Job Advert
About the Organisation:
Public Health Scotland was launched on the 1st April 2020 as a national health board, employing around 1200 people, and with an annual budget of around £101 million. Public Health Scotland wants to see a Scotland where everybody thrives, a Scotland where life expectancy improves and the difference in life expectancy between our poorest and wealthiest areas gets smaller.
Public Health Scotland is Scotland’s lead national agency for improving and protecting the health and wellbeing of all of Scotland’s people. Our vision is of a Scotland where everybody thrives. Our focus is on increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing premature mortality. To do this, we use data, intelligence and a place-based approach to lead and deliver Scotland’s public health priorities.
This post is within the Clinical and Protecting Health (CP&H) Directorate, which protects the people of Scotland from infectious and environmental hazards. The Directorate provides high-quality clinical advice and maintains public health knowledge.
The Post:
The post holder will operate at consultant level providing professional leadership and highly specialist advice on virological issues within a national context and contribute to the strategic business of PHS.
The post holder will play a key role in delivering the requirements and priorities of the Public Health Microbiology (PHM) Strategy for Scotland (2018), and associated Gap analysis of Public Health Microbiological Services in Scotland (2024), by providing virology expertise for the delivery of clinically effective PHM services by CP&H.
The post holder will provide expert advice and guidance on microbiology/virology laboratory processes and how they impact on data, information products, business process or change initiatives to internal and external customers for PHS. The post holder will support the PHS PHM Team in delivering their business plan objectives and provide specialist input for specific projects in line with national or divisional priorities.
The post holder will lead on the provision of expert advice providing services to, and working in partnership with, a wide range of strategic partners and stakeholders on guidance for microbiology/ virology incident management and response.
The Candidate:
We are looking for a Consultant Clinical Scientist with specialist experience, expertise and knowledge of Virology with experience within the health protection/public health context at senior level. You will have the ability to prioritise your own work effectively and direct activities of/to others, working with a range of stakeholders in a politically sensitive and changing environment.
Candidates must have current HCPC registration at the time of applying.
There may be the opportunity for the post holder to spend time maintaining expertise in laboratories or with an academic collaboration.
The successful candidate will be required to undergo a PVG Scheme check. Any candidate who has lived/worked overseas for more than 12 months in the preceding 5 years will also be required to provide a criminal record check from the appropriate overseas agency.
Location and Working Pattern:
The post will be based in Glasgow or Edinburgh but with the potential for hybrid/home working.
Work pattern - Monday to Friday up to 37 hours per week.
During times of public health emergency, or other urgent business need, you may be required on a temporary basis to work beyond your normal contracted working hours including over weekends, in order to meet the needs of the service.
It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with PHS.
Please note we anticipate a high level of interest in this position therefore we may close the vacancy prior to the closing date once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Please ensure you complete and submit your online application at an early stage to avoid disappointment.
Benefits:
Our benefits package includes pension scheme, comprehensive, occupational health services, learning resource centres and discounted leisure, financial and shopping benefits. Click here to view the full range of the PHS Employee Benefits.
Further Information:
For an informal discussion on the post, please contact Nicola Rowan on nicola.rowan@phs.scot or Patricia Kennedy on patricia.kennedy@phs.scot
Closing date for completed applications is 15th September 2024
Further information regarding PHS is available from: https://publichealthscotland.scot
Please note that the majority of correspondence is sent by e-mail only, so please check your e-mail regularly (including junk folders).
Public Health Scotland is an equal opportunities employer and as such guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies