Emergency Preparedness Support Officer

We 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.

The post holder will support delivery of day-to-day Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) activities within the National Response Centre (NRC), UKHSA’s Public Health Emergency Operations Centre. They will assist with a range of projects, workstreams, processes and administrative tasks that help maintain organisational preparedness and support effective incident response. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, they will help coordinate information, fulfil operational roles during incident response and recovery, maintain records, support meetings, contribute to documentation, and liaise with colleagues and stakeholders across UKHSA and partner organisations as required.

The role will require flexibility, attention to detail and the ability to prioritise tasks in a busy environment, while working under direction and escalating issues appropriately. The post holder may also support out-of-hours, where required, to help maintain the NRC’s response function.

The post holder will provide administrative, business, coordination and information management support across NRC activity. This includes maintaining rotas, preparing returns, providing cover, managing communications and incident mailboxes, supporting meetings and events, preparing papers, taking minutes, updating action logs and providing secretariat support.

They will undertake operational roles during incidents, including inbox management or support, action tracking and record keeping. The role also involves collating, analysing, reporting and sharing information accurately and in line with information governance and records management requirements.

The post holder will support improvements to systems and procedures, contribute to projects, working groups and service initiatives, and take responsibility for defined areas of work, including offering training, advice and support within remit. They may also support surge arrangements, out-of-hours on-call or seven-day working and will contribute to improving health equity.

• Provide administrative and business support to teams, including compiling and updating rotas, preparing and submitting returns, and providing cover for other team members as directed by the line manager.
• Communicate and engage effectively with internal and external staff and stakeholders, dealing with communications promptly and courteously, referring matters to the relevant lead where appropriate, and supporting the management of incident mailboxes.
• Undertake various operational roles to support incidents, including but not limited to Inbox management or support and Action tracking and Record Keeping functions.
• Support the organisation of meetings and events, including preparing reports and papers, taking minutes, updating action logs, and providing secretariat support to Incident management teams, internal meetings and networks as required.
• Contribute to effective information management by collating, disseminating, analysing and reporting information accurately and in a timely way, in line with information governance and records management policies and practices, using relevant digital and IT applications.
• Support the development of systems and procedures where necessary to improve efficiency, quality and cost effectiveness across the function.
• Take responsibility for defined areas of work, providing a positive example to others and offering training, advice and support within own area of responsibility, with guidance from the line manager where required.
• Participate in relevant internal working groups, projects, services and initiatives across the organisation, representing the team, Directorate or Group as required.
• To ensure 24/7 responsiveness, you may be required to participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota or work over a seven-day period at times.
• Demonstrate a commitment to understanding and improving health equity.
• Support training and supervision of surge support NRC as appropriate and required.

Other

• This document provides an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The job holder will carry out any other duties that may reasonably be required by their line manager.
• The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the team, Directorate and organisation.

Professional Development

• Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training/development needs with the line manager through appraisal or an individual development plan, and undertake ongoing learning and development to build knowledge and skills, including internal or external training where appropriate.
• Participate in all mandatory training as required, including fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

Please note that, in response to service demands, contracted hours may need to be worked across a seven-day rota, including weekends where required.

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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 9 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1000 word supporting statement.

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.

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). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 1000 words. We will not consider any words over 1000 words.

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

If used, the pile ‘Meets all essential criteria’ will proceed to shortlisting.

Shortlisting

In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

• Significant administrative and secretariat experience, including developing, implementing and maintaining administrative systems; handling sensitive information; organising meetings; and producing agendas, minutes and action notes.

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 & assessment.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a single remote interview.

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

Interviews 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.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs, or our Scientific Campus in Porton (Salisbury). 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 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 Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a basic 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 Baseline Personnel Security Standard if based at one of our Core HQ's or Counter-Terrorist Check if based at our Scientific Campus in Porton (Salisbury).

If Based in Porton (Salisbury): Based at one of our scientific campuses, you will be required to have a minimum of 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.

Eligibility Criteria

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

Salary Information

If 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.

Executive Officer (EO):

• £28,547- £33,196 (National)
• £30,441- £35,576 (Outer London)
• £32,624-£37,737 (Inner London)

Qualifications and Registrations

For roles where specific qualifications or registrations are required, successful applicants will be asked to provide appropriate evidence. Employment cannot commence until satisfactory documentation has been received and verified.

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.

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 consider 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: Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers

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 it 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.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information UKHSA Hub , Civil Service Careers

Incident Response Activity

From time to time, the role holder may be required to support UKHSA’s incident response activity by contributing their appropriate expertise within an Incident Cell; during such periods, supported by the line manager, this work will take priority over normal day-to-day responsibilities, commensurate with their grade, skills and experience.

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