Job vacancy: Assistant Project Manager & Portfolio Analyst, UK Health Security Agency, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Canary Wharf)

Job summary

Main area

Administration

Grade

Civil Service: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

Contract

Fixed term: 20 months (Loan/Secondment. 20 months from start date.)

Hours

Full time
Part time
Job share
Flexible working

37.5 hours per week

Job ref

919-NP-62395141-EXT

Employer: UK Health Security Agency
Employer type: Public (Non NHS)
Site: All Core HQ's
Town: Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Canary Wharf)
Salary: £33,422 - £45,353 per annum, pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 06/11/2026 23:59

Assistant Project Manager & Portfolio Analyst

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

Assistant Project Manager:

Manage the day to day running of the project, leading it to deliver agreed
outcomes within time, cost, and quality constraints.  
Build project plans and apply appropriate delivery methodology. Set project
controls and track and report against milestones.  
Co-ordinate the development of the business case.  
Monitor and track project spend, ensuring it is within budget.  
Plan and manage resources to deliver the project.  
Identify benefits and ensure these are understood, measured, tracked, and owned; monitoring the longer-term delivery of benefits against the business case.  
Develop effective relationships with key stakeholders.  
Identify and monitor project risks and issues, developing mitigating actions and escalation processes. 
Provide project reports and support effective governance and decision making.  
Support project assurance, audit, and gateway reviews.  
Set up effective change management processes, including documenting agreed changes to the project deliverables.  
Use digital tools to analyse data, forecast, plan and mitigate actions and exploit opportunities.  
Promote individual and team performance, seek appropriate guidance and
coaching from the project community. 
Be an active member of the UKHSA Project Delivery Profession Community.

Portfolio Analyst:

Support your Line Manager by collaborating with business areas to identify and categorise new projects.
Co-ordinate reporting requirements by the projects/programmes to support the analysis of the Portfolio performance.
Provide secretariat support ensuring the smooth functioning and running of
governance boards and ad hoc meetings.
Maintain the portfolio delivery map and critical path to monitor project progress. Recognise and track interdependencies across change projects.
Identify and monitor portfolio risks (threats and opportunities) and escalate as appropriate.
Use digital tools and data analysis to provide insights to support informed
decision making.
Gather and collate information to support your Line Manager in developing
mechanisms for measuring benefits.
Engage with a wide range of stakeholders, building strong and trusted
relationships.
Support the Portfolio Manager to communicate and build commitment to a
shared vision and sense of purpose
Ensure teams standards, policies, procedures, and tools are up to date and
reflective current ways of working.
Be an active member of the UKHSA Project Delivery Profession Community.

Person specification

Selection Criteria for these 2 roles is as follows:

Recent experience of working in a project, programme or portfolio office environment, with working knowledge of project planning, scheduling, risks and issues, resource management, governance, and assurance.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective relationships across a wide range of stakeholders.
Awareness of commercial and procurement processes, budget and cost
management, business case development and benefits management.
Ability to use digital tools and data analytics to support decision-making in
project delivery.
Effective communication skills, including the ability to influence and challenge
constructively.
Recent experience of reporting or presenting information through dashboards, highlight reports, or progress updates.
Strong capability with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Selection process details
Stage 1: Application & Sift

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess behaviours, experience and technical knowledge.

At sift stage you will be assessed against the 7 selection criteria listed in the job advert.
You will be required to complete an:

Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
Up to 1000 word supporting statement in 2 parts – see further
instructions below.

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)

Supporting statement instructions:
You are required to submit a statement of no more than 1,000 words in the ‘Supporting Information’ section of your application.Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. We will not consider any words over 1000 words.

Please structure your statement in two parts:

Part 1 – Lead Selection Criterion (maximum 300 words)
Describe how you meet the lead selection criterion:

Recent experience of working in a project, programme or portfolio office environment, with working knowledge of project planning, scheduling, risks and issues, resource management, governance, and assurance. Use a specific example that clearly explains what you did, how you did it, and the outcome.

Part 2 – Remaining 6 Selection Criteria (maximum 700 words)
Describe how you meet the remaining selection criteria for this role:

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective relationships across a wide range of stakeholders.
Awareness of commercial and procurement processes, budget and cost
management, business case development and benefits management.
Ability to use digital tools and data analytics to support decision making in
project delivery.
Effective communication skills, including the ability to influence and challenge
constructively.
Experience of reporting or presenting information through dashboards, highlight reports, or progress updates.
Strong capability with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Please use clear, evidence based examples to demonstrate your skills and experience.

Sift Process:

If we receive a high volume of applications, Part 1 (lead criterion) will be assessed first. Only candidates who meet the lead criterion will have Part 2 assessed.

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

Only those that 'Meets all Essential Criteria' will progress to Shortlisting.

Shortlisting

In the event of a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift on the following 2 Essential Criteria:

Recent experience of working in a project, programme or portfolio office environment, with working knowledge of project planning, scheduling, risks and issues, resource management, governance, and assurance.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective relationships across a wide range of stakeholders.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to the Stage 2: Pre-Interview Assessment. Feedback will not be provided at this stage. 

Stage 2: Pre-Interview Assessment

Candidates will be invited to a 20-minute pre-interview assessment which will be undertaken remotely, via MS Teams.

The pre-interview assessment will assess your Technical Skills through instinctual critical thinking and situational judgement, drawing from your Project/Portfolio technical experience.

A scenario will be presented on the screen and read aloud. You will be expected to consider the situation (5 minutes) and share your thinking (10 minutes).

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to Stage 3: Interview.

Stage 3: Interview

You will be invited to a face to face interview at one of our core locations. Interview date(s) to be confirmed.

Behaviours and Technical Skills will be assessed at interview by means of questioning.

The Behaviours being assessed during the interview will be as follows:

Delivering at Pace – Lead Behaviour
Communication and Influencing
Working Together

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 Security Check (SC).

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 requires Security 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.

Eligibility Criteria

Across Government- This vacancy is open to all Civil Service employees and employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) who were appointed on merit following a fair and open competition; or were appointed to a permanent post through an exception in the Civil Service Commissioner’s rules. Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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.

Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

£33,422-£40,731 (National)
£35,587- £43,244 (Outer London)
£37,749- £45,353 (Inner London)

Person specification

Application Form

Essential criteria

Application form & Supporting statement

Behaviours

Essential criteria

Delivering at Pace
Communication and Influencing
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service

Pre-Interview Assessment

Essential criteria

Technical Skills

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.

If this role is fixed term and 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 UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. Loans are normally agreed for a period of two years. However, this may be extended where required, subject to agreement between UKHSA and your home department. 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. If this role is permanent, it may also be available as a loan (for existing civil servants only) or secondment arrangement, subject to business need and agreement from the hiring manager and, where applicable, the employee's home organisation.

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.