UK Health Security Agency
Emergency Preparedness Support Officer
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Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London (Core HQs) or Porton, Salisbury (Scientific Campus)
Job Summary
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.
Job Description
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.
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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.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- Educated to Level 2 in English and Maths, or able to demonstrate equivalent literacy and numeracy skills gained through employment, volunteering or other relevant experience.
- Significant administrative and secretariat experience, including developing, implementing and maintaining administrative systems; handling sensitive information; organising meetings; and producing agendas, minutes and action notes.
- Able to work under pressure, managing multiple tasks and prioritising own workload while meeting tight and changing timescales.
- Able to work without supervision, following relevant policies, procedures and legislation when completing work.
- Able to communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing, choosing appropriate channels for the audience and making effective use of digital resources while considering value for money.
- Strong IT skills, with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office and confidence using digital tools to support administrative tasks.
- Able to work effectively as part of a team and contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team environment.
- Demonstrates curiosity by seeking out new information and opportunities for self-development.
- Understands and is committed to equality of opportunity and positive working relationships.
Desirable criteria
- Experience of Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and/or Response
- Experience working in a public-sector organisation or other large organisations
- Experience of staff management or supervision.
Salary Information
Alongside your salary of £28,547, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,270 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
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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).
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.
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
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :
Name : Timor Miakhel Email : timor.miakhel@ukhsa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk
Further information
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 the UKHSA Complaints team via email at: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk
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