Higher Scientific Officer (Dietary Surveys and Food Composition, Reformulation)
| Posting date: | 27 September 2024 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £32,188 to £32,188 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Leeds £32,188 - London £36,244 |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 06 October 2024 |
| Location: | Leeds |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 370249/1 |
Summary
The Health Improvement Directorate, part of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) within DHSC, leads on evidence based public health policy and programmes to prevent and reduce the health and social impact caused by drugs, tobacco, alcohol, gambling, unhealthy diets, obesity and physical inactivity.
We have a hugely challenging work programme, which if successful will drive real change:
- If everyone ate in line with our dietary advice we would increase population life expectancy by eight years
- We are creating the first smoke free generation – the biggest public health intervention in a generation.
- We are reducing alcohol and gambling harms.
- We are expanding drug and alcohol treatment and recovery support.
Obesity and poor diet account for around half of years lost and years lived with disability from all modifiable factors in England. The Health Improvement Directorate has two divisions working to improve nutrition and address excess weight. The Nutrition Evidence, Surveys and Translation (NEST) division, in which these scientific roles sit, is responsible for nutrition, food environment and childhood obesity surveillance, providing scientific advice on diet, nutrition and obesity, and supporting translation of this advice into policy for DHSC, other government departments and across the public health system. NEST works closely with the Healthy Weight and Nutrition Division who lead on diet, obesity and physical activity policy.
Within NEST, the Dietary Surveys and Food Composition team has responsibility for dietary surveys such as the National Diet and Nutrition Survey and Infant Feeding Survey, and related work on food composition. The Reformulation team is responsible for the voluntary reformulation programme which requires all sectors of the food industry to reduce levels of salt, sugar and calories in everyday food and drink, including commercial baby food and drink.
This advert relates to 3 roles – 2 in the surveys team and 1 in the reformulation team. 2 further roles in the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) team have been advertised separately please see campaign 370279
The Dietary Surveys and Food Composition team manages the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS), the Infant Feeding Survey (IFS) and other dietary and food data collection. These surveys are essential tools for generating evidence to support public health nutrition policy development and monitor its impact.
The NDNS is a rolling programme. NDNS Year 16 fieldwork starts in 2024, and the team will simultaneously be reporting on years 12 to 15. Fieldwork for the current IFS is in its final stages, with reporting planned in 2025. This IFS is a follow on from an earlier series undertaken every five years until 2010, and will provide information on breast feeding and the use of foods and drinks other than breastmilk in infancy, complementing the information collected in the NDNS.
The postholder will support day-to-day delivery of the surveys, including contract management (surveys are delivered by external providers) and maintaining the nutrient databank which underpins the NDNS and the UK Food Composition Tables. A key part of the role will be working with analysts to present and interpret data on food composition, food consumption and nutrient intakes in different population groups, including infants, and to support its use by others in NEST and more widely within the Health Improvement Directorate.
The reformulation team is responsible for the voluntary reformulation programme which requires all sections of industry to reduce levels of salt, sugar and calories in everyday food and drink, including commercial baby food and drink.
The post holder will provide nutrition science support to develop, implement and deliver of all parts of the reformulation programme. This includes setting targets by reviewing market data and holding discussions and consulting with stakeholders before finalising and publishing the targets. Progress is monitored through the use of large datasets and working with analysts to ensure the resulting data is robust and provides relevant information.
The role will also require collaborating with colleagues on commissioning and overseeing nutrition-related research to help inform future government policy on diet and obesity, and with the European Office of the World Health Organisation, supporting the running of the WHO Euro region Sugar and Calorie Reduction Network, a group that aims to facilitate other countries delivering policy actions in this area.
Postholders in both teams will interact with a wide range of external stakeholders including academics, expert committees, non-governmental organisations, other government departments, and businesses and trade associations in all sectors of the food industry. Internal stakeholders include others within NEST, policy colleagues who work on diet and obesity, and others across the directorate and department as necessary.
Postholders will also provide support across NEST division activities, including drafting responses to parliamentary or other correspondence, briefing senior leaders and representing the team at meetings.