Job vacancy: Consultant in Global Public Health, UKOTs, UK Health Security Agency, London

Job summary

Main area

Global Health Protection

Grade

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant or Agenda for Change Band 8d

Contract

Permanent

Hours

Full time
Part time
Job share
Flexible working

10 sessions per week (10 PAs per week NHS Medical & Dental: Consultants; 37.5 hours per week Agenda for Change Band 8d)

Job ref

919-KP-309892-EXT

Employer: UK Health Security Agency
Employer type: Public (Non NHS)
Site: 10 South Colonnade
Town: London
Salary: £94,356 - £150,569 Per annum, pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 11/08/2026 23:59

Consultant in Global Public Health, UKOTs

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant or Agenda for Change Band 8d

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

Additionally, this consultant role will require a broad range of skills to be able to flex with the needs of the team, including cross team support to the health protection portfolio as required.

This role requires travel to London and international travel to the UKOTs.

Key Job Specific Responsibilities
• Lead a programme of technical assistance to strengthen capacity and enhance delivery in UKOTs to improve community capacity to withstand, adapt to, and recover from shocks and long-term stressors.
• Lead on core work streams of healthy lifestyles, non-communicable diseases and support vulnerable populations and mental health work streams contributing to considerations of the wider determinants of health whilst taking an asset-based approach.
• Provide and/or coordinate technical assistance to UKOTs on needs assessments, strategy development and evidence-based intervention design
• Develop and deliver support to the UKOTs on cross-sectoral approaches to public health issues to all programme priorities including the development of senior public health leadership in the UKOTs
• Provide leadership to relevant networks of public health professionals across the UKOTs, including significant contribution to the CMO Network
• Provide technical contributions to the design and delivery of the UKOTs CMO Conference on relevant areas
• Development of relationships with other relevant public health agencies and organisations including CARPHA, PAHO, UK and overseas local authorities to support our work with UKOTs
• Support UKOTs to conduct research and contribute to the evidence base
• Line manage Public Health Technical Advisors and other staff as required
• Lead on the appropriate monitoring and evaluation of workstreams in line with programme reporting and quality assurance best practice
• Work collaboratively with programme staff, attending progress meetings and the UKOTs team meetings.
• Carry out other projects and functions as agreed with the UKOT SLT and play an active role in the UKOTs Strategic Co-ordination Group
• Provide strategic leadership to the Resilient Communities portfolio alongside the Deputy Head of Programme
• Representing UKOTs programme at internal and external meetings to discuss international issues as required and providing reports on the outcomes.

For full details, please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification.

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

Application & Sift:

This vacancy is using Competency.

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

You will be required to complete an:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• up to 1200 word supporting statement

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1,200-word count.

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)

If we receive a large number of applications an initial sift against the lead behaviour/criteria of insert criteria/behaviour will be conducted: GMC full and specialist register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists or be eligible within 6 months).

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a face to face interview at 10 South Colonnade, London. If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Interviews will be held 2nd September 2026, please note these dates are subject to change.

This vacancy is being assessed using Competency framework. During the interview we will assess against the below:

Knowledge
Experience
Skills and Abilities

You will be asked to prepare and present a 10 minute presentation at the start of your interview. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview; slides will be permitted.

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

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 Basic Personnel Security Screening.

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Core HQ at 10 South Colonnade, London. 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).  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).

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.

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.

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant £113,565 - £150,569 per annum, pro rata
Agenda for Change Band 8d £94,356 - £108,814 per annum, pro rata

Person specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential criteria

1. GMC full and specialist register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists or be eligible within 6 months
2. If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine practice
3. Public health specialty registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in dental public health/UKPHR 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/GDC/UKPHR specialist registers [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
4. If an applicant is UK trained, they must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview If an applicant is non-UK trained, they will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT
5. Applicants must meet the minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements, or another recognised professional body where applicable.
6. MFPH by examination, exemption or assessment.

Experience

Essential criteria

At least 5 years of significant strategic experience of senior leadership for public health
Staff management and training
Practical experience in facilitating change
Experience of working with other agencies

Desirable criteria

Experience of working on global health projects
Scientific publications, presentation of papers at conferences, seminars etc
Training and mentoring skills
Knowledge of grant development and research methodology

Skills

Essential criteria

Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills
Proven excellent oral and written communication skills (including presentation skills and dealing with the media)
Proven and effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills
Ability to respond appropriately in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
Sensible negotiator with practical expectation of what can be achieved
Substantially numerate, with highly developed analytical skills using qualitative and quantitative data
Ability to apply epidemiological methods and statistics
Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement policies
Resource and staff management skills
Project Management skills
Budget management skills

Knowledge

Essential criteria

High level of understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation
Understanding of NHS and local government cultures, structures and policies
Knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement and evidence based clinical and/or public health practice
Understanding of social and political environment
Understanding of interfaces between health and social care
An understanding of the public sector duty and the inequality
Understanding of key agencies involved in health improvement

Equality and diversity

Essential criteria

Demonstrate appreciation and acknowledgement of the range and complexities of diversity; self awareness in terms of emotional intelligence, biases and personal

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. 

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

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.