Job summary
NICE is seeking to appoint a Topic Adviser to its guideline Committee for the NICE severe and enduring mental illness guidance review.
The Topic Adviser will work in collaboration with NICE staff, the Chair and the Committee to develop a series of guideline updates on behalf of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The Topic Adviser will act as a source of professional advice to the guideline Chair and NICE staff in the identification and review of evidence. This includes providing input to the early development of the scope, assisting with queries, contribute to discussions at the committee meetings and quality assuring the content of guideline updates.
We are looking for a practicing mental health professional (for example a psychologist or psychiatrist) with demonstrable relevant experience and clinical knowledge in the field of severe and enduring mental illness (for example expertise in the treatment of bipolar disorder or psychosis).
Strong interpersonal skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills are required, along with an ability to communicate complex issues to differing audiences.
Interview date: to be confirmed.
Closing date: Midnight on Monday 19th January 2026.
If you have an access requirement that prevents you from applying online, please contact christine.harris@nice.org.uk and we can provide MS word versions of the forms to complete.
Main duties of the job
Committee members agree to:
Set aside enough time to attend committee meetings and use their personal and professional knowledge to inform the development of the guidance.
Raise any concerns about process or details in the draft guidance with the committee, and try to resolve these issues within the committee, with support from the guidance developer or the NICE guidance project team.
Contribute positively to the work of the committee and to developing the guidance.
Take full account of the evidence in developing recommendations.
Consider the analysis and interpretation of evidence prepared by the evidence review team.
Act in a professional manner, show good manners and be courteous to colleagues and staff at all times (committee members should behave in a polite, efficient and respectful manner and without bias or favour, using the highest standards of conduct expected in public life and service while on NICE duty).
Be impartial and honest in conducting their duties for NICE, use public funds entrusted to them to the best advantage of NICE, and avoid deliberately damaging the confidence of the public or stakeholders in NICE.
Ensure strict adherence to NICE's Principles and equality policy.
Read and adhere to NICE's policies on hospitality, declarations of interests and travel and subsistence.
About us
Topic advisors:
Topic Advisors employing organisations are normally reimbursed for the time advisors work for NICE. Please see reimbursement policy linked in information for applicant document.
NICE will also pay reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including train fares and hotel costs when necessary, for attending committee meetings.
Other expenses:
NICE recognises that in some circumstances individuals will need to arrange for carers or support workers to accompany them to a meeting, or to take over unpaid caring responsibilities while they are at a meeting - this includes childcare or care of a family member with a disability or other additional needs. The circumstances in which NICE can provide reimbursement for such costs are outlined in the non-staff reimbursement policy.
Time commitment:
Topic Advisors are expected to all day-long committee meetings over approximately an 18 month period (subject to review). Our committees have been meeting virtually using online software since the COVID-19 pandemic. We will review this regularly but currently anticipate a small number of meetings may be held in person.
Topic Advisors will have to spend time reading substantial committee documents and helping to produce consultation documents.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Summary
To work in collaboration with NICE staff, the guideline Chair and the Committee over a period of 18 months (initially) to review, validate and develop clinical guidelines within the scope ofthe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) severe and enduring mental health illness review.To provide expert knowledge on guidelines within the scope of the review and act as a source of clinical advice to the guideline Chair and NICE staff in the identification and review of evidence for related updates. The Topic Adviser will be supported by NICE staff who will be responsible for overall project management, organising Committee meetings, carrying out evidence reviews and economic analysis.
Responsibilities - Have regular and frequent contact with the NICE project manager throughout the lifetime of the guideline for planning purposes and be able to answer queries at short notice
- Act in accordance with the principles of the NICE Code of Conduct
- Participate in NICE Committee Training
- Attend all Committee meetings as required, held at regular intervals over a period of approximately 18 months. These are normally held virtually but will also include some face to face meetings.
- Participate in scoping meetings and a scoping workshop (if applicable)
- Represent the Committee at other meetings if required.
- Outside of meetings, the Topic Adviser may be required to attend pre meetings and review and provide feedback on substantial committee documents as well as help to produce consultation documents.
- Contribute to the development of other related guideline products.
