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Bioinformatics Lead
| Posting date: | 04 February 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £58,589.00 to £68,344.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | £58589.00 - £68344.00 a year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 18 February 2025 |
| Location: | London, NW9 5EQ |
| Company: | NHS Jobs |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | K9919-25-0055 |
Summary
Continued from above Producing key performance indicator reports to evidence service standards. Supporting UKAS accreditation by maintaining quality standards in collaboration with the Quality Team. Providing expert advice on bioinformatics-related solutions to UKHSA and external stakeholders. Liaising with external organisations involved in molecular surveillance of pathogens. Ensuring compliance with policies and safeguarding sensitive data. Teaching and Training Responsibilities Coordinating bioinformatics training activities within the department. Delivering presentations and updates on project progress. Participating in UKHSA bioinformatics training programmes. Mentoring and training junior staff and supervising PhD students. Delivering high-quality, responsive support to stakeholders. Contributing to UKHSA's strategic and operational goals. Performing any additional duties reasonably required by your line manager. Maintaining confidentiality in all work-related matters. This role offers a dynamic opportunity to lead critical public health initiatives, support the development of cutting-edge bioinformatics capabilities, and contribute to impactful national and global health outcomes. As the Bioinformatics Lead within the Sexually Transmitted Infections Reference Laboratory (STIRL), you will play a critical role in driving the laboratorys bioinformatics and public health informatics strategy. STIRL is an integral part of the UKHSA, providing specialised national reference services for bacterial sexually transmitted infections. Your expertise will support the detection, investigation, and characterisation of STI pathogens, contributing to public health efforts through cutting-edge genomic analysis and antimicrobial resistance monitoring. In this position, you will lead the development and implementation of bioinformatics pipelines and analytical tools, ensuring they meet the needs of surveillance programmes, reference investigations, and research initiatives. You will manage the design and delivery of whole-genome sequencing analysis pipelines, enabling timely and accurate genomic interpretation. These outputs will directly support individual case management, outbreak investigations, and the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance, ensuring data-driven decision-making in public health responses. As part of your responsibilities, you will oversee a portfolio of bioinformatics projects, collaborating with internal teams and external stakeholders, including local outbreak response teams, NHS organisations, and commercial partners. Your role will involve producing detailed reports and contributing to peer-reviewed publications, with a focus on genomic data. By aligning bioinformatics strategies with UKHSAs policies and practices, you will ensure that the laboratory remains at the forefront of innovation and quality service delivery. In addition to your scientific responsibilities, you will provide line management for a team of bioinformaticians, fostering their professional development through mentorship, training, and performance reviews. You will coordinate training programmes within the department, ensuring team members have the skills to support bioinformatics operations effectively. Supervising PhD students and participating in UKHSA-led training initiatives will also be key aspects of the role. Your managerial duties will include ensuring the seamless integration of bioinformatics tools and systems, managing secure storage and retrieval of sensitive data, and maintaining robust documentation to support technical and quality assurance processes. You will contribute to maintaining UKAS accreditation by working closely with the Quality Team to meet and uphold required standards. Collaboration will be a central aspect of your role, requiring close engagement with scientific and IT professionals from both UKHSA and external organisations. You will provide expert advice on bioinformatics solutions and ensure compliance with data protection guidelines and organisational policies, safeguarding the integrity of all services and projects. This role offers a unique opportunity to combine technical expertise, strategic planning, and leadership in a challenging and rewarding environment. As the Bioinformatics Lead, you will contribute to national and global public health outcomes, driving innovation in genomic analysis and supporting impactful health protection initiatives. Through your efforts, you will help ensure the delivery of high-quality services that address current and emerging challenges in STI management and antimicrobial resistance. Selection Process Details This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience and/or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria. Stage 1: Application & Sift You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 10 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a: Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application) 1000 word Statement of Suitability. This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria. The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together. In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of: Meets all essential criteria Meets some essential criteria Meets no essential criteria In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on: Experience of managing/analysing large volumes of NGS data High level of proficiency with Linux/Unix operating systems Proven skills in programming languages eg Python, JAVA, C++ and versioning software (git) Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number. Feedback will not be provided at this stage. Stage 2: Interview (competency based) You will be invited to a single face to face interview. In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview. Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview. Interviews dates to be confirmed. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Selection Process Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV. Eligibility Criteria External:Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants). Location This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Scientific Campus in Colindale. 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). Security Clearance Level Requirement Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Counter-terrorist Check. If 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. Face to Face interviews In exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.