Job vacancy: Head of Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, UK Health Security Agency, Didcot

Job summary

Main area

Science

Grade

Civil Service: Grade 6

Contract

Permanent

Hours

Full time
Part time
Job share
Flexible working

37.5 hours per week

Job ref

919-HM-303004-EXT

Employer: UK Health Security Agency
Employer type: Public (Non NHS)
Site: Any UKHSA Core HQ or Scientific Campus - Birmingham, Chilton, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Porton
Town: Didcot
Salary: £68,568 - £82,746 Per annum, pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 25/07/2025 23:59

Head of Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department

Civil Service: Grade 6

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

Your key responsibilities will include:

Taking full responsibility for: budgetary control, including a negotiated annual income target; the delivery of negotiated annual operational targets; and adherence to all statutory and UKHSA policy requirements
Ensure that authoritative, timely and consistent public health advice on matters related to chemical exposures (both acute and chronic) is provided to internal and external frontline stakeholders across England, and to work with the Devolved Administrations, when appropriate, to ensure co-ordination and consistent advice for the public during emergencies.
The early identification of emerging issues and public concerns in order to engage with appropriate expertise within RCCE and elsewhere to develop appropriate advice, the promotion of a culture in which experience and knowledge is shared and the dissemination of consistent advice to all those who need it.
Have a thorough understanding of, and be able to influence, legislation/regulations relating to environmental public health at National, European and International levels.
Have the expertise and standing to represent the UKHSA nationally, to advise policy makers and regulators on the environmental public health aspects of Government strategy and regulation, engage widely, including with UK Government/Devolved Administrations and international bodies, to contribute to the optimum regulation and management of activities/events that could pose an environmental public health risk to populations in the UK.
Support the work of UKHSA at high level in meetings pertaining to environmental public health, and in dealing with the media and special interest groups who can often be confrontational.
Develop and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Pro-actively manage stakeholders, respond to and resolve conflict between them when this arises through facilitation or other appropriate mechanisms.
Work with colleagues in RCCE to develop a robust evidence-based framework of national advice.
Influence funding bodies on the need for research to address the most pressing policy needs, develop a programme of applied scientific research in line with RCCE's corporate strategy and the needs of the frontline.
Foster research initiatives with academic partners in particular translational research.
Promote a departmental culture for the publishing of scientific papers/articles/reports which are subject to peer review.
Take responsibility for developing and maintaining software and databases relevant to the work of the Department, particularly those for recording UKHSA response to acute and chronic environmental incidents and enquiries.

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The Job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary.

Essential Criteria:

A higher scientific degree in environmental sciences, chemistry, toxicology or equivalent experience in science, chemistry, or toxicology to PhD level
Significant experience in complex chemical and environmental exposure or risk assessments and the interpretation of this information for input to regulation and policy
Significant experience in leading and managing scientific teams
Experience of budget management and/or commercial acumen
The ability to critically appraise and review reports, publications and other written or presentational material from internal and external colleagues.
The ability to work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders, including colleagues in UKHSA; senior officials from Government and NHS bodies and local authorities; representatives of other UK bodies and commercial organisations; senior staff in international organisations
Highly developed communication skills to negotiate with senior stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and present complex and sensitive information to large and influential groups, members of the public and the media
Ability to respond effectively and to sudden unexpected demands and develop a managed response. Take decisions on difficult and contentious issues where there may be a number of courses of action
Ability to work under pressure and to tight and often changing deadlines. Ability to judge the appropriate level of personal resource to allocate to tasks and to take decisions/provide information/advice on appropriate timescales, regardless of the quality and quantity of data gathered and personal depth of expertise in the topic
Skills for delivering results through managing through others and using a range of levers in the absence of direct line management responsibility
Significant demonstrable experience in supporting national policy development in support of and working in collaboration with central government departments and agencies
Demonstrable skills and experience in acute and chronic incident response and emergency preparedness and response, to incident director level, in chemical and other public health emergencies
Ability to work irregular hours (including on-call) and travel nationally and internationally as required
An understanding of, and commitment to, equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills and Ability.

Stage 1 - Application & Sift:

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the 14 essential criteria listed, and this will be in the form of a:

Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)

Up to 1500-word Statement of Suitability

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.

The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

Meets all essential criteria

Meets some essential criteria

Meets no essential criteria

Piles Meets all essential criteria will be moved through to the shortlisting stage.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

A higher scientific degree in environmental sciences, chemistry, toxicology or equivalent experience in science, chemistry, or toxicology to PhD level

Please do not exceed 1500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number. If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview. Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

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

Behaviours, technical, experience, ability and strengths will be tested at interview

The Behaviour's tested during the interview stage will be:

Communicating and Influencing (lead)
Seeing the Big Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Leadership
Managing a Quality Service

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 HQ’s. 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 HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton).

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).

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance and Developed Vetting.

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 10 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) and Developed Vetting (DV) 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

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

Security Clearance Level Requirement  

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  

Person specification

Application form and Statement of Suitability

Essential criteria

Application form and Statement of Suitability

Behaviours

Essential criteria

Communicating and Influencing
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Making Effective Decisions
Leadership
Managing a Quality Service

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