- Advise on the composition and membership of the Committee
- Work with NICE staff and the guideline Chair to develop the scope of the review of guidelines
- Participate in discussion and decision making
- Provide expert knowledge on severe and enduring mental health and act as a source of clinical advice to the guideline Chair and NICE staff in the identification and review of evidence.
- Work with the Committee and NICE staff to identify key issues, formulate clinical questions, review evidence tables, identify priorities for economic analysis, advise on appropriate assumptions and data sources for economic models and draft recommendations
- Write and quality assure drafts of guideline updates, along with senior NICE staff and the guideline Chair
- Contribute to responses to NICE quality assurance processes
- Provide appropriate clinical advice to NICE staff when responding to stakeholder comments on the draft scope and on the draft guideline, along with the guideline Chair
Conditions
- Where overnight accommodation is required, this must be agreed with NICE staff in advance of the meeting.
- Travel and subsistence will be met as per the NICE policy on travel and subsistence.
- The Topic Adviser may claim reimbursement for their employing organisation for each formal and full-day Committee meeting to cover preparation and attendance at the meeting. See the section on remuneration.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Summary
To work in collaboration with NICE staff, the guideline Chair and the Committee over a period of 18 months (initially) to review, validate and develop clinical guidelines within the scope ofthe National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) severe and enduring mental health illness review.To provide expert knowledge on guidelines within the scope of the review and act as a source of clinical advice to the guideline Chair and NICE staff in the identification and review of evidence for related updates. The Topic Adviser will be supported by NICE staff who will be responsible for overall project management, organising Committee meetings, carrying out evidence reviews and economic analysis.
Responsibilities - Have regular and frequent contact with the NICE project manager throughout the lifetime of the guideline for planning purposes and be able to answer queries at short notice
- Act in accordance with the principles of the NICE Code of Conduct
- Participate in NICE Committee Training
- Attend all Committee meetings as required, held at regular intervals over a period of approximately 18 months. These are normally held virtually but will also include some face to face meetings.
- Participate in scoping meetings and a scoping workshop (if applicable)
- Represent the Committee at other meetings if required.
- Outside of meetings, the Topic Adviser may be required to attend pre meetings and review and provide feedback on substantial committee documents as well as help to produce consultation documents.
- Contribute to the development of other related guideline products.
- Advise on the composition and membership of the Committee
- Work with NICE staff and the guideline Chair to develop the scope of the review of guidelines
- Participate in discussion and decision making
- Provide expert knowledge on severe and enduring mental health and act as a source of clinical advice to the guideline Chair and NICE staff in the identification and review of evidence.
- Work with the Committee and NICE staff to identify key issues, formulate clinical questions, review evidence tables, identify priorities for economic analysis, advise on appropriate assumptions and data sources for economic models and draft recommendations
- Write and quality assure drafts of guideline updates, along with senior NICE staff and the guideline Chair
- Contribute to responses to NICE quality assurance processes
- Provide appropriate clinical advice to NICE staff when responding to stakeholder comments on the draft scope and on the draft guideline, along with the guideline Chair
Conditions
- Where overnight accommodation is required, this must be agreed with NICE staff in advance of the meeting.
- Travel and subsistence will be met as per the NICE policy on travel and subsistence.
- The Topic Adviser may claim reimbursement for their employing organisation for each formal and full-day Committee meeting to cover preparation and attendance at the meeting. See the section on remuneration.
Person Specification
Ability to contribute to the work of the advisory body
Essential
- Looking at the role description and person specification, we want any future NICE guideline on severe and enduring mental illness to drive improvements in care and outcomes, please tell your views on how best a NICE guideline can achieve this. Maximum 500 words.
- Please outline your experience as a practicing mental health professional (for example a psychologist or psychiatrist) with demonstrable relevant experience and clinical knowledge in the field of severe and enduring mental illness (for example expertise in the treatment of bipolar disorder or psychosis)
- Please outline any links with relevant professional bodies
- Please outline your experience of working with patient/carer representatives
- Please demonstrate your understanding of the social, political, economic and professional influences on NICE
- Please give examples of strong interpersonal skills along with excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to understand and interpret multiple complex data sets
Essential
- Looking at the role description and person specification, please give details of your ability to gather data, analyse, critique and synthesise complex information, as evidenced by relevant experience and/or academic qualifications. Maximum 500 words.
