UK Health Security Agency

Partnerships Manager

The closing date is 03 September 2025

Job summary

The Chief Data Officer (CDO) group enable UKHSA's overall mission by supporting the full data value chain from the safe, legal and ethical obtaining of data, through its curation and provision to analytics and insight dissemination. We work closely with colleagues from across the agency at all stages of this process and we are continuously developing and improving the way we work to ensure that the UKHSA well placed to deliver its mandate and prepare for and respond to the next health security crisis.

Within CDO, the Data and Cyber Security directorate is now recruiting to high profile, fast paced partnership-focussed work on surveillance transformation for the Agency. This role sits within an established and expanding Partnerships team where the post holder will further shape the strategic surveillance transformation function for the agency, including to ensure that considerations on data governance are embedded across the work from the outset.

Main duties of the job

  • You will be supporting work across UKHSA using your stakeholder, programme management, and governance skills in driving forward Surveillance Transformation in partnership with experts and senior leaders across UKHSA, government, and the private sector. This will involve the development of existing or new projects, ensuring they are embedded and insights disseminated for effective use.
  • As a Partnerships Manager, you will be part of a small team responsible for designing and implementing elements of surveillance transformation across the agency. You will help to set the direction in delivering short and longer-term priorities. A keen interest in developing yourself will be key.
  • Ensure alignment with UKHSA's strategy, priority programmes, and operational teams, to ensure compliance with UKHSA process and best practices.
  • Working across the agency to support the design, initiation and delivery of discreet, national surveillance projects or pilot exercises overseen by CDO's Senior Environmental Science Advisor. These may include wastewater testing in the community and at borders.

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

Details

Date posted

20 August 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£40,661 to £50,472 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

919-GB-307927-EXT

Job locations

Any Core HQ

Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Canary Wharf)

E14 4PU


Job description

Job responsibilities

Main duties of the job continued:

  • Be empowered to engage at a senior level to ensure all surveillance transformation related activities are identified, actioned, tracked and reported upon.
  • Apply your strategic awareness to organisation wide emerging strategy, topical issues and strategic risks, seeking to resolve these in collaboration with Surveillance Transformation needs.
  • Identify and support opportunities to forge and influence new strategic partnerships furthering CDO and UKHSAs health security mission through Surveillance Transformation, achieving success by working with and delivering through others. You will be a leader who is confident in your ability to shape peoples thinking and who can build and maintain great relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from within and outside our organisation.
  • Work closely with the wider Partnerships team whose remit includes academia, industry and global, developing to become a multi-skilled team member who can flex across areas in times of need.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • This role offers the opportunity to help in shaping UKHSAs approach to surveillance transformation through impactful strategic public health partnerships contributing directly to UKHSAs remit.
  • The role will require a proactive, highly motivated candidate who has practical experience in identifying and engaging strategic stakeholders internally and externally to deliver the UKHSA/CDO mission through working in partnership.
  • Alongside forging new partnerships, you will support the development and review of existing partnerships, measuring against strategic delivery goals, and identifying future direction and actions to be taken forward by the team. You will enable the dissemination of knowledge, intelligence, tools and innovation so that effective public health practice can be spread as rapidly as possible.
  • You will support in scoping and assessing potential surveillance transformation projects such as those relating to wastewater. This includes project planning, financial costing, risk analysis, stakeholder management and project governance. If taken forward, you will play a key role in the day-to day running and delivery of projects taken forward.
  • This role is high-profile and wide-ranging with the opportunity to get involved in strategy development, market engagement, requirements setting, the procurement process and relationship building. You will maintain close working relationships with commercial and finance business partners, and central project management teams. You will be responsible for ensuring adherence to any budgets and ensuring the appropriate documentation is available for scrutiny.
  • This is a fast-paced role and requires the ability to work at pace while managing competing priorities and to quickly build trusting relationships with key internal and external stakeholders using policy, delivery and communication skills. Importantly, you will offer governance experience to the wider team and use these skills to influence and communicate effectively across the organisation.
  • You will respond positively and flexibly to any changing and/or emerging priorities as the teams function further develops and matures.
  • The job holder will play a key role in driving an inclusive and positive culture across the team.

Essential role criteria

  • Significant experience of a related leadership role within cross sector delivery including, for example, with NHS, private sector, third sector and academia.
  • evidence demonstrable expertise and leadership in ensuring an uncompromising approach to the highest standards of data governance when initiating and delivering activities.
  • Have experience of implementing impactful strategic solutions through working in partnership.
  • demonstrate resilience and flexibility in delivering fast paced work in an, at times, ambiguous ill-defined context.
  • understand how to work across multidisciplinary teams in a new organisation, communicating with technical and non-technical audiences on public health subject matters.
  • have excellent presentation skills with ability to present complex concepts and communicate/influence to senior management and subject experts.
  • Have demonstrable active interest in team and self-development.

Desirable role criteria:

  • provide evidence of identifying and developing threats and opportunities assessments against multiple emerging themes/initiatives and socialising them widely across the organisation.experience of developing effective relationships with stakeholders from a range of organisations who have different objectives to jointly deliver shared outcomes.
  • have experience of working across multiple government departments and devolved administrations and demonstrating leadership to deliver high profile initiatives.

Selection Process Details:

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed (7) essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

  • Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)

  • Up to 1500 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.

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 someessential criteria
  • Meets no essentialcriteria

The following will be taken through to the next stage:

  • Meets all essential criteria
  • Meets someessential criteria

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on the following:

  • Have experience of implementing impactful strategic solutions through working in partnership.
  • understand how to work across multidisciplinary teams in a new organisation, communicating with technical and non-technical audiences on public health subject matters.
  • have excellent presentation skills with ability to present complex concepts and communicate/influence to senior management and subject experts.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates.

