Senior Policy Advisor
2 days ago
Liverpool
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.Job overviewThe Centre for Pandemic Preparedness and Incident Policy Team sits within the Strategy & Policy Directorate in UKHSA The team contributes to the development and delivery of strategic policies that strengthen the UK’s resilience to emerging health threats and pandemics.The Health Security Policy Team, provides the policy expertise needed to deliver the Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) Programme and support UKHSA’s incident response.This role sits in the EID Policy Team and brings together preparations for EID threats, across all transmission routes, ensuring systemwide readiness to respond to risks identified in the National Security Risk Register. The role requires close collaboration with stakeholders across national and local government, including policy teams and public health experts. The post holder will be responsible for shaping policy responses to emerging infectious disease threats, ensuring alignment between subject matter experts and policy colleagues to present a unified and coordinated approach.Main duties of the job• Leading and coordinating strategy and policy input as part of UKHSA's policy work on Emerging infectious disease threats• Delivering on core policy functions at pace such as briefings, correspondence and submissions.• Managing the design, development, and implementation of a range of health protection-related strategy and policy work, analysing evidence, making policy recommendations and supporting delivery.• Building trusted networks and relationships with key partners across the Agency, health family and broader government. • Supporting secretariat functions for high-profile boards and senior stakeholder groups. • Working at pace, balancing competing priorities and demands, whilst taking ownership for outcomes and ensuring targets and deadlines are met.Please note this list is not exhaustive.Working for our organisationWe pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all. Please visit our careers site for more information pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce. UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all. Please visit our careers site for more information job description and main responsibilitiesEssential role criteria:- Educated to degree level in a field where a skillset relevant to Strategy & Policy work would be applied, or the relevant level of experience- Experience of working in a strategy and / or policy development role, and demonstrable ability to work both within complex technical detail and strategic contexts- Experience in building relationships across organisational boundaries to develop policy solutions to challenging problems- Experience in working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to agree complex policy decisions and deliver projects- Demonstrable communication skills and ability to engage credibly and persuasively with subject matter experts and senior leaders- Ability to write concisely and with impact, setting out complex ideas in an accessible and engaging way- Have a strong eye for detail whilst maintaining a strategic view on how different projects fit together- Be able to work flexibly on changing priorities and actively prioritise multiple issuesDesirable role criteria:- Be experienced in working in multi-disciplinary teams; with scientific, clinical, data science and delivery colleagues to deliver complex pieces of work- Have experience of delivering secretariat functions and/ or supporting governance structures and processesSelection Process Details (Success Profiles)This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Experience and Behaviours.Stage 1: Application & Sift Success profiles Success Profiles - GOV.UKYou will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 8 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application) • 1000 word supporting statementHealthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria. 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 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.Longlisting:In the event of a large number of applications, we may longlist into 3 piles of:• Meets all essential criteria • Meets some essential criteria• Meets no essential criteria We will take pile "Meets all essential criteria" through to shortlisting.Shortlisting:In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:• Experience of working in a strategy and / or policy development role, and demonstrable ability to work both within complex technical detail and strategic contexts.• Experience in building relationships across organisational boundaries to develop policy solutions to challenging problems.Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview.Feedback will not be provided at this stage. Stage 2: Interview Success profiles Success Profiles - GOV.UKYou will be invited to a single remote interview.Behaviours will be tested at interview.The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:• Seeing the big picture (lead behaviour)• Making effective decisions• Delivering at pace• Communicating and influencingInterviews dates to be confirmed.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Additional InformationLocationThis role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model here business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we ork, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to pend 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 HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).Security Clearance Level RequirementSuccessful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.Eligibility CriteriaOpen to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants). Salary InformationIf you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location.Senior Executive Officer (SEO)• £41,983- £48,128 (National)• £44,148- £50,121 (Outer London)• £46,310- £52,113 (Inner London)Please note: The Chief Operating Officer (COO) group, where this role sits, is undergoing organisational change over the next 12–18 months. While the process is still in the planning stage, some roles may be affected by future restructuring. We are committed to keeping candidates informed and will share updates as they become available.Person specificationApplication form and supporting statementEssential criteria- Application form and supporting statementBehavioursEssential criteria- Seeing the big picture (lead behaviour)- Making effective decisions- Delivering at pace- Communicating and influencingIMPORTANT - 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 CareersThis 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 ServiceFor 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 ...