Job vacancy: Senior Medical Entomologist, UK Health Security Agency, Salisbury

Job summary

Main area

Science

Grade

Civil Service: Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

Contract

Permanent

Hours

Full time
Part time
Job share
Flexible working

37.5 hours per week

Job ref

919-JP-309420-302525-EXT

Employer: UK Health Security Agency
Employer type: Public (Non NHS)
Site: UKHSA Porton Down
Town: Salisbury
Salary: £41,983 - £48,128 per annum, pro rata
Salary period: Yearly
Closing: 19/11/2025 23:59

Senior Medical Entomologist

Civil Service: Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

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

Scientific research and surveillance

Support programme managers to deliver a programme of work as set out in the teams/divisions business plan.
Investigate worldwide entomological and infectious disease literature and other sources on emerging and re-emerging vector-borne diseases, to identify vector-borne disease risks that might be relevant to UK public health.
Further develop vector research and surveillance activities for human vector-borne diseases, leading on specific projects and utilising a range of research methods (desk/lab/field-based), statistical analyses and entomological research techniques to identify risks that might be relevant to UK public health as specified in the business plan.
Critically analyse and interpret data and information on complex, sensitive or contentious issues from internally and externally funded contract work, drawing conclusions and making recommendations for the way forward, including the production of reports, presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and funding applications where appropriate.
Take responsibility for the supervision, training and mentoring of staff allocated to the projects you lead. Deputise for the Principal Medical Entomologist as required and represent Medical Entomology & Zoonoses Ecology at key cross-government (or equivalent) meetings when necessary.
Lead projects and mentor staff on vector-borne disease related surveillance and research in the UK and overseas, ensuring timely delivery of reports to funders and stakeholders.

Publication and communication

Liaise with colleagues in UKHSA and other Government Departments to ensure robust reporting lines for emerging VBD events and establish and maintain links/collaborations with other national and international experts to obtain relevant technical information, discuss ideas, describe work developments and progress.
Act as a point of contact to provide expert advice on vector-borne disease issues, providing assistance to UKHSA staff, programme managers and other stakeholders.
Assist in developing responses to internal correspondence and parliamentary questions. Supporting or leading the delivery of reports / risk assessments to Government.

Health Protection

To produce advice and guidance materials on vector-borne disease risks for dissemination to local authorities or other government agencies responsible for health and wellbeing in their area.
To provide written and verbal advice on the protection of the public from vector-borne disease issues where appropriate, including providing training and support to PHE centres, and local authorities on tick and mosquito related issues.

Professional Development

Identify, discuss, and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan. Attending internal / external training events
To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e., fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

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

MEZE group members and the wider CCHS Department UKHSA colleagues when relevant/necessary, including UKHSA regional and sub-regional teams, and UKHSA centres

External

External suppliers, contractors, and commercial stakeholders
Academic partners, government agencies and departments
Members of the public

Please note that this list is not exhaustive.

Essential Criteria

PhD in medical entomology or MSc and postgraduate experience or degree and substantial relevant experience in medical entomology including identification of arthropods, field and laboratory-based techniques, public health communication, risk assessment and statistical analyses
Experience of contributing to large scale vector surveillance programmes with experience of developing and co-ordinating complex field-based research projects in potentially challenging environments with potentially changing priorities/tight deadlines
Demonstration of an active research profile through peer review publication record and knowledge of the key public health issues surrounding vector-borne diseases
Experience of drafting briefing papers, presentations and correspondence for internal and external stakeholders for project meetings and/or training purposes and evidence of continuing professional development with high degree of self-motivation
Ability to prepare and produce evidence based scientific material for dissemination to a broad range of stakeholders, including non-specialists, as required with ability to identify scientific issues drawn from multiple sources, undertake comprehensive literature reviews, assess materials with conflicting states and interpret detailed documents that may include legislation
Demonstrated capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decisions
Demonstrated capability to plan over short, medium and long-term timeframes and adjust plans and resource requirements, accordingly, including flexibility in unpredictable situations e.g. response to global public health threats
Excellent communication skills, team player and ability to work constructively with people across a wide range of settings and levels with an understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
A full UK driving licence

Selection Process

This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

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

an application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
a 1250 word supporting statement

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. Please do not email us your CV.

The Application form and supporting statement 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

Only those meeting all essential criteria will be taken through to shortlisting.

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

A valid UK driving licence

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

Please do not exceed 1250 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

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

Knowledge, experience, skills and abilities will be tested at interview.

You will be required to prepare a 5 - 10 minute presentation on Medical Entomology as part of the interview.

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 lab based at our scientific campus in Porton Down. Please note that hybrid working is not available with this role.

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.

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.  

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter Terrorism Check 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 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) 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. 

Person specification

Application form and supporting statement

Essential criteria

Application form and supporting statement

Essential Criteria

Essential criteria

Questions on experience, knowledge and skills

Presentation

Essential criteria

Presentation

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.