About this role
Job summary
Wastewater based surveillance (WBS) is a critical and rapidly advancing capability supporting the UK's preparedness for infectious disease threats, populationlevel health protection, and intelligence on emerging risks. Building on the foundations established during the COVID 19 pandemic, the polio incidentresponse programme, and the National Bio-surveillance Network Environmental Surveillance workstream, the UKHSA is strengthening its ability to integrate WBS into routine and emergency public health decision making.
Main duties of the job
As a Senior Scientist (G7), you will lead the scientific direction, coordination, and maturation of the UK's cross-government wastewater surveillance capabilityfor pandemic preparedness. You will be responsible for designing and embedding high quality scientific standards, championing best practice, and ensuringthat wastewater surveillance approaches across government are coherent, interoperable, and decision relevant.
A central output of this role is the development of a Wastewater Surveillance Playbook, an evidence-based guide that consolidates protocols, standardoperating procedures (SOPs), operational models, and decision frameworks to support UKHSA's surveillance function under pandemic preparedness.
This role requires a scientist with strong conceptual leadership, excellent stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to translate scientific evidence intostrategic planning and operational guidance.
About us
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
Job description Job responsibilities
Scientific Leadership & Strategy
Lead the scientific vision for wastewater surveillance for pandemic preparedness across UKHSA and wider government, ensuring approaches remain robust,agile, future proofed and grounded in high quality evidence. Develop, maintain, and embed scientific protocols, best practice guidance, and standardised approaches to WBS, ensuring they align with pandemicpreparedness frameworks. Provide senior scientific expertise on wastewater surveillance during incidents, outbreaks, and pandemic response activities. Development of the Wastewater Surveillance Playbook
Design, author and continuously refine a wastewater surveillance playbook for the Agency, drawing on learning from: -COVID-19 wastewater surveillance
-Polio incident response and Business-As-Usual
-The National Biosurveillance Network (NBN) Environmental Surveillance workstream and the Governments Biological Security Strateg
-Cross-Agency and Cross-Government wastewater surveillance research, development and implementation.
Integrate scientific, operational, analytical and policy considerations into a cohesive guide for use across the Agency. Ensure the playbook supports consistent, scalable deployment of WBS to meet the needs of the Agency. Cross Government Government Collaboration
Build, strengthen and manage strategic relationships with key stakeholders including, but not limited to: Cabinet Office, Home Office, Ministry of Justice,Defra/CEFAS, Devolved Administrations, environmental laboratories, 4-nation public health agencies, and academic institutions. Facilitate alignment of surveillance protocols, data standards, sampling strategies and analytical methods across organisations. Represent UKHSA at cross-government scientific and technical working groups. Governance, Quality & Evidence Assurance
Establish new, or build on existing, frameworks for scientific assurance, methodological quality, and ethical use of wastewater data. Oversee evaluation of surveillance methods, technologies, and lab workflows, ensuring adoption of effective and scalable approaches. Coordinate horizon scanning activities to identify emerging science and innovation that could enhance capability. Translation of Scientific Evidence into Policy & Operations
Synthesise complex scientific information into clear, actionable advice for senior leaders, operational teams, and government decision makers. Support the integration of WBS outputs into public health surveillance systems, risk assessments and incident decision logs. Ensure that surveillance insights are timely, proportionate, and relevant for policy development and emergency preparedness planning. Leadership & Team Development
Provide scientific leadership and mentorship to colleagues contributing to wastewater surveillance activity. Foster a culture of scientific excellence, collaborative working and transparent decision making. Contribute to the wider leadership of pandemic preparedness surveillance architecture. This list is not exhaustive.
Essential criteria:
Significant experience delivering scientific programmes in public health, environmental surveillance, analytical science, or a related field. Track record of applying scientific judgement in complex or uncertain environments. Experience developing or assuring scientific protocols, standards, or methodological frameworks. Proven ability to work collaboratively across government, academia and/or operational partners. Experience translating scientific evidence into decision relevantrelevant guidance for senior audiences. Deep understanding of surveillance science or environmental/public health monitoring. Ability to act as a senior scientific authority and intelligent client when commissioning external partners. Strong skills in evidence synthesis, protocol design, and scientific assurance. Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-specialist audiences. Desirable criteria:
Direct experience with wastewater surveillance or wastewater-based epidemiology. Knowledge of UK emergency preparedness structures (e.g., PanPrep, EPRR, incident management). Experience working on national or cross governmentgovernment guidance, frameworks, or principles. Selection Process Details (Success Profiles)
This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths & Experience.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
Success profilesSuccess Profiles - GOV.UK
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed eight essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application) 750 word supporting statement. This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria. 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 CV 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.
HealthjobsUK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 750 words. We will not consider any words over750 words.
Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into three piles of:
Meets all essential criteria Meets some essential criteria Meets no essential criteria If used, the pile Meets all essential criteria willproceedto shortlisting.
Shortlisting:In the event ofa large number ofapplications wemay conductan initialsift, on the lead criteria of :
Significant experience delivering scientific programmes in public health, environmental surveillance, analytical science, or a related field. Desirable criteria may beusedin the event ofa large number ofapplications/largeamountof 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 profilesSuccess Profiles - GOV.UK
You will be invited to a single remote interview.
Behaviours, Experience & Technical Skills will be tested at interview.
There will be a Presentation. Candidates invited to interview will be required to give a 5 minute presentation entitled Understanding the importance of surveillance in preparing for the next pandemic. Highlighting your experience, skills and knowledge relevant to this topic.More information on the presentation will be sent to candidates who are successful at gaining interview.
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be :
Seeing the Big Picture(Lead) Communication and Influencing Working Together Changing and Improving Interviews dates 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 disclosure and barring security check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Baseline Personnel Security Standard.
Eligibility
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.
Civil Service: grade 7
£56,185 - £66,581 (National) £58,340 - £68,574 (Outer London) £60,494 - £70,566 (Inner London)
Person Specification
Application form and Supporting statement Essential
Application form and Supporting statement
Interview - Behaviours Essential
Seeing the Big Picture Changing and Improving Communication and Influencing Working Together
Presentation Essential
Presentation
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name UK Health Security Agency
Address Core HQ
Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Canary Wharf)
E14 4PU
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)