Field Epidemiology Training Programme Director

The National Field Services Division was established to provide a national comprehensive service which is geographically dispersed and integrates epidemiological, microbiological, data science and other public health capacity and skills to consistently deliver high-quality disease surveillance, public health intelligence and outbreak response.

National Field Services provides an effector arm for UKHSA, supporting the translation of evidence into practice as well as having a role in strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak response through closer links with the NHS and other partners. It also maintains valuable links to academic centres to support the advancement of the evidence base for health protection and provides effective leadership and coordination of the UKHSA field epidemiology training function.

The Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) is a competency-based 2-year specialist postgraduate training programme aimed at medical, scientific, veterinary or nursing staff who are, or will be, working in a post involving field investigation and epidemiology and who want to further enhance their specialist skills. Training is provided on the job, but at least ten percent of time is dedicated to formal training courses. Fellows are currently based in training locations within UKHSA and within the public health agencies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the two-year programme and are supervised day to day by Primary Field Supervisors (PFS) at these sites. The programme office is based in Colindale, and the core team comprises the FETP Director, FETP Scientific Coordinators, FETP Business Manager and Administration team and a virtual learning designer.

This position will require travel and attendance at training modules delivered in week-long blocks at various sites across the United Kingdom, and occasionally overseas

The post comprises two main remits: the first being the development of UK public health and epidemiology capability, developing national and international experts; and the second to support global capacity building through teaching and training.

This will involve leadership and management of the Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP), which has been running since 2011.

The training programme provides training and experience in the following key areas, which have been agreed) as the core competencies for field epidemiologists in the European Union (EU)

Please see Job Description for full list of key areas

Working for your organisation

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.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

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)

• Further develop, progress and maintain a field epidemiology training programme to the highest international standards and ensure a high-quality service in a changing context
• Oversee FETP management: manage the FETP office; manage the FETP budget; lead on programme technical quality assurance
• Manage programme risks and resources
• Be responsible for programme governance, report to the UK FETP Advisory Group, National Field Services Senior Management Team, and Health Protection in Regions Senior Leadership Team
• Continue the planning, development and implementation of the programme, including the delivery of core training modules.
• Teach and facilitate in FETP training modules, which are delivered residentially in week-long blocks at various locations across the United Kingdom, and occasionally overseas.
• Oversee a network of field epidemiology training sites and supervisors
• Work with the Faculty of Public Health and other regulatory bodies to ensure coherence and synergy between the field epidemiology training programme and professional requirements
• Ensure continued accreditation of the programme by the relevant professional standards setting and regulatory bodies
• Work with academic centres of excellence in the UK and other countries to draw on best practice and ensure content of the course is focussed on future needs
• Establish collaboration with other field epidemiology training programmes
• Promote and advocate for the field epidemiology training programme and liaise with relevant stakeholders
• Oversee collaboration with the UK Rapid Support Team, and Global Public Health Programmes to ensure the development of staff with international expertise
• Collaborate with colleagues in Global Public Health to identify where trainees, FETP fellows and staff, can support capacity building and achievement of global health security in Lower and Middle Income Countries
• Work with devolved administrations and partner countries to offer FETP training as an external UKHSA ‘product’, generating potential income to the programme and providing workforce development/capacity building in those countries.
• Act as an ambassador for UKHSA with regard to the FETP and the above-mentioned responsibilities.
• Establish contacts with TEPHINET/ECDC/EPIET/CDC and other FETPs to exchange training material, fellows and trainers

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

• Deputy Director, National Field Services Division
• Director and Deputy Directors, Global Health Protection Directorate
• Director and Deputy Directors, Radiation, Chemical, Climate & Environmental Hazards Directorate
• UK Rapid Support Team
• Public Health Microbiologists
• FETP Scientific Coordinators
• FETP Fellows
• FETP Programme Office (Programme Manager and Personal Assistant)
• FETP Advisory Group
• Primary field and project supervisors
• Statisticians, Modellers, and IT specialists

External

• UK devolved administrations (DAs)
• Faculty of Public Health
• Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET), Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), and other FETP programmes
• Task Force for Global Health
• World Health Organisation (WHO)
• US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (EDCD)
• Collaborating scientists in academic institutions

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

Stage 1: Application & Sift

This vacancy is using the Competency Framework

At sift stage you will be assessed against the essential criteria listed in the job advert.

You will be required to complete 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.

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)

Your statement of suitability must be no more than 1500 words.

If we receive a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead essential criteria listed under Qualifications in the Person Specifications section of the job description.

Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications, we may longlist and only candidates who meets all essential criteria will proceed to shortlisting.

Please note feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview stage (competency based):

You will be invited to a face to face interview.

Interviews will be held at 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4PU, week commencing 28 September 2026. Please note these dates are subject to change.

In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

This vacancy is being assessed using competency based framework. During the interview we will assess against the below:

Knowledge

Experience

Skills and Abilities

You will be asked to prepare and present a 10 minute presentation on the following:

What are the characteristics and scope of an FETP programme that should be nurtured and protected and what could /should be modernised

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d.

Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview)

If included in the GMC Specialist Register/ in a specialty other than public health medicine, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health practice

Public Health 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.

Inclusion in the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) for Public Health Specialists (or eligibility within six months of interview).

Non‑medical applicants who are not yet fully registered with the UKPHR must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they are within six months of gaining specialist registration at the date of interview. All other non‑medical applicants must provide verifiable signed documentary evidence that they have applied for inclusion in the UKPHR Specialist Register (for example, confirmation that a UKPHR specialist portfolio has been submitted).

Security Clearance

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 Counter-terrorist Check.

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.

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

Careers website

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

NHS Pension

This role is offered under Agenda for Change (AFC) Terms and Conditions.

• If you are already on AFC T&Cs or accept the role on a fixed-term contract, you will be enrolled in the NHS Pension Scheme or keep your current AFC Pension.
• If you take the role on a loan or temporary promotion, you will retain your existing, substantive T&Cs.
• If the role is available under either AFC or Civil Service T&Cs depending on your registration, your pension scheme will align accordingly.

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.

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

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