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.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours andexperience will be tested at interview.

You will be asked to prepare and present a 510 minute presentation. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

  • Seeing the Big Picture (Lead behaviour)
  • Changing and Improving
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment.

Please do not exceed 1500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

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

Eligibility Criteria - External

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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer greatflexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model wherebusiness needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, toget the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimumof 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averagedover a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, andLondon).

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport linkand benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as theDepartment for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

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.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main duties of the job continued:

  • Be empowered to engage at a senior level to ensure all surveillance transformation related activities are identified, actioned, tracked and reported upon.
  • Apply your strategic awareness to organisation wide emerging strategy, topical issues and strategic risks, seeking to resolve these in collaboration with Surveillance Transformation needs.
  • Identify and support opportunities to forge and influence new strategic partnerships furthering CDO and UKHSAs health security mission through Surveillance Transformation, achieving success by working with and delivering through others. You will be a leader who is confident in your ability to shape peoples thinking and who can build and maintain great relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from within and outside our organisation.
  • Work closely with the wider Partnerships team whose remit includes academia, industry and global, developing to become a multi-skilled team member who can flex across areas in times of need.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

  • This role offers the opportunity to help in shaping UKHSAs approach to surveillance transformation through impactful strategic public health partnerships contributing directly to UKHSAs remit.
  • The role will require a proactive, highly motivated candidate who has practical experience in identifying and engaging strategic stakeholders internally and externally to deliver the UKHSA/CDO mission through working in partnership.
  • Alongside forging new partnerships, you will support the development and review of existing partnerships, measuring against strategic delivery goals, and identifying future direction and actions to be taken forward by the team. You will enable the dissemination of knowledge, intelligence, tools and innovation so that effective public health practice can be spread as rapidly as possible.
  • You will support in scoping and assessing potential surveillance transformation projects such as those relating to wastewater. This includes project planning, financial costing, risk analysis, stakeholder management and project governance. If taken forward, you will play a key role in the day-to day running and delivery of projects taken forward.
  • This role is high-profile and wide-ranging with the opportunity to get involved in strategy development, market engagement, requirements setting, the procurement process and relationship building. You will maintain close working relationships with commercial and finance business partners, and central project management teams. You will be responsible for ensuring adherence to any budgets and ensuring the appropriate documentation is available for scrutiny.
  • This is a fast-paced role and requires the ability to work at pace while managing competing priorities and to quickly build trusting relationships with key internal and external stakeholders using policy, delivery and communication skills. Importantly, you will offer governance experience to the wider team and use these skills to influence and communicate effectively across the organisation.
  • You will respond positively and flexibly to any changing and/or emerging priorities as the teams function further develops and matures.
  • The job holder will play a key role in driving an inclusive and positive culture across the team.

Essential role criteria

  • Significant experience of a related leadership role within cross sector delivery including, for example, with NHS, private sector, third sector and academia.
  • evidence demonstrable expertise and leadership in ensuring an uncompromising approach to the highest standards of data governance when initiating and delivering activities.
  • Have experience of implementing impactful strategic solutions through working in partnership.
  • demonstrate resilience and flexibility in delivering fast paced work in an, at times, ambiguous ill-defined context.
  • understand how to work across multidisciplinary teams in a new organisation, communicating with technical and non-technical audiences on public health subject matters.
  • have excellent presentation skills with ability to present complex concepts and communicate/influence to senior management and subject experts.
  • Have demonstrable active interest in team and self-development.

Desirable role criteria:

  • provide evidence of identifying and developing threats and opportunities assessments against multiple emerging themes/initiatives and socialising them widely across the organisation.experience of developing effective relationships with stakeholders from a range of organisations who have different objectives to jointly deliver shared outcomes.
  • have experience of working across multiple government departments and devolved administrations and demonstrating leadership to deliver high profile initiatives.

Selection Process Details:

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed (7) essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

  • Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)

  • Up to 1500 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.

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 someessential criteria
  • Meets no essentialcriteria

The following will be taken through to the next stage:

  • Meets all essential criteria
  • Meets someessential criteria

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on the following:

  • Have experience of implementing impactful strategic solutions through working in partnership.
  • understand how to work across multidisciplinary teams in a new organisation, communicating with technical and non-technical audiences on public health subject matters.
  • have excellent presentation skills with ability to present complex concepts and communicate/influence to senior management and subject experts.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates.

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.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours andexperience will be tested at interview.

You will be asked to prepare and present a 510 minute presentation. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

  • Seeing the Big Picture (Lead behaviour)
  • Changing and Improving
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment.

Please do not exceed 1500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

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

Eligibility Criteria - External

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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer greatflexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model wherebusiness needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, toget the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimumof 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averagedover a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, andLondon).

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport linkand benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as theDepartment for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

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.

Person Specification

application form and supporting statement

Essential

  • application form and supporting statement

Behaviours

Essential

  • Seeing the Big Picture - Lead behaviour
  • Changing and Improving
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together

Presentation

Essential

  • Presentation
Person Specification

application form and supporting statement

Essential

  • application form and supporting statement

Behaviours

Essential

  • Seeing the Big Picture - Lead behaviour
  • Changing and Improving
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together

Presentation

Essential

  • Presentation

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).

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.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

Any Core HQ

Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Canary Wharf)

E14 4PU


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

Any Core HQ

Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Canary Wharf)

E14 4PU


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Resourcing

Gurkamal Bhambra

gurkamal.bhambra@ukhsa.gov.uk

Details

Date posted

20 August 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£40,661 to £50,472 a year Per annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

919-GB-307927-EXT

Job locations

Any Core HQ

Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Canary Wharf)

E14 4PU


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

UK Health Security Agency's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)