Epidemiological Analyst
Job Description
Job summary
The Immunisation Division is responsible for the national surveillance of most vaccine preventable infections and in providing technical support and clinical expertise to the Department of Health and Social Care and to the NHS in planning and delivering the national immunisation programmes.
We are looking for an Epidemiological Analyst to develop and maintain enhanced surveillance systems for vaccine preventable diseases, work closely with a wide variety of professionals from both within and out of UKHSA to ensure high quality data. The ideal candidate must have an understanding of vaccines, how they work and their utility in the national immunisation programme and be familiar with different database platforms and experienced in using statistical packages for performing epidemiological analyses and writing scientific papers for publication.
You will produce regular and ad hoc outputs from these systems for inclusion in routine national and international reports, information requests and peer review articles andbe comfortable presenting research work at local and national meetings and conferences. You will also manage the disease-specific web pages on the UKHSA website, ensuring that the old content is reviewed and updated in a timely manner and be responsible for supporting other departmental staff in website maintenance, developing infectious disease surveillance databases, database querying and report running.
Main duties of the job
- Maintain, develop and document enhanced surveillance systems including databases
- Create and update queries and data validation checks for the removal of duplicate records, data formatting and ensuring completeness of data
- Liase with stakeholder staff providing surveillance data
- Liaise with clinicians, laboratories and HPTs regarding individual cases and outbreaks
- Develop, update and maintain appropriate pages on the UKHSA website in a timely manner
- Work closely with scientists/managers on validation of content of the web pages to ensure uploaded data meets UKHSA website guidelines
- Run regular queries on a wide range of databases to prepare four weekly, quarterly and annual surveillance reports for Health Protection Report as appropriate
- To assist the Information Officer with appropriate ad hoc queries for Parliamentary Questions and other information requests &with the preparation of appropriate annual data sets for international organisations
- Maintain appropriate disease specific Reference Manager databases in liaison with departmental scientific and medical staff
- Contribute to papers for scientific journals and reports for the Department of Health and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation upon request
- Present surveillance data and study results at in-house and national meetings/conferences, and attend national meetings/conferences
For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
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 responsibilities
Selection Process Details:
This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your Qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
Competency-based assessment
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the below listed 10 essential criteria , and this will be in the form of a:
- Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
- 750 word Statement of Suitability.
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 Statement of Suitability will be marked together.
Please be aware that we will assess on the 10 essential criteria stated on the advert rather than the full list on the job description document.
Shortlisting:
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment
Please do not exceed 750 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview (competency based)
You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview
There will be a 10 minute presentation (further details will be provided).
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. 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 the UKHSA Colindale office.
If based at one of our scientific locations, you will be required to have a Counter TerrorismCheck security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks tobe carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You shouldnormally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requiresCounter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances UK residency lessthan the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting andapplicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further dvice. Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centretransport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department 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 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
Qualification
Essential
- A degree in relevant science subject or equivalent level qualification or significant experience of working at a similar level in specialist area
- Post-graduate degree in Epidemiology and / or equivalent or significant experience related to health information
Knowledge and experience
Essential
- Scientific research work experience
- Data management, analysis and reporting of epidemiological data using different software packages (Microsoft Access, Excel, Stata, R)
- Preparing scientific reports and presentations
Skills / capabilities/ behaviours
Essential
- Able to work as a team member
- Able to work independently and to deadlines
- Maintain required levels of confidentiality
- Able to communicate and document methods clearly and succinctly
- Able to liaise with a wide range of external collaborators including health service and academic professionals
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.
