Job vacancy: Regional Deputy Director of Health Protection - South West, UK Health Security Agency, Bristol

Job summary

Main area

Health Protection

Grade

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant or Agenda for Change Band 9 - this role sits with UKHSA's Clinical Ringfence.

Contract

Permanent

Hours

Full time
Part time
Job share
Flexible working

10 sessions per week (10 PAs (Medical Consultants) or 37.5 hours (AfC Band 8d))

Job ref

919-306737-KP-EXT

Employer: UK Health Security Agency
Employer type: Public (Non NHS)
Site: Rivergate, Bristol or Follaton House, Totnes
Town: Bristol
Salary: £109,725 - £145,478 per annum, pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 05/05/2026 23:59

Regional Deputy Director of Health Protection - South West

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant or Agenda for Change Band 9 - this role sits with UKHSA's Clinical Ringfence.

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

6. Development of an effective region-wide health protection function delivering high quality, resilient and integrated health protection services. Work well with UKHSA colleagues working with partners to develop robust and effective local health protection systems, which reflects the needs and responsibilities of UKHSA and its partners.
7. Contribute to national work on developing a comprehensive health protection system across England, working closely with colleagues at a regional, national and sometimes international level.
8. Lead a portfolio or programme areas of work linked to UKHSA national strategic priorities.
9. Develop and maintain joint leadership arrangements with public health senior leaders in Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, the NHS and Local Authorities leading relevant national programmes with responsibility for achieving related public health outcomes.

Performance, Governance and Risk
1. Establish and oversee the implementation of appropriate clinical and non-clinical governance and quality improvement processes within the relevant region aligned with national systems to ensure high standards are upheld within all aspects of the health protection service regionally.
2. Implement and maintain appropriate systems to monitor and report against key outcomes and metrics relevant to the service.
3. Establish and maintain robust regional processes for developing, implementing and monitoring delivery of performance management systems including reporting within directorate group and agency.
4. Use data and evidence to make decisions and influence outcomes demonstrating analysis of complex problems and interpreting complex data to create and present evidence-based insight and recommendations. Use data to effectively drive recommendations, consider the impact on a wide range of stakeholders to understand and highlight risks. Encourage others to do the same.
5. Demonstrate effective leadership skills across the region/organisation; build capability by developing, designing and embedding capability and performance approaches. Lead and coach others to build diverse and capable teams.

Please see attached Job Description & Person Specification for full details.

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 9.

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

If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice.

Public Health 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 .

Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or eligibility within six months of interview).

Non‑medical applicants who are not yet fully registered with the UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within six months of gaining specialist registration at the date of interview. All other non‑medical applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the UKPHR Specialist Register (for example, confirmation that a UKPHR specialist portfolio has been submitted).

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 based framework.

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the job advert.

You will be required to complete an:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1000 word Statement of Suitability.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your statement of suitability must be no more than 1000.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, referring to the attached Job Description & Person Specification.

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).

Application form & Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a remote interview.

Interviews will be held week commencing Monday 8th June 2026, please note these dates are subject to change.

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

Knowledge
Experience
Skills and Abilities

You will be asked to prepare and present a 5-10 minute presentation at the start of your interview, around the subject of priorities in the role. The specific 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 Security Clearance.

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). 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.

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Health Protection Operations Hubs in either Bristol or Totnes. 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 working at the Health Protection Operations Hubs.

Person specification

Education/Qualifications

Essential criteria

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice/GDC Specialist List (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)
If included in the GMC Specialist Register/GDC Specialist List in a specialty other than public health medicine/dental public health, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice.
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
If an applicant is UK trained in Public Health, 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.
Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements (i.e. be up to date) in accordance with Faculty of Public Health requirements or other recognised body
MFPH by examination, by exemption or by assessment

Personal Qualities

Essential criteria

Able to influence senior professionals and stakeholders including directors and CEOs
Able to see the bigger picture and understand political, economic, social, environmental and technological impacts
Highly developed interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to establish credibility quickly with a diverse network of senior stakeholders and to present issues simply and effectively, both orally and in writing.
Able to develop highly effective teams, leading with energy and enthusiasm, creating a culture of innovation, flexibility and responsiveness
Commitment to team-working, and respect and consideration for the skills of others
Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the nation’s health protection through mainstream activities and within resources
High standards of professional probity

Experience

Essential criteria

Experience leading a regional health protection team and can provide peer leadership to others
Experience of communicable disease control in a wide variety of settings including out of hours on call
leader who has highly developed interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to establish credibility quickly with a diverse network of senior stakeholders and to present issues simply and effectively, both orally and in writing
Experience and demonstrable competency in dealing with environmental hazards/chemical incidents
Experience of emergency planning including leading work in regions
Experience of using complex information to explain public health issues to a range of audiences
Experience leading major health protection incidents
Experience of acting as a source of expertise and innovation to set professional standards, creativity and driving continuous improvement in health protection delivery.
Extensive media experience demonstrating delivery of effective health behaviour or health protection messages

Desirable criteria

Experience using your influence to make a positive difference across the Civil Service and externally.

Skills

Essential criteria

Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills and operational competence
Experience of dynamic risk assessment, management and global judgement
Able to demonstrate and motivate organisations to contribute to improving the public’s health and wellbeing through mainstream activities and within resources
Ability to lead and manage the response successfully in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
Aptitude to understand complex issues that may be outside of established skill sets, such as statistical policy, health economics and technical implementation.
Developing people and teams through training, mentoring and coaching
Effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills
Sensible negotiator with practical expectation of what can be achieved

Knowledge

Essential criteria

Understanding of decision-making processes at national and local level in both government and health and care settings.
In depth knowledge of methods of developing clinical quality assurance, quality improvement, evaluation and evidence based public health practice
Strong and demonstrable understanding of interfaces between health, social care and key partners (dealing with wider determinants of health)
An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems

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.