Consultant in Public Health Infection

Job responsibilities

1. Act as a key member of UKHSAs multidisciplinary team (including colleagues in health protection team(s), food, water and environment, FS, national experts, etc) delivering outbreak detection, prevention, and control across the region and, if required, to other regions and nationally.

2. Provide strategic leadership for determining the requirements and priorities for the provision and commissioning of PHM and infection services from the budget allocated to the region. This will be undertaken in conjunction with colleagues in Health Protection Operations Group, Chief Scientific Advisor Group, the NHS, and Local Authority public health teams, to reflect the aims and objectives of the health protection system.

3. Act as the scientific and clinical interface between UKHSA and other providers of laboratory services in the region, including both the NHS and Independent Sector. This involves expertise in diagnostic microbiology, having strong clinical infectious diseases expertise, understanding data and analytical capacity and experience in providing advice/services in this regard.

4. Provide specialist and impartial advice on the prevention and control of a range of public health infections and other public health related topics as required across the Region.

5. To provide support to local health protection teams in delivering the HCAI/AMR agenda. This may include peer review of local Infection Prevention & Control services at the request of partner organisations (e.g., NHS, local authorities) or health protections teams and providing strategic advice as required. This may be in response to concerns about practice, provision, or recent increases in HCAI/AMR cases/situations.6. Provide specialist and impartial advice for all infections of public health interest in the region, such as gastrointestinal infections, vaccine-preventable diseases, respiratory infections, and others as required.7. Contribute to the training and supervision of scientific and medical trainees within UKHSAs FS and wider laboratory network and act as an advocate for public health infection training in the NHS across the region.

8. Contribute to succession planning arrangements to help develop the FS CPHI team to meet future demands.

9. Provide a focus for research and development in public health infection across the region; in particular, develop strong partnership working with local academic centres and across UKHSA, including Health Protection Research Units (HPRUs), where appropriate.

10. Work with colleagues in the FS, UKHSA and NHS laboratory network and in health protection teams to ensure appropriate surveillance systems are in place and support the intelligent interpretation of surveillance data in the investigation of clusters and outbreaks of infection, both in the community and within hospital trusts.

11. Take a lead role with providers of NHS clinical microbiology services across the region to promote standards and outputs from existing and future surveillance schemes and routine laboratory reporting to provide information for improving the control and prevention of infection and the effective delivery of public health. This is further enhanced by providing clinical diagnostic expertise to colleagues in FS and HPTs.

12. Be prepared to take on wider national roles and represent the FS in discussion with government departments, agencies, and professional groups as appropriate to individual expertise and experience and when requested by the Deputy Director of FS.

13. Support the FS clinical governance structure and participate in clinical audit.

Please see attached Job Description for further details.

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

This vacancy is using the Civil Service Competency Framework.

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the job description & person specification attached to this job advert.

You will be required to complete an:

Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application) up to 1500 word Statement of Suitability

The Application Form and Statement of Suitability will be scored together.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible)

Your statement of suitability must be no more than 1500 words.

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a face to face interview. If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Interviews will be held week commencing 8th September 2025, please note these dates are subject to change.

This vacancy is being assessed using Civil Service Competency framework. During the interview we will assess against the below:

KnowledgeExperienceSkills and Abilities

You will be asked to prepare and present an 8 minute presentation at the start of your interview. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview. Use of slides will be permitted.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our supporting hub at Rivergate, Bristol. 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). 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).

Qualifications

Essential

• FRCPath and/or MRCP (on the specialist register in an infection-related specialty) or equivalent training and experience AND MBBS or equivalent (Medical Applicants) OR FRCPath and/or PhD or equivalent qualifications and experience commensurate with an Agenda for Change Band 8D Clinical Scientist of equivalent standing
• Full and specialist registration (and a license to practice) with the GMC (or eligible for registration within 6 months of interview). OR HCPC registration as Clinical Scientist in Clinical Microbiology
• Medical applicants that are UK trained, must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of aware of CCT by date of interview.
• Medical applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT

Desirable

• MRCP or evidence of equivalent training and experience (if a microbiologist/virologist)
• Appropriate management qualification
• Postgraduate qualification in Public Health

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Evidence of continuing medical/clinical education (existing consultants must be able to demonstrate active participation in a recognized CPD scheme, e.g. RCPath)
• Recent experience of working in an acute hospital environment and delivery of specialist and diagnostic microbiology/infection and/or virology service
• Experience of Infection Prevention & Control
• Experience in the management of microbiology and/or virology services
• Demonstrable success in leadership of teams
• Experience of policy development, planning and management
• Understanding of roles and inter-relationships between Government Agencies and UKHSA
• Understanding of Workforce Development, including changes and developments within occupational categories and related training and development issues
• Experience in teaching undergraduates, junior staff, postgraduates, nurses and other staff

Desirable

• Experience of Public Health Microbiology/Virology
• Experience of working at a regional and/or national level on guidelines, policies and other matters that influence microbiology/virology practice
• Understanding of European and International contexts
• Research experience and a good record of publications

Skills / capabilities/ behaviours

Essential

• Excellent communication skills and partnership working skills with health and local authority professionals
• Well-developed networking, strategic influencing and decision-making skills
• Ability to build rapport, working in a multi-disciplinary team and maintain good relations with professional contacts both within and outside UKHSA
• Ability to negotiate and persuade
• Active interest in research and developments in medical microbiology/virology and infection prevention and control
• Ability to take responsibility, show leadership, prioritise and make decisions
• Sense of responsibility
• Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines and to be punctual
• Have a high motivation to succeed and to progress

Desirable

• Evidence a track record of partnership working

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).