Job summary
Consultant Epidemiologist, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Health Protection Division, Public Health Wales
Substantive 10 sessions/week or WTE post
Location/base: Negotiable, travel to PHW bases will be required
To complement our team, Public Health Wales is seeking to appoint highly motivated, enthusiastic Public Health Specialists to the positions of Consultant Epidemiologist in the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (CDSC) at 10 sessions/week or WTE, in our Health Protection Division on a permanent basis.
The appointee will also be part of the Health Protection Out of Hours Rota providing consultant support regarding incidents and enquiries made to the service.
Candidate must be on the GMC Specialist Register in Public Health, Microbiology or Infectious Diseases Medicine, or UK Public Health Register for Public Health Specialists.
The successful candidate will be appointed to the Medical and Dental Consultant salary scale (£91,722-£119,079) or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 9 (£101,390-£116,673).
Main duties of the job
The Consultant Epidemiologist will join a team of consultants within CDSC, providing surveillance, field epidemiology, research, and teaching and training in the area of infectious disease epidemiology. They will contribute to the CDSC duty rota (in hours), providing leadership and oversight for surveillance and epidemiological investigations. There are also opportunities for developing a research portfolio, working with academic partners, and for teaching and training. This post will be the lead for the Statistics, Data Science and Genomic Epidemiology specialty group, which works to improve data sources, linkage and analysis using data science methods, and to provide genomic epidemiology working with colleagues in pathogen genomics. Wales has shown leadership in genomic epidemiology and has an excellent record of sequencing coverage and international contributions, particularly in the areas of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza. The postholder will work with the lead for the Public Health Genomics Programme in developing this area.
About us
Public Health Wales
Public Health Wales is the host organisation that includes the Health Protection Division as part of its Health Protection and Screening Services Directorate. Established in 2009, it provides expert public health advice in relation to disease surveillance, prevention and control; environmental hazard surveillance and control; child protection; promoting health and well-being; health, social care and well-being strategies; public health policy and healthcare planning.
Other functions of Public Health Wales include; child protection, promoting health & well-being, health, social care & well-being strategy, public health policy & healthcare planning.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Job description
Job responsibilities
You will be able to find a full Job description and Person Specification attached within the supporting documents or please click Apply now to view in Trac.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Person Specification
Education/Qualifications
Essential
1. Inclusion in the GMC Specialist Register or UK Public Health (Specialist) Register
2. If included in the GMC Specialist Register in a specialty other than public health medicine, infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience of public health medicine, infectious diseases medicine or medical microbiology practice
3. Applicants who are not yet on the GMC Register/UKPHR 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/UKPHR [see shortlisting notes below for additional guidance]
4. Applicants must meet minimum CPD requirements in accordance with the requirements of the Faculty of Public Health or other recognised body and be licensed to practise
5. MFPH, or MRCPath, or MRCP
Personal qualities
Essential
6. Strong commitment to public health principles
7. Strategic thinker
8. Able to prioritise work, and work well against a background of change and uncertainty
9. Adaptable to situations, can handle people of all capabilities and attitudes
10. Commitment to team-working, and respect and consideration for the skills of others
11. Self-motivated, pro-active, and innovative
12. High standards of professional probity
Experience
Essential
13. Significant experience of health protection, including out of hours on call
14. Practical experience of field epidemiology
15. Practical experience in facilitating change
16. Scientific publications, presentation of papers at conferences, seminars etc.
17. Experience of working with other agencies
Desirable
18. Experience of health protection at consultant level
19. Project management
20. Staff management and training
Skills
Essential
21. Strategic thinker with proven leadership skills
22. Excellent oral and written communication skills (including dealing with the public and the media)
23. Effective interpersonal, motivational and influencing skills
24. Sensible negotiator with practical expectation of what can be achieved
25. Ability to design, develop, interpret and implement policies
26. Expertise in epidemiological and statistical methods
27. Substantially numerate with highly developed analytical skills
28. Computer literate (MS Office, statistical software)
29. Resource management skills
Desirable
30. Able to develop research proposal and grant applications
31. Budget management skills
Knowledge
Essential
32. Detailed knowledge of the epidemiology of infectious disease and environmental hazards
33. Familiarity with the symptoms, signs, investigations and treatments used in the diagnosis and management of health protection problems
34. Detailed knowledge of NHS and key agencies involved with health protection
35. Understanding of public health practice, health promotion, health economics and health care evaluation
36. Knowledge of methods for developing quality assured and evidence based public health practice
37. Knowledge and understanding of information, sources on health and the wider determinants of health
38. Understanding of social and political environment
39. Understanding of laboratory microbiology services
40. Understanding of clinical infectious disease services
41. Understanding of local authorities and social services