Nature of the motivation underpinning the application
Essential
- Looking at the role description and person specification, please tell us about your experience in healthcare as a practicing healthcare professional or working in or in association with the wider aspects of healthcare or the healthcare industries and your experience and interest in severe and enduring mental illness specifically. Maximum 500 words.
Equality and diversity
Essential
- Looking at the role description and person specification, please tell us how you demonstrate commitment to eliminating unlawful discrimination, advancing equality and an understanding or awareness of the issues of inequality in health, public health and social care settings. Maximum 500 words.
Eligibility-it is compulsory to answer all questions, not because you need to meet all the criteria.
Essential
- Are you happy to commit to work within the NICE equality scheme?
- Do you commit to keeping committee discussions confidential as needed?
- Do you have the time to commit to this committee's work? (This includes attending meetings, reading papers, commenting on draft documents, and other work as required)
- Have you worked, or do you work as a healthcare, social care or public health professional? If yes, please give details including profession, specialty and dates:
- Have you received a prison sentence or suspended sentence of 3 months or more in the last 5 years?
- Are you the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order?
- Have you been dismissed (except by redundancy) by any NHS or social care body?
- Have you had an earlier term of appointment with NICE terminated?
- Are you under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986?
- Have you been removed from trusteeship of a charity?
- Are you employed by the Department for Health and Social Care?
- Are you employed by NHS England's national commissioning functions?
- Are you appointed by NHS England as a National Clinical Director, National Specialty Lead, or Clinical Reference Group chair?
Person Specification
Ability to contribute to the work of the advisory body
Essential
- Looking at the role description and person specification, we want any future NICE guideline on severe and enduring mental illness to drive improvements in care and outcomes, please tell your views on how best a NICE guideline can achieve this. Maximum 500 words.
- Please outline your experience as a practicing mental health professional (for example a psychologist or psychiatrist) with demonstrable relevant experience and clinical knowledge in the field of severe and enduring mental illness (for example expertise in the treatment of bipolar disorder or psychosis)
- Please outline any links with relevant professional bodies
- Please outline your experience of working with patient/carer representatives
- Please demonstrate your understanding of the social, political, economic and professional influences on NICE
- Please give examples of strong interpersonal skills along with excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to understand and interpret multiple complex data sets
Essential
- Looking at the role description and person specification, please give details of your ability to gather data, analyse, critique and synthesise complex information, as evidenced by relevant experience and/or academic qualifications. Maximum 500 words.
Nature of the motivation underpinning the application
Essential
- Looking at the role description and person specification, please tell us about your experience in healthcare as a practicing healthcare professional or working in or in association with the wider aspects of healthcare or the healthcare industries and your experience and interest in severe and enduring mental illness specifically. Maximum 500 words.
Equality and diversity
Essential
- Looking at the role description and person specification, please tell us how you demonstrate commitment to eliminating unlawful discrimination, advancing equality and an understanding or awareness of the issues of inequality in health, public health and social care settings. Maximum 500 words.
Eligibility-it is compulsory to answer all questions, not because you need to meet all the criteria.
Essential
- Are you happy to commit to work within the NICE equality scheme?
- Do you commit to keeping committee discussions confidential as needed?
- Do you have the time to commit to this committee's work? (This includes attending meetings, reading papers, commenting on draft documents, and other work as required)
- Have you worked, or do you work as a healthcare, social care or public health professional? If yes, please give details including profession, specialty and dates:
- Have you received a prison sentence or suspended sentence of 3 months or more in the last 5 years?
- Are you the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order?
- Have you been dismissed (except by redundancy) by any NHS or social care body?
- Have you had an earlier term of appointment with NICE terminated?
- Are you under a disqualification order under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986?
- Have you been removed from trusteeship of a charity?
- Are you employed by the Department for Health and Social Care?
- Are you employed by NHS England's national commissioning functions?
- Are you appointed by NHS England as a National Clinical Director, National Specialty Lead, or Clinical Reference Group chair?
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
