Job vacancy: Communications Officer - 305916, UK Health Security Agency, Birmingham, Leeds,Liverpool, London (Canary Wharf)

Job summary

Main area

Communications

Grade

Civil Service: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

Contract

Fixed term: 10 months (FTC till 30/06/2027)

Hours

Full time
Part time
Job share
Flexible working

37.5 hours per week

Job ref

919-GB-305916-EXT

Employer: UK Health Security Agency
Employer type: Public (Non NHS)
Site: Core HQ
Town: Birmingham, Leeds,Liverpool, London (Canary Wharf)
Salary: £33,422 - £45,353 Per annum, Pro Rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 30/08/2026 23:59

Communications Officer - 305916

Civil Service: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) prevents, prepares for and responds to infectious diseases, and environmental hazards, to keep all our communities safe, save lives and protect livelihoods.

We provide scientific and operational leadership, working with local, national and international partners to protect the public’s health and build the nation’s health security capability.

UKHSA is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide strategic communications handling advice to colleagues both nationally and regionally.
To draft clear, high quality content for a wide range of channels and audiences.
To ensure content is underpinned by sound use of UKHSA’s data and intelligence wherever appropriate.
To identify opportunities for developing quality proactive communications output, as well as identifying any potential reputational risks.
To manage and support communications around UKHSA’s high profile marketing campaigns.
To manage proactive and reactive media communications, including:

to act as a point of contact for incoming enquiries from journalists and to develop timely responses in line with UKHSA’s corporate view;
to proactively sell in stories to the media – press and broadcast;
to monitor the range of media channels, including press and digital, and respond to any inaccurate or misleading content particularly where there is a reputational risk;
to build and maintain good relations with key journalists;
to co-ordinate any broadcast bids and provide support to UKHSA spokespeople undertaking interviews;
to undertake evaluation of media projects in line with Government Communication Service standards;
to participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota that covers media issues.

To build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including other government departments and agencies, local government, health partners and charities – using good diplomacy skills.
To have clear insight of the wider health system and UKHSA’s role within it.
To work in accordance with Government Communications Service principles with regard to communications planning and evaluation, also ensuring the team does this.
To develop an understanding of equality and diversity, particularly the needs of 'harder-to-reach' groups, and to ensure that these needs are addressed in communications output.
To act as an ambassador for the communications directorate in all engagement with all parties, demonstrating UKHSA behaviours throughout
To ensure that regional UKHSA communications colleagues are engaged in national media issues, especially seeking their input into how those with a local angle are handled.
To brief and advise senior officials within UKHSA – both verbally and in writing – on media handling around sensitive and complex issues, liaising with senior communications colleagues as appropriate.
To manage a diverse range of different requests for press office support from within UKHSA, prioritising demands and expectations and identifying sensitive issues that may require escalation to senior communications colleagues.

Essential criteria

Educated to degree level in relevant subject or equivalent level of experience of working at a similar level in specialist area.
Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary communications role, particularly across digital, developing quality content for a range of channels and audiences.
Experience of working across sensitive and challenging situations/issues, showing diplomacy, tact and a proven track record of using negotiating and influencing skills to achieve outcomes.
Experience of using initiative and creativity to find innovative solutions to communications challenges.
Experience of building good relationships with stakeholders a range of organisations including local authorities, government departments, voluntary organisations, charities and health providers.
Experience of working in a busy communications office, demonstrating a sound knowledge of how media works and developing good relationships with journalists.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining complex and challenging information clearly and concisely for a diverse range of channels and audiences
Ability to manage and motivate communications colleagues to maximize their ability, while also being receptive to feedback for own personal development. ensuring their personal development
Ability to handle crisis communications
Demonstrating a commitment to equality and diversity in day-to-day working practices, as well as output

Desirable criteria:

A good understanding of the health and social care environment and the roles and responsibilities within it.
Good knowledge of the workings of government including local government, current government priorities and agenda.
Experience of working with scientists and/or scientific material.

Selection Process Details (Success Profiles)

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift  

Success profiles Success Profiles - GOV.UK 

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) 
750  word supporting statement.

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. 

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than  750  words. We will not consider any words over 750 words. 

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

If used, the pile(s) ‘Meets all essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

Experience of working in a busy communications office, demonstrating a sound knowledge of how media works and developing good relationships with journalists.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining complex and challenging information clearly and concisely for a diverse range of channels and audiences

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 Success Profiles - GOV.UK 

You will be invited to a single remote interview. 

Behaviours will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

Changing and improving
Communicating and Influencing - Lead behaviour
Working together
Delivering at pace

 There will be an Assessment included within the interview. Further details will be provided at the interview. No preparation is required.

Interview dates are 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.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. 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 HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and 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 basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Eligibility Criteria– External

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

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.

Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

£33,422-£40,731 (National)
£35,587- £43,244 (Outer London)

£37,749- £45,353 (Inner London)

Please note: The Chief Operating Officer (COO) group, where this role sits, is undergoing organisational change over the next 12–18 months. While the process is still in the planning stage, some roles may be affected by future restructuring. We are committed to keeping candidates informed and will share updates as they become available.

Person specification

application form and supporting statement

Essential criteria

application form and supporting statement

Behaviours

Essential criteria

Changing and improving
Communicating and Influencing - Lead behaviour
Working together
Delivering at pace

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ

If you experience technical difficulties when using Trac, please contact Support via https://apps.trac.jobs/support and provide screenshots/details of the issue encountered. If Trac cannot resolve your issue, you should notify the UKHSA Recruitment Team at [email protected] as soon as possible.

Please note that where no technical issue has been recorded by Trac, and no supporting evidence has been provided before the closing deadline, we will be unable to accept late applications. We therefore recommend submitting applications well in advance of the closing date and taking screenshots of any issues encountered.

Qualifications and Registrations

For roles where specific qualifications or registrations are required, successful applicants will be asked to provide appropriate evidence. Employment cannot commence until satisfactory documentation has been received and verified.

Civil Service Commission | Regulating recruitment into the Civil Service and helping uphold the Civil Service core values of Impartiality, Objectivity, Integrity and Honesty

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 below:

Artificial intelligence and recruitment | Civil Service Careers

This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.

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

For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.

For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.

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 UKHSA’s Pay policy. 

From time to time, the role holder may be required to support UKHSA’s incident response activity by contributing their appropriate expertise within an Incident Cell; during such periods, supported by the line manager, this work will take priority over normal day‑to‑day responsibilities, commensurate with their grade, skills and experience.

Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.

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 equality of opportunity. 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:  [email protected] 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 here.

Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.

The panel will assess if candidates meet the requirement of the role first, using a specific benchmark system. If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.

UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.

If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

 Benefits of working at UKHSA include:

Generous annual leave:
-26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service
-28 days after 5 years of continuous service
-32 days after 10 years of continuous service
-Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday
Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.

Hybrid Working

UKHSA operates 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 usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.

Disability Confident Scheme

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview.   If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.

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 take into account 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 could be time accrued over that period.

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.

Security Vetting

Please check the Security Clearance needed for the role and follow the link for more information:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Agenda for Change roles -NHS Pension

For roles offered under Agenda for Change (AFC) Terms and Conditions (and if you are eligible)

• If you are already on AFC T&Cs or accept the role on a fixed-term contract, you will be enrolled in the NHS Pension Scheme or keep your current AFC Pension.
• If you take the role on a loan or temporary promotion, you will retain your existing, substantive T&Cs.
• If the role is available under either AFC or Civil Service T&Cs depending on your registration, your pension scheme will align accordingly.