Job vacancy: Consultant in Infection, Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL), UK Health Security Agency, Salisbury

Job summary

Main area

RIPL

Grade

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant

Contract

Permanent

Hours

Full time
Part time
Job share
Flexible working

10 sessions per week (37.5 hours per week)

Job ref

919-HM-305280-EXT

Employer: UK Health Security Agency
Employer type: Public (Non NHS)
Site: Porton Down
Town: Salisbury
Salary: £105,504 - £139,882 per annum, pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 05/09/2025 23:59

Consultant in Infection, Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL)

NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant

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

The post holder will

Share with colleagues’ responsibility for the day-to-day provision of a comprehensive clinical microbiology and virology service covering unusual pathogens including arboviruses, Rickettsia, Q fever, Lyme disease. Additional training and support/mentoring will be provided through consultant colleagues as the range of pathogens extends beyond standard specialties.
Provide clinical support for RIPL services at a national level.
Liaise with patient and professional interest groups provide evidence-based advice to them and professional groups.
Assist with teaching and training of medical, scientific, biomedical scientist staff, international visitors, and undergraduates and postgraduates within UKHSA, university partners and other agencies.
Assist in the provision of a service to support public health investigations and management of cases and outbreaks of unusual diseases.
Be involved in the collection of epidemiological data in close liaison with the Health Protection Services, and in surveillance and prevention programmes as appropriate.
Carry out teaching, examination and accreditation duties as required and for contributing to undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education activity, locally and nationally.
Be involved in research when required.
Provide clinical/professional supervision and mentorship as appropriate.
Demonstrate high professional standards.
Deputise for the Head of RIPL as and when required.
Demonstrate a willingness to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional, national, or international levels.
Assist with teaching and training of medical, scientific, biomedical scientist staff, international visitors, and undergraduates and postgraduates within UKHSA, university partners and other agencies.
Actively identify, lead, and contribute to quality improvement and governance initiatives in line with strategic direction of the region.
Actively assist in the development of joint plans and system wide priorities for public health action or improvement.
Ensure compliance with all confidentiality and governance requirements at all times.
Contribute to proactive and responsive media issues.
Participate in organisational and professional appraisal and revalidation as appropriate.
Share on-call duties with professional colleagues and to cross-cover for annual and study leave as necessary, in proportion to the postholder’s base PAs (currently overall, averaged across the year, the post-holder will be on call on a c. 1:4 rota for nights and weekends: intensity supplement = A)

Other duties

It is the responsibility of the postholder to ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard, and in accordance with current quality initiatives within the area of work.
All staff who have access to or transfer data are responsible for that data and must respect confidentiality and comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, in line with the UKHSA policies.
The postholder is responsible for data quality and complying with the policies, procedures, and accountability arrangements throughout the Trust for maintaining accuracy and probity in the recording of UKHSA’s activities.
Staff are required to comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in line with UKHSA Policy.
The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of UKHSA Centers and Regions.
Each year’s Job Plan will be agreed annually in advance between the postholder and the Head of RIPL normally between January and March.
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.

COMMUNICATION AND 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

UKHSA medical, scientific, biomedical scientists.
Other units within TARZET, particularly EIZ and Travel Health.
Other divisions within the Agency, particularly Health Protection Services.
The Imported Fever Service partners (the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, and the Tropical Infectious Diseases Unit, Liverpool)

External

Consultant Microbiologists and ID physicians within the UK and internationally
GPs and hospital consultants for Lyme disease queries
National and international experts for relevant pathogens
Other government departments, including APHA, and the relevant public health authorities in the Devolved Administrations

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. Please refer to the Job Description.

You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.
The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of UKHSA

Other Information

Applicants are strongly advised to use the criteria in the Person Specification of the Job Description as sub-headings in their application to make it clear how they meet each of the selection criteria.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority.

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.

External

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of
• an Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• up to 1500 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

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

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

Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment

Stage 2: Interview (competency based)

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

Interviews will be held 06 October 2025. Please note, this date is subject to change.

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

Knowledge
Experience
Skills and Abilities

You will be asked to prepare and present an 5 minute presentation at the start of your interview. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview. Use of 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.

Location

This role is being offered as lab based at our Scientific Campus in Porton Down.

If based at one of our scientific campuses, 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.

Security Clearance Level Requirement

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 Basic Personnel Security Standard / Counter-terrorist Check

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

UK Health Security Agency promoted diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunities employer

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Registered medical practitioner, with full registration and a licence to practice with the General Medical Council (GMC), or be eligible for registration within six months of interview 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) • If included in the GMC Specialist Register in a specialty other than infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology practice
Applicants that are UK trained must be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in a relevant specialty or specialties (e.g. Microbiology, Virology, Infectious Diseases, Tropical Medicine) or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview. Applicants that are non-UK trained will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT

Desirable criteria

Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists or equivalent

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

Clinical training and experience equivalent to that required for gaining UK CCT or its recognised equivalence in any relevant combination of Microbiology/ Virology/Infectious Diseases/Tropical Medicine
Ability to offer an expert clinical and clinical laboratory opinion on a range of problems relating to Microbiology & Virology in primary care, inpatient and tertiary referral settings
Experience in Microbiological/virological aspects of infection control in hospitals, public places, and the environment
Experience relevant to RIPL pathogens during training or prior roles, for example DTM&H or tropical medicine experience

Desirable criteria

Peer reviewed scientific publications, presentation of papers at conferences, seminars, etc.

Skills and Capabilities

Essential criteria

Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
Adaptable to situations, can communicate with people of all capabilities and attitudes
Project management
Excellent oral and written communication skills (including dealing with the public and the media)
Effective interpersonal, motivational, and influencing skills
Ability to respond appropriately in unplanned and unforeseen circumstances
Computer literate

Desirable criteria

Understanding of epidemiology and statistics, public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation
Experience of people management, training and mentoring

Behaviours and Attitudes

Essential criteria

Commitment to team-working and respect and consideration for the skills of others
Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative
High standards of professional probity

Other Information

Essential criteria

Must be prepared to work at the base laboratory and must be willing to travel occasionally to other sites necessitated by the role. Commitment to Continuing Medical Education & Development and the requirements of Clinical Governance and Audit. Willingness to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional, and national level

Equality and Diversity

Essential criteria

An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, and 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.