Swydd wag: Consultant Virologist or Consultant Clinical Scientist in Virology, UK Health Security Agency, Cambridge

Crynodeb o'r swydd

Prif leoliad

Virology

Gradd

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant or AfC Band 8d

Contract

Cyfnod Penodol: 12 mis (12 months from start date)

Oriau

Rhan-amser
Rhannu swydd
Gweithio hyblyg

8 sesiwn yr wythnos (8 Programmed Activities per week / 32 hours per week (NHS Medical and Dental pay scale) or 30 hours per week (NHS Agenda for Change).)

Cyfeirnod y swydd

919-HM-300785-EXT

Cyflogwr: UK Health Security Agency
Math o gyflogwr: Public (Non NHS)
Gwefan: Laboratory
Tref: Cambridge
Cyflog: £91,342 - £145,478 per annum, pro rata
Cyfnod cyflog: Yn flynyddol
Yn cau: 11/02/2026 23:59

Consultant Virologist or Consultant Clinical Scientist in Virology

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant or AfC Band 8d

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:

Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security
Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.

Swydd-ddisgrifiad a phrif gyfrifoldebau manwl

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include:

Internal

The UKHSA Clinical Services Director, Head of Laboratory Operations, Network Business Managers, and other senior staff of the UKHSA Science Group.
UKHSA Consultants in Public Health and Infection, Regional Epidemiologists, and other senior staff in Field Services.
The local HPT Director, and Consultants and senior staff of HPTs within the Region

External

Consultant microbiologists and virologists, clinical scientists, BMS and other staff employed at the Cambridge laboratory.
Consultant clinical staff and medical trainees at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Papworth NHS Foundation Trust and other service users contracting with the laboratory.
General Practitioners and other Primary Care staff within the catchment areas of the above hospitals and who may have contracts and service level agreements with the Cambridge laboratory.
Infection control nurses and other senior nursing, paramedical and administrative staff in the Trusts and other healthcare providers served by the laboratory.
The Chief Executives, Medical Directors, Directors of Pathology and other senior staff of, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Papworth NHS Trust and East & North Herts NHS Trust.
Consultant microbiologists and other health care staff in the wider East of England.
Senior NHS public health staff, including Directors of Public Health in the Region
EHOs and other Local Authority staff in the Region
Local Occupational Health Services

Applicants will be expected to have relevant qualifications and experience in providing specialist microbiology services in virology and the clinical management of communicable disease and its application to public health.

Any medical applicants must have Full and Specialist registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) (with a license to practice) for Medical Microbiology & Virology/Medical Virology, or be eligible for registration within six months of interview.

Clinical Scientists should have a PhD, or equivalent, in a relevant subject and hold state registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), or be within 6 months of exit from Virology HSST.

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

This vacancy is using Competency .

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the Job Description & Person Specification attached to this vacancy advert.

You will be required to complete an:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• Up to 800 word Statement of Suitability

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 800

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)

An initial sift against the lead criteria will be conducted:

Medical applicants should have full registration (with license to practice) with the GMC and be on it’s Specialist Register Medical Microbiology & Virology or Medical Virology (+/- Infectious Diseases) or be eligible for registration within six months of interview
Consultant Clinical Scientist applicants should have HCPC registration, or demonstration of active work to complete the HSST portfolio in an appropriate discipline within 6 months of interview

We will only take through applications to full sift that meet the lead essential criteria.

Desirable criteria may be used if we receive a large number of applications

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Interviews will be held at Cambridge Microbiology and Public Health Laboratory, dates to be confirmed.

This vacancy is being assessed using a competency based method. During the interview we will assess against the below:

Knowledge
Experience
Skills and Abilities

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d.

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview).

Specialty Registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within 6 months of gaining entry at the date of interview; all other applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the GMC.

Security Clearance

Successful candidates for this role must pass an enhanced 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 Counter Terrorist Check.

Successful candidates will require Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) as a minimum, with a willingness and capability to work towards Counter Terrorism Check (CTC)

You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years to obtain Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting at this higher level and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

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.

Consultant

£109,725 - £145,478 (National)

AfC band 8D

£91,342 - £105,337 (National)

Location

This role is based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Please note hybrid working is not available for this role.

This role is being offered as lab based at our site in Addenbrooke’s Hospital

You will be required to have a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. 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) clearance. In exceptional circumstances 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.

Manyleb y person

Qualifications

Meini prawf hanfodol

Medical applicants must have MBBS or equivalent medical qualification Consultant clinical scientist applicants must have a PhD or equivalent in virology, microbiology or molecular biology
Medical applicants should have full registration (with license to practice) with the GMC and be on it’s Specialist Register Medical Microbiology & Virology or Medical Virology (+/- Infectious Diseases) or be eligible for registration within six months of interview Consultant Clinical Scientist applicants should have HCPC registration, or demonstration of active work to complete the HSST portfolio in an appropriate discipline within 6 months of interview
Medically-qualified applicants that are UK trained, must be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview. Applicants that are non-UK trained and not on the GMC Specialist Register, will be required to show evidence from the GMC that they are eligible to join the Specialist Register in Medical Microbiology & Virology or Medical Virology within 6 months of the interview date Clinical Scientists should have exited Virology HSST with certification, or be within 6 months of exit
Both medical and clinical consultant scientist applicants must have FRCPath in Virology by examination or evidence of an equivalent qualification

Meini prawf dymunol

Further academic qualifications (MD, PhD, MPhil, Masters) in Medical Virology or related area are desirable for both medically qualified applicants and clinical consultant scientist applicants
Formal Teaching and Training qualification(s) (Diploma, Masters) are desirable
Formal Leadership and Management qualification(s) (Masters, Diploma) are desirable

Knowledge and Experience

Meini prawf hanfodol

Clinical virology experience with the ability to offer an expert clinical and laboratory opinion on a range of problems relating to virology in primary and secondary care, and tertiary referral settings, including infection control
Experience of teaching and training both medical and non-medical staff at undergraduate and postgraduate level
Understanding of laboratory and clinical quality assurance principles and safety requirements
Evidence of engagement with quality improvement activity

Meini prawf dymunol

Experience of public health virology and understanding of the role of UKHSA and the importance of a good relationship with staff and stakeholders
Active interest in research and development in medical virology & microbiology evidenced by peer-reviewed publications, invited presentations, prizes and/or honours

Skills and Capabilities

Meini prawf hanfodol

Able to motivate others, encourage teamwork, delegate and get the best out of people
Ability to prioritise work in a timely manner and to work across organizational boundaries
Good interpersonal, written and communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients, relatives, GPs, nurses and staff from other agencies

Equality and Diversity

Meini prawf hanfodol

An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ

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. 

Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.

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.