This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ’s. 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 one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).
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).
Job Summary
The Health Protection Policy Division sits within the Strategy & Policy Directorate in UKHSA. We lead on policy for respiratory infections, other endemic disease, vaccines and the health effects of climate change, as well as the directorate’s efforts to enhance the resilience and effectiveness of the national and local health protection system. The team is collaborative, supportive and friendly where mutual respect, diversity, and wellbeing are valued. There is also the possibility of additional roles becoming available in The Respiratory Team.
The Respiratory Policy Team provides the policy and strategy expertise needed to deliver progress in several key policy areas, including relating to vaccines and respiratory infections. We help to set strategic direction and drive policy development, working with colleagues across UKHSA, DHSC and other government departments to improve health outcomes.
The Health Protection Systems Policy Team works to support and enhance the effectiveness of the Health Protection system at a policy level, ensuring alignment between local, regional and national policies through a forward-looking collaborative approach. We work with partners across the system, including NHS England, DHSC, MHCLG and local areas and representative bodies to translate complex health challenges into actionable policies, strengthening system resilience and improving health outcomes.
Job Description
The main duties and responsibilities of the Senior Policy Advisor are:
- Leading and coordinating strategy and policy input as part of UKHSA's policy work on vaccines and health protection systems improvement.
- Delivering on core policy functions at pace such as briefings, correspondence and submissions
- Managing the design, development, and implementation of a range of health protection-related strategy and policy work, analysing evidence, making policy recommendations and supporting delivery
- Building trusted networks and relationships with key partners across the Agency, health family and broader government
- Supporting secretariat functions for high-profile boards and senior stakeholder groups
- Working at pace, balancing competing priorities and demands, whilst taking ownership for outcomes and ensuring targets and deadlines are met
The main duties and responsibilities of the Senior Policy Advisor are:
- Leading and coordinating strategy and policy input as part of UKHSA's policy work on vaccines and health protection systems improvement.
- Delivering on core policy functions at pace such as briefings, correspondence and submissions
- Managing the design, development, and implementation of a range of health protection-related strategy and policy work, analysing evidence, making policy recommendations and supporting delivery
- Building trusted networks and relationships with key partners across the Agency, health family and broader government
- Supporting secretariat functions for high-profile boards and senior stakeholder groups
- Working at pace, balancing competing priorities and demands, whilst taking ownership for outcomes and ensuring targets and deadlines are met
Person specification
Essential Role Criteria
- Educated to degree level in a field where a skillset relevant to strategy and policy work would be applied, or the relevant equivalent level of experience
- Experience of working in a strategy and / or policy development role, and demonstrable ability to work both within complex technical detail and strategic contexts
- Experience in building relationships across organisational boundaries to develop policy solutions to challenging problems
- Experience in working collaboratively across other government departments and with external stakeholders to agree complex policy decisions and deliver projects
- Demonstrable communication skills and ability to engage credibly and persuasively with subject matter experts, senior officials and Ministers
- Ability to write concisely and with impact, setting out complex ideas in an accessible and engaging way
- Have a strong eye for detail whilst maintaining a strategic view on how different projects fit together
- Be able to work flexibly on changing priorities and actively prioritise multiple issues
Desirable Role Criteria
- Be experienced in working in multi-disciplinary teams; with scientific, clinical, data science and delivery colleagues to deliver complex pieces of work
- Have experience of delivering secretariat functions and/or supporting governance structures and processes
- Supporting secretariat functions for high-profile boards and senior stakeholder groups
- Working at pace, balancing competing priorities and demands, whilst taking ownership for outcomes and ensuring targets and deadlines are met
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Alongside your salary of £41,983, UK Health Security Agency contributes £12,162 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
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
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
This vacancy is using Success Profiles.
At sift stage you will be assessed against the 8 essential skills listed in the job advert.
You Will Be Required To Complete An
- Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
- (up to 1000 number of words) 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 do not email us your CV)
Longlisting
In the event of a large number of applications, we may longlist into 3 piles of:
- Meets all essential criteria
- Meets some essential criteria
- Meets no essential criteria
We will take piles "Meets all essential criteria" through to shortlisting.
Shortlisting
In the event of a large amount of applications, we will sift on:
- Experience of working in a strategy and / or policy development role, and demonstrable ability to work both within complex technical detail and strategic contexts.
Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a face-to-face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.
This vacancy is being assessed using Success Profiles. During the interview we will assess you against the below:
Behaviours
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Strengths
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Location
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ’s. 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 one of UKHSA's core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).
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 Information
If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.
Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location
Senior Executive Officer (SEO)
£41,983 - £48,128 (National)
£44,148 - £50,121 (Outer London)
£46,310 - £52,113 (Inner London)
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
International Police check
If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Link: Artificial intelligence and recruitment , Civil Service Careers
Internal Fraud check
If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.
Careers website
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
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)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact
- Name : Tom Geldeard
- Email : Tom.Geldeard@ukhsa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk
Further information
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk
