Senior Bioinformatician

Job description

Job responsibilities

The job description and person specification will be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the department. The work of the department is of a confidential nature and must not be communicated to other persons except where required for authorised purposes.

Essential criteria:

• PhD or equivalent years experience in bioinformatics
• Familiar with Linux/Unix; proficient on the CLI
• Knowledge of Next Generation Sequencing technologies and associated bioinformatic analytical approaches
• Experience of applying diverse bioinformatics tools, preferably to the analysis of microbial DNA or proteins
• Experience of developing, modifying, debugging code used for data analysis, preferably python
• Experience of VCS systems (e.g. git) for software versioning and documentation
• Clear communicator with excellent writing, report writing and presentation skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
• Ability to work on own initiative and organise own workload without supervision working to tight and often changing timescales
• Able to work as part of team and liaise with all levels of staff

Desirable criteria:

• Ability to anticipate future challenges and plan strategically to maximise positive outcomes
• Takes decisions on difficult and contentious issues where they may be a number of courses of action

Selection Process Detail

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 10 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• 1500-word supporting statement

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)

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

Those that Meet all essential criteria and those that Meet some essential criteria will proceed to shortlisting. Shortlisting:

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

• PhD or equivalent years experience in bioinformatics

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

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

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Success profiles

You will be invited to a remote interview.

Behaviours and Technical Skills will be tested at interview.

The behaviours assessed at interview will be:

• Working at pace (Lead behaviour)
• Making effective decisions
• Communicating and influencing

You will also be asked technical questions around bioinformatics general practice and pathogen genomics, as part of the interview.

Interviews dates are yet to be confirmed.

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

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

For Temporary Appointments,if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSAs Pay policy.

Location

This role attracts a home working contract.

Candidates can also opt to work from any of our Core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton).

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).

Salary bands:

• National £41,983 to £48,128
• Outer London £44,148 to £50,121
• Inner London £46,310 to £52,113

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 for this role 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 requiresSecurity Check (SC) clearance. 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

Application Form and Supporting Statement

Essential

• Application Form and Supporting Statement

Behaviours

Essential

• Working at pace (Lead behaviour)
• Making effective decisions
• Communicating and influencing

Technical

Essential

• Technical questions - Bioinformatics general practice and pathogen genomics

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

Core HQ/Remote

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)