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 The UKHSA Digital and Data Directorate provides strategic leadership and oversight for developing and managing a common and bespoke suite of performant, modern, secure, data and analytical tools, services, platforms and applications, ensuring access to high quality data and analytics services, internally and externally. As a Senior Service Delivery Manager, you will lead a defined set of interdependent service delivery activities, including the associated business change tasks and establish appropriate governance and assurance processes monitoring progress, monitoring risks and issues and ensuring the business readiness for change. Advert The role requires professional expertise in the effective use of programme/project methodologies and techniques in the context of service delivery, as well as the ability to work with technical and non-technical stakeholders. You will be responsible for the overall integrity and coherence of the business activities. You will develop and maintain the programme environment to support each individual business activity within it. You will have effective leadership, interpersonal and communication skills. Within Data and Surveillance Services, this role may have a particular focus on one of three areas: service management, data quality or incident management. Service management includes leading a directorate-wide demand management process and working with other internal and external teams (e.g. NHS Digital) to provide and manage the use of key data-related services that the UKHSA needs. Data quality involves developing our approach to understanding the quality of our data, identifying ways to improve it in line with best practice, and improving the knowledge of our data’s quality amongst its users for analytical and clinical purposes. Incident management involves establishing processes across all of Digital and Data systems, delivering high quality communications and supporting system owners to resolve problems quickly and efficiently, or supporting health protection incidents. The services you work on may vary depending on organisational and team priorities. 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. Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers Detailed job description and main responsibilities As part of the main duties, you will be expected to: Delivery – Create and lead the service/business activity to deliver the agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints. Service Management / Oversight – Day to day management and effective leadership of the service/project and the team. Provide effective leadership and management controls. Set project controls. Design the structure and organisation appropriate to stage. Set appropriate delivery methodologies. Manage effective transition between lifecycle phases. Business Case – Develop and draft the Business Case, with input from specialists as necessary. Budget – Develop the budget and track delivery within budget. Resources – Identify skill requirements; and deploy and develop resources. May manage a team. Benefits Realisation – Ensure benefits are identified, understood, measured, tracked and owned. Deliver the agreed Business Case benefits and outcomes. Ensure appropriate Benefits Realisation Strategy is in place and monitor longer term delivery of benefits against the Business Case. Stakeholder Management – Identify and manage and maintain stakeholder relationships and know when to seek senior level support. Manage internal and external relationships as appropriate. Risks & Issues – Identify and monitor project risks and issues. Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate. Identify and work with related projects to manage interdependencies. Governance – Support effective governance and decision making. Provide reporting and engage in processes that hold you, as Senior Project Manager, to account for delivery. Assurance – Engage with assurance reviews and support action on recommendations. Organise assurance processes such as gateway reviews, as required. Change Management – Ensure effective Change Management processes are in place to agree and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders. Cascade vision and translate into delivery objectives for the team. Guidance & Support – Provide support, guidance and coaching for the project team. Show commitment to personal development. Promote effective individual and team performance. Identify, share and promote best practices and lessons learned to create a culture of learning and good practice that supports continuous improvement to optimise project delivery. Project Performance & Controls – Develop and maintain Project Plan using project principles. Identify and set appropriate Project Controls. Track and report delivery against milestones. Manage project performance and report progress to sponsors. Communication and Key Working Relationships - The post holder will develop effective working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, including internally: clinical and non-clinical staff, scientists, academics, corporate staff e.g. HR and Payroll, managers and Directors. External: NHS England (including NHSX and NHSD), Academic Institutions, other Civil Service Departments, public bodies, stakeholders and members of the public. This may include verbal face to face communication, including delivering presentations and by phone, email, correspondence, reports and briefings. Personal and Professional Development - Undergo a programme of on-going development and education, including the appraisal process, to build on existing knowledge and develop skills to meet the behaviours and competencies required to undertake the role. Please note this is not an exhaustive list. Essential Criteria Communication between Technical and Non-technical - Ensure delivery confidence across all levels with technical and non-technical audiences. Planning - Detailed knowledge and significant experience in defining the fundamental components of a service/business activity in terms of its scope, deliverables, dependencies, time scales, resource requirements and budget. Ability to estimate costs, prepare, develop, commission and update business cases. Maintain momentum - You actively identify and address risks and identify innovative ways to unblock issues, manage dependencies across teams, or departments, and ensure teams are working towards delivery commitments. Benefits Realisation - Working knowledge of identifying quantifying, mapping and tracking project benefits to justify investment in the project, and to provide assurance that the benefits identified can be realised. Embedding Change - Working knowledge and practical experience of integrating the project outputs into ‘business as usual’ (BAU) ensuring that activities are planned and completed to enable the business to implement the change and realise the benefits Leadership - You are confident to lead a multi-disciplinary team and can effectively manage team dynamics to drive forward a shared goal. Provide clarity – You ensure everyone clearly understands and owns their roles, responsibilities, and business priorities. Give honest, motivating, and enthusiastic messages about priorities, objectives, and expectations to get the best out of people. Engaging stakeholders - Significant experience and knowledge of systematically identifying, analysing, and communicating with stakeholders, capturing needs and requirements. Collaboration – You create an open and collaborative environment to work in, are flexible, adaptable and have a willingness to learn. You consider different individual needs, views, and ideas, championing inclusion and equality of opportunity for all effectively managing conflict, misconduct, and non-inclusive behaviour, raising with senior managers where appropriate. Master’s level of education / NVQ level 7 in Project Management; or equivalent qualification; or equivalent significant experience in a similar senior delivery management role Service management or digital/data project management qualifications (e.g., ITIL, Agile) Desirable role criteria: Working knowledge of applying quality management processes to ensure the adherence to those standards throughout the project delivery lifecycle Ability to secure the resources required to deliver a project Understanding of digital tools and how to apply them to maximise efficiency, e.g. Jira, Confluence Strong experience of delivery with public health and / or a data solutions setting Selection Criteria This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your behaviours. 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) 1000 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: Communication between Technical and Non-technical - Ensure delivery confidence across all levels with technical and non-technical audiences. 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 1000 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 will be tested at interview. The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be: Seeing the Big Picture Changing and Improving Making effective decisions Working Together Managing a Quality Service Interviews will be held week commencing 12th and/or 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 HQ’s in either 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) onsite. 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 Basic Personnel Security Standard clearance. IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ 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 This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks. 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) (opens in a new window) 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 For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window) For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment. For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary. For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy. Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment. Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered. Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. 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: [email protected] 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 here. Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list. The panel will assess if candidates meet the requirement of the role first, using a specific benchmark system. If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available. Interview expenses will not be reimbursed. UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there. Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. Benefits of working at UKHSA include: Generous annual leave: -26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service -28 days after 5 years of continuous service -32 days after 10 years of continuous service -Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions. Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving. Access to a retail discounts and cashback site. We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing. We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package. Hybrid Working UKHSA operates 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 usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home. Disability Confident Scheme The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview. If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form. 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 take into account 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 could be time accrued over that period. 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. Security Vetting Please check the Security Clearance needed for the role and follow the link for more information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels 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.