Job summary
We are looking for a collaborative, engaging and confident public health expert to provide the national leadership for the work of our regional health protection teams. This is a high profile, challenging and rewarding leadership role at UKHSA with the ability to make a significant impact on the organisation's future direction. You will oversee the work of the nine regions (North West, North East, Yorkshire & Humber, West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South West, London and South East) and the field services division. In this role you will be providing visible public health leadership, strengthening links between local and national government, and contributing to national strategy through expertise and regional intelligence.
Main duties of the job
Ensuring effective delivery by regions of UKHSA strategic objectives and national health protection programmes
oDelivery of a safe, effective and efficient 24/7 'all hazards' acute response service including incident response across all regions
oEstablish clear quality standards and governance for regional health protection services to ensure UKHSA meets international best practice for health protection services
oProviding a visible, active leadership role within UKHSA for regions on health protection in place, ensuring strong visibility and links between local and national Government, helping national policy teams to navigate key local partners, and contributing to national strategy through expertise and regional intelligence
oEnsuring a system leadership approach to health protection in the regions by building strong relationships with, and leading strategic partnerships across, key partners in the regions including Local Government, the NHS and UKHSA
oEnsuring robust health protection surveillance and intelligence arrangements are in place at regional level working with other UKHSA directorates to detect hazards and mobilise response
oOperating within an agreed national framework for emergency/incident response, senior-level decision making is expected of this role in the area of risk identification, management and escalation. This will include acting as National Incident Director/ Strategic Response Director
Please see the candidate pack for full details
About us
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
Job responsibilities
Please see the candidate pack and job description
Experience:
Please see the candidate pack and job description for full selection criteria.
If from a medical/Public Health background:
The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 9
Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
Public Health Specialty Registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC
Selection Process: (competency based)
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of
- an Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
- a Statement of Suitability (up to 1500 words, 2 pages)
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.
Shortlisting
In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:
- Extensive experience of leadership and change management within health protection including at a regional and/ or national level
Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered
Assessments.
If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a series of assessments which will include a staff engagement exercise and an Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA) exercise. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panels decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.
Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
Interview (competency based)
You will be invited to a single face to face interview.
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview
There will be a 5 minute oral presentation at the start of the interview. Details will be provided when your interview time is confirmed.
Interviews will be held week commencing 17 March 2025. 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.
External
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Security Clearance Level Requirement
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security 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 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) 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.
Face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.
Location:
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our regional offices, Core HQs or Scientific campus sites. Regular travel to London will be required and this role will be working across the 9 regional teams.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) working at one of UKHSA's regional offices (Preston, Horsham, Totnes, Fareham, Ashford, Manchester, Harlow, Cambridge, Suffolk (Mildenhall), Nottingham, Bristol, Newcastle) one of the core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton).
Job description
Job responsibilities
Please see the candidate pack and job description
Experience:
Please see the candidate pack and job description for full selection criteria.
If from a medical/Public Health background:
The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 9
Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice
Public Health Specialty Registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC
Selection Process: (competency based)
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of
- an Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
- a Statement of Suitability (up to 1500 words, 2 pages)
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.
Shortlisting
In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:
- Extensive experience of leadership and change management within health protection including at a regional and/ or national level
Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered
Assessments.
If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in a series of assessments which will include a staff engagement exercise and an Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA) exercise. These assessments will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panels decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.
Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
Interview (competency based)
You will be invited to a single face to face interview.
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview
There will be a 5 minute oral presentation at the start of the interview. Details will be provided when your interview time is confirmed.
Interviews will be held week commencing 17 March 2025. 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.
External
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Security Clearance Level Requirement
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security 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 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) 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.
Face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.
Location:
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our regional offices, Core HQs or Scientific campus sites. Regular travel to London will be required and this role will be working across the 9 regional teams.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) working at one of UKHSA's regional offices (Preston, Horsham, Totnes, Fareham, Ashford, Manchester, Harlow, Cambridge, Suffolk (Mildenhall), Nottingham, Bristol, Newcastle) one of the core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton).
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or ? Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
- If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice.
- Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers
- If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
- Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body
- MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment
Desirable
- Masters in Public Health or equivalent
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Senior professional with extensive experience of high-level leadership and management
- Able to influence senior members including directors and CEOs
- Able to both lead teams and to able to contribute effectively in teams led by junior colleagues
- Strong commitment to public health principles
- Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
- Adaptable to situations, can handle people of all capabilities and attitudes
- Commitment to team-working, and respect and consideration for the skills of others
- Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative
- High standards of professional probity
Experience
Essential
- Experience of communicable disease control in a wide variety of settings including out of hours on call with evidence of regional and national delivery of health protection
- Experience and demonstrable competency in dealing with environmental hazards/chemical incidents
- Experience of emergency planning
- Delivery of successful change management programmes across organizational boundaries
- Experience leading major health protection incidents
Desirable
- Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health protection messages
Skills
Essential
- Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills and operational competence
- Dynamic risk assessment, management and global judgement
- Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the public's health and wellbeing through mainstream activities and within resources
- Ability to lead and manage the response successfully in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
- Analytical skills able to utilize both qualitative (including health economics) and quantitative information
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation.
- Understanding of key agencies involved in health protection
- Understanding of social and political environment
- Understanding of laboratory microbiology; clinical infectious diseases and clinical toxicology services
- In depth understanding of the health and care system and the relationships with both local national government
- In depth knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement, evaluation and evidence based public health practice
- Strong and demonstrable understanding of interfaces between health, social care and key partners (dealing with wider determinants of health)
- Understanding of the public-sector duty and the inequality duty and their application to public health practice
- An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
- Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or ? Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
- If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice.
- Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers
- If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
- Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body
- MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment
Desirable
- Masters in Public Health or equivalent
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Senior professional with extensive experience of high-level leadership and management
- Able to influence senior members including directors and CEOs
- Able to both lead teams and to able to contribute effectively in teams led by junior colleagues
- Strong commitment to public health principles
- Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
- Adaptable to situations, can handle people of all capabilities and attitudes
- Commitment to team-working, and respect and consideration for the skills of others
- Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative
- High standards of professional probity
Experience
Essential
- Experience of communicable disease control in a wide variety of settings including out of hours on call with evidence of regional and national delivery of health protection
- Experience and demonstrable competency in dealing with environmental hazards/chemical incidents
- Experience of emergency planning
- Delivery of successful change management programmes across organizational boundaries
- Experience leading major health protection incidents
Desirable
- Media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health protection messages
Skills
Essential
- Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills and operational competence
- Dynamic risk assessment, management and global judgement
- Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the public's health and wellbeing through mainstream activities and within resources
- Ability to lead and manage the response successfully in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
- Analytical skills able to utilize both qualitative (including health economics) and quantitative information
Knowledge
Essential
- Understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation.
- Understanding of key agencies involved in health protection
- Understanding of social and political environment
- Understanding of laboratory microbiology; clinical infectious diseases and clinical toxicology services
- In depth understanding of the health and care system and the relationships with both local national government
- In depth knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement, evaluation and evidence based public health practice
- Strong and demonstrable understanding of interfaces between health, social care and key partners (dealing with wider determinants of health)
- Understanding of the public-sector duty and the inequality duty and their application to public health practice
- An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
