Consultant in Infection, Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL)

Posting date:	15 August 2025
Salary:	£105,504.00 to £139,882.00 per year
Additional salary information:	£105504.00 - £139882.00 a year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	05 September 2025
Location:	Salisbury, SP4 0JG
Company:	NHS Jobs
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	K9919-25-0317

Summary

The post holder will Share with colleagues responsibility for the day-to-day provision of a comprehensive clinical microbiology and virology service covering unusual pathogens including arboviruses, Rickettsia, Q fever, Lyme disease. Additional training and support/mentoring will be provided through consultant colleagues as the range of pathogens extends beyond standard specialties. Provide clinical support for RIPL services at a national level. Liaise with patient and professional interest groups provide evidence-based advice to them and professional groups. Assist with teaching and training of medical, scientific, biomedical scientist staff, international visitors, and undergraduates and postgraduates within UKHSA, university partners and other agencies. Assist in the provision of a service to support public health investigations and management of cases and outbreaks of unusual diseases. Be involved in the collection of epidemiological data in close liaison with the Health Protection Services, and in surveillance and prevention programmes as appropriate. Carry out teaching, examination and accreditation duties as required and for contributing to undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education activity, locally and nationally. Be involved in research when required. Provide clinical/professional supervision and mentorship as appropriate. Demonstrate high professional standards. Deputise for the Head of RIPL as and when required. Demonstrate a willingness to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional, national, or international levels. Assist with teaching and training of medical, scientific, biomedical scientist staff, international visitors, and undergraduates and postgraduates within UKHSA, university partners and other agencies. Actively identify, lead, and contribute to quality improvement and governance initiatives in line with strategic direction of the region. Actively assist in the development of joint plans and system wide priorities forpublic health action or improvement. Ensure compliance with all confidentiality and governance requirements at all times. Contribute to proactive and responsive media issues. Participate in organisational and professional appraisal and revalidation as appropriate. Share on-call duties with professional colleagues and to cross-cover for annual and study leave as necessary, in proportion to the postholders base PAs (currently overall, averaged across the year, the post-holder will be on call on a c. 1:4 rota for nights and weekends: intensity supplement = A) Other duties It is the responsibility of the postholder to ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard, and in accordance with current quality initiatives within the area of work. All staff who have access to or transfer data are responsible for that data and must respect confidentiality and comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, in line with the UKHSA policies. The postholder is responsible for data quality and complying with the policies, procedures, and accountability arrangements throughout the Trust for maintaining accuracy and probity in the recording of UKHSAs activities. Staff are required to comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in line with UKHSA Policy. The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of UKHSA Centers and Regions. Each years Job Plan will be agreed annually in advance between the postholder and the Head of RIPL normally between January and March. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation. COMMUNICATION AND KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal, and external to UKHSA. This will include: Internal UKHSA medical, scientific, biomedical scientists. Other units within TARZET, particularly EIZ and Travel Health. Other divisions within the Agency, particularly Health Protection Services. The Imported Fever Service partners (the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, and the Tropical Infectious Diseases Unit, Liverpool) External Consultant Microbiologists and ID physicians within the UK and internationally GPs and hospital consultants for Lyme disease queries National and international experts for relevant pathogens Other government departments, including APHA, and the relevant public health authorities in the Devolved Administrations The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. Please refer to the Job Description. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by your line manager.The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of UKHSA Other Information Applicants are strongly advised to use the criteria in the Person Specification of the Job Description as sub-headings in their application to make it clear how they meet each of the selection criteria. The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority. Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) Specialty Registrar applicants who are not yet on the GMC Specialist Register 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. External Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants). Stage 1: Application & Sift You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of an Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application) up to 1500 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. Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. The Application Form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together. Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment Stage 2: Interview (competency based) You will be invited to a face to face interview. If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview. Interviews will be held 06 October 2025. Please note, this date is subject to change. This vacancy is being assessed using Civil Service Competency framework. During the interview we will assess against the below: KnowledgeExperienceSkills and Abilities You will be asked to prepare and present an 5 minute presentation at the start of your interview. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview. Use of slides will be permitted. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Location This role is being offered as lab based at our Scientific Campus in Porton Down. If based at one of our scientific campuses, you will be required to have 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. Security Clearance Level Requirement Successful candidates for this role must pass an enhanced 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 Basic Personnel Security Standard / Counter-terrorist Check Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. UK Health Security Agency promoted diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunities employer