Bioinformatician - London, United Kingdom - UK Health Security Agency

UK Health Security Agency

Verified Company

London, United Kingdom

1 week ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

Job title -Bioinformatician

Profession

Gastrointestinal Infections and Food Safety (One Health)

Directorate

Clinical & Public Health

Full Time equivalent

37.5 hours

No of Roles

Contract Type

Fixed Term Contract till 31stMarch 2025

Location

Colindale, London, NW9 5EQ

UKHSA offers hybrid working or home working for its employees - this means that whilst the role will be based in one of our UKHSA offices, there will be opportunities for an element of working from home.

The balance between home and workplace working is to be agreed with the line manager, determined primarily by business need and in line with departmental policy.

Some business travel will be required to other UKHSA offices. Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available

Working Pattern

Full Time /Flexible Working / Hybrid Working

Grade & Salary -Grade 7. Inner London - £53,396 - £62,286 per annum.

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth.

NIHR Health Protection Research Units (HPRUs) undertake high quality research that enhances the ability of the UK Health Security Agency to protect the public's health and minimise the health impact of emergencies.

This post will focus on helping shape and deliver the objectives of the HPRU GED as set out in its yearly Forward Business Plan.

The appointee will develop bioinformatics and public health informatics for HPRU GED:

Provide strategic direction and goals within the remit of HPRU GED across the four themes.
Design and validate bioinformatics tools, pipelines and methods suitable for analysis and comparison of the genome sequences generated at UKHSA and elsewhere.
Compile, in appropriate databases and formats, complex data arising from wholegenome sequencing (WGS) from a range of pathogens.
Undertake analysis on data arising from WGS, in particular for the validation of proposed methods and techniques.
Provide tutoring and technical mentoring to other HPRU GED participants.
Prepare and present at national and international meetings reports, posters and publications arising from data.

The Gastrointestinal Infections and Food safety (One Health) Division is located within UKHSA's Clinical and Public health Directorate at Colindale.

The Division remit includes providing specialist epidemiology and surveillance for Gastrointestinal Infections (GI), coordinating the investigation of national outbreaks, advising government on the risks posed by various gastrointestinal pathogens and responding to national and international health concerns.

The post is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Genomics and Enabling Data (GED).

It brings together leading researchers from the Universities of Warwick, Cambridge and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute with UKHSA working in partnership to exploit synergy, world-class facilities, and breadth and depth in relevant research between these institutions.

Key Responsibilities

The post support the delivery of the objectives of the HPRU GED as set out in its yearly Forward Business Plan.

Under the overall strategic guidance of the Director of NIHR-Genomics and Data Enabling Unit, provide effective scientific and professional leadership for a specialist scientific area including organisation, supervision and delivery of national reference services and by providing advice, expertise and specialist information.
Work with other bioinformaticians and academics in the HPRU GED and at UKHSA on designing, implementing and validating efficient bioinformatics pipelines suitable for analysis and comparative genomics of relevant pathