Consultant Medical Virologist/Consultant Clinical Scientist

Job description

Job responsibilities

The consultant will be working closely with clinical and laboratory colleagues in the host and other NHS trusts and with Health Protection Teams, Consultants in Public Health Infections and Public Health Epidemiologists in the East and West Midlands Regions.

For further details and the full list of essential criteria, please refer to the attached Job Description.

External - Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Application & selection process

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a detailed personal statement / statement of suitability based on the essential criteria advertised (no more than 1000 words). This should outline how you consider your skills, knowledge and experience meet the selection requirements. It should provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the person specification criteria outlined.

Applicants are strongly advised to use the criteria in the Person Specification of the Job Description as sub-headings in their application to make it clear how they meet each of the selection criteria.

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 8d.

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview).

Virology and virology/Infectious Diseases 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.

For further information or an informal discussion about the post, please contact: Dr Husam Osman, Consultant Virologist husam.osman@ukhsa.gov.uk and Dr Abid Hussain, BPHL Clinical Service Director abid.hussain@ukhsa.gov.uk

It is planned that interviews will be in person, however in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

A 10-minute presentation will be required as part of the interview, the subject will be confirmed prior to the interview; visual aids & slides will be permitted.

Interviews are currently planned to take place from week commencing 7th July 2025, however this may be subject to change.

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our UKHSA Public Health Laboratory for the Midlands which is situated at the Birmingham Heartlands Hospital in the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (Teaching). 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).

Successful candidates for this role must pass an enhanced disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

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). 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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• MBBS or equivalent
• Full and specialist registration (and a licence to practise) with the GMC (or eligible for registration within 6 months of interview Applicants that are UK trained, 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. Applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
• CCT in Virology or Medical Microbiology/ Virology or Medical Virology/ID On Specialist Register or qualified/eligible for register* or Qualifications and experience commensurate with an Agenda for Change Band 8d Clinical Scientist of equivalent standing (inclusive of a PhD and substantial appropriate post-doctoral experience and state registration with the HPC)

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• FRCPath in Virology by examination or equivalent training and experience

Desirable

• MRCP or equivalent training and experience

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Evidence of continuing professional development (existing consultants must be able to demonstrate active participation in a recognised CPD scheme
• Special interest and expertise in medical virology. Recent clinical experience in the acute hospital setting
• Experience in teaching undergraduates, junior staff, postgraduates, nurses and other staff.
• Active interest in research and developments in medical virology
• Management of staff

Desirable

• Research experience and a good record of publications
• Relevant courses (management)

Skills and capabilities

Essential

• Ability to foster and promote the delivery of the clinical diagnostic services of the laboratory
• Experience in clinical audit
• Adequate written and spoken communications. Able to communicate effectively with colleagues
• Ability to: oBuild rapport oWork in a multi-disciplinary team and maintain good relations with contacts both within and outside the UKHSA. oPersuade oNegotiate
• Ability to: oTake responsibility oShow leadership oMake decisions
• Punctual, Sense of responsibility
• Ability to work: oUnder pressure oTo deadlines
• Highly motivated to succeed and progress
• Appreciation of ethnic dilemmas Integrity Honesty
• Must be prepared to reside within reasonable travelling distance of the laboratory, and must be willing to travel to and work at other sites necessitated by the role.

Desirable

• Proven managerial skills, especially team leadership. Good writing/presentation skills. Good verbal communication skills.

Equality and diversity

Essential

• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

Birmingham Public Health Laboratory / Hybrid

Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Laboratory and Pathology Building, Bordesley Green East

Birmingham

B9 5SS

Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)