Location
Hybrid working based at the Scientific Campus in Colindale, London. Flexible working options available with a requirement to spend a minimum of 60% of contractual hours on campus.

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£52,113 per annum

About the Role
The Senior Scientist - Epidemiologist will play a key role in pandemic preparedness within the Immunisation and Vaccine Preventable Disease (IVPD) division and the Pandemic Surveillance Oversight Group (PSOG). The post holder will develop and test databases, data linkages, and pipelines in preparation for infectious disease incidents and future pandemics. This includes creating a case and contact registry consolidating UK-wide data sources for public health management and epidemiological analysis, as well as enhancing mortality surveillance systems to provide pathogen-agnostic mortality data linked to laboratory and demographic information.

The role also involves managing and maintaining surveillance databases for acute respiratory viral infections, conducting complex statistical analyses, and responding to sensitive data requests. The post holder will contribute to public health scientific analyses, report writing, peer-reviewed publications, and support the professional development of team members and health protection colleagues.

Additional responsibilities include managing technical and analytical aspects of outbreak investigations, coordinating data collection, conducting statistical analyses, and contributing to research projects and scientific publications. The role requires liaison with colleagues across UKHSA, NHS, and other stakeholders at regional and national levels.

Opportunities for teaching and training include developing and delivering lectures on epidemiology and respiratory virus surveillance for UKHSA and university postgraduate students.

Experience
- Postgraduate work or study in public health, epidemiology, or an allied subject
- Experience working with, developing, and linking large databases and datasets
- Advanced skills in interpreting and evaluating epidemiological data using SQL databases, spreadsheets, and statistical software (R)
- Experience writing scientific papers and project reports
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines
- Experience supervising junior scientific and administrative staff
- Experience in outbreak investigation and surveillance system development is desirable

About you
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make decisions based on incomplete information
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, able to clearly convey complex ideas and methods
- Commitment to equality of opportunity and fostering good working relationships
- Enthusiastic about contributing to public health and pandemic preparedness

Qualifications
- Relevant postgraduate qualification in epidemiology, public health, or related field
- Evidence of continuous professional development and scientific publication is advantageous