Senior Scientist

at  UK Health Security Agency

JOB SUMMARY

We are looking for two Senior Scientists to join the Travel Health and International Health Regulations (IHR) team, which is part of the Chief Medical Advisor group – Epidemic & Emerging Infections Directorate. The Travel Health and IHR team contributes to the health of UK travellers through surveillance, information, teaching and research, and has a central role in supporting UKHSA’s role of National Focal Point under the IHR, and as EU Focal Point under the EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
This is an exciting opportunity to join and work with the team in its two main areas of work: travel health and IHR. The post will include responding to high level international communications, conducting and overseeing data analysis, provision of information and scientific advice to a range of national and international stakeholders, production of scientific publications, teaching, supporting the identification of research priorities and supporting policy development. Close collaboration will be required with other teams in UKHSA responsible for surveillance of disease where travel has a large impact and where international communication may be required. The post holder will also play a pivotal role in supporting the delivery of UKHSA’s Focal Point for communication with the European Commission and National Focal Point role under the IHR for all of the UK territory on behalf of the UK Government.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The main duties of the post relate to:

• Managing and responding to international communications, outbreak notifications and requests for information and action including from the European Commission (EC), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), World Health Organisation (WHO) and other WHO Member States and ensuring these are disseminated and responded to appropriately
• Surveillance of illness in returning travellers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, together with timely information outputs in response to outbreaks. The post-holder will be responsible for the development and provision of information on the surveillance of travel-associated illness, including in particular the determination of the burden and distribution of such illness in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and monitoring the progress in reducing the risk of travel-associated illness

The work of the team covers a range of activities and the postholder will work across both the travel health and IHR functions. They will support the national focal point function under the International Health Regulations (IHR) by:

• Contributing to the day-to-day management of IHR National Focal Point inbox and phone line, including responding to international contact tracing situations, drafting notifications for WHO and the European Commission, managing information requests to and from international partners, supervising and advising other scientists as appropriate, UKHSA Incident Management Teams with international communications and ensuring that all emails are responded to appropriately and in a timely fashion.
• Contributing to and supporting other scientists on the Event Information Site (EIS) Duty Scientist rota, ensuring that international public health event information is disseminated within the UK territories efficiently and appropriately and co-ordinating responses, as required.
• Coordinating the UK State Parties Annual Self-Assessment (SPAR) activity report for WHO and support work on the IHR Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.

The postholder will also have key responsibilities within the surveillance and reporting work undertaken by the team. Alongside other members of the team, they will:

• Take scientific responsibility for national surveillance of selected travel-associated infections in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Identify gaps in surveillance activities related to travel-associated infections and contribute to the design and development of new surveillance initiatives in collaboration with other parts of UKHSA.
• Contribute to complex epidemiological analysis and interpretation of surveillance data relating to travel-associated infections and ensure the data outputs for the relevant GOV.UK pages and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), as well as any other ad hoc reports, are timely and accurate.

Alongside routine work undertaken by the team, they also will form an integral part of international event and outbreak response work when required, by:

• Monitoring clusters of infection in UK residents in tourist resorts abroad and conduct appropriate public health responses to these; this may involve communication with wider UKHSA, the tourist industry, other international public health institutions and WHO.
• Undertaking risk assessments in collaboration with National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and UKHSA disease specific teams in response to international outbreaks or natural disasters that may affect UK travellers.
• With other section members and as required, supporting those at local, regional or national level who are managing incidents or outbreaks that have an international dimension and/or are relevant under IHR or which affect the health of travellers specifically.

The postholder will also:

• Contribute to scientific reports and papers for publication
• Produce regular and ad hoc topic specific surveillance reports on a variety of travel-associated infections
• Present at specialist meetings
• Contribute data and expertise to the production of advice and official guidance
• Take part in the provision of travel advice and outputs published by NaTHNaC
• Contribute to teaching and training
• Manage scientific staff and undertake their annual appraisals

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. They may be asked to deputise and cover as necessary for colleagues during annual leave, study leave and other absences and will be expected to be able to work independently.
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

The main duties of the post relate to:

• Managing and responding to international communications, outbreak notifications and requests for information and action including from the European Commission (EC), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), World Health Organisation (WHO) and other WHO Member States and ensuring these are disseminated and responded to appropriately
• Surveillance of illness in returning travellers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, together with timely information outputs in response to outbreaks. The post-holder will be responsible for the development and provision of information on the surveillance of travel-associated illness, including in particular the determination of the burden and distribution of such illness in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and monitoring the progress in reducing the risk of travel-associated illnes

The postholder will also have key responsibilities within the surveillance and reporting work undertaken by the team. Alongside other members of the team, they will:

• Take scientific responsibility for national surveillance of selected travel-associated infections in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Identify gaps in surveillance activities related to travel-associated infections and contribute to the design and development of new surveillance initiatives in collaboration with other parts of UKHSA.
• Contribute to complex epidemiological analysis and interpretation of surveillance data relating to travel-associated infections and ensure the data outputs for the relevant GOV.UK pages and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), as well as any other ad hoc reports, are timely and accurate