collected, stored and extracted and transferred.
10. Project manage research studies, analysing datasets with appropriate methodology to answer research questions, supported by the systematic review of literature and with knowledge of how to develop a grant proposal, and apply for ethical approval.
11. Present at scientific conferences, programme area meetings and other for a and publish and present scientific papers on public health surveillance, respiratory viruses and infectious disease control in collaboration with health, public health, academic and other partners.
12. Effectively manage others and yourself: lead, supervise and motivate team members; effectively appraise, manage performance, and address HR/disciplinary issues for staff line managed; be recruiting manager for posts, update job descriptions, be responsible for managing own workload, including developing objectives and reviewing progress against these.
13. Contribute to teaching/training programmes and activities (including to the development of teaching material and courses) on surveillance, epidemiology information science, data management, information governance and quality and support ongoing training activities within the team and Division.
14. Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders and partners, actively engage in meetings with internal and external colleagues, identify potential problems and seek to resolve and undertake a lead role for a specific topic or function area, as requested by the Section Lead/Lead Epidemiologist.
15. Coordinate and lead projects such as the implementation of new systems and processes.
Qualifications
* MSc (or equivalent qualification) in Epidemiology, public health or allied scientific discipline or equivalent level of experience working on analysis of public health data
* Completion of the Field Epidemiology Training Programme or equivalent training and experience
* Knowledge of principles and practice of surveillance, including data management, data transmission, data security, data quality, data analysis including descriptive statistics and graphics and data reporting
* Experience of interpreting and evaluating epidemiological data, sensitive health data analyses
* Demonstrable experience of public health, health protection or epidemiology including experience of complex and/or sensitive health data analyses
* Experience of using epidemiological and statistical software packages
* Knowledge of health and social care environment, and roles and responsibilities within it including information flows in the NHS and allied services
* Understand of information governance including data protection and confidentiality requirements
* Excellent oral and written communication skills with proven presentation and scientific report writing skills
* Proficient in common statistical/database/mapping tools such as STATA, R, GIS, network analysis, SQL, etc.
* Able to build and maintain effective relationships with co‑workers and key stakeholders
* Able to work under own initiative, respond to sudden unexpected demands whilst maintaining a professional calm and efficient manner
* Experience of teaching epidemiology and/or surveillance
* Experience of research activities with one or more first author publications in peer reviewed journals
* Training in research methods, infectious disease epidemiology, surveillance and/or public health
* Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
Application Process
The application consists of:
* Application form (Employer/Activity history section)
* 750 word supporting statement
Applicants will be assessed against 13 essential criteria. Longlisting will be performed in three piles: Meets all essential criteria, Meets some essential criteria, Meets no essential criteria. Successful candidates will proceed to shortlisting.
Nationality & Eligibility
* UK nationals
* Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
* Nationals of Commonwealth countries with the right to work in the UK
* Nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members 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 who have made a valid application for settled or pre‑settled status under 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
Benefits
* Pay at the minimum of the pay band
* Public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday
* Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions
* Cycle‑to‑work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving
* Retail discounts and cashback opportunity
* Flexible working patterns (part‑time, job‑share, condensed hours)
* Generous maternity/paternity and adoption leave package
* Hybrid working model – based at the Scientific Campus in Colindale; expected to spend minimum 60% of working hours there
* State‑of‑the‑art National Biosecurity Centre investment (Harlow, Essex) – future relocation may occur
We are an equal‑opportunity employer. Everyone matters – we actively encourage applications from people underrepresented in our workforce and strive to create an inclusive culture. Please visit the UKHSA careers site for more information: UKHSA Careers.
Late applications will unfortunately not be considered. All communication will be made via email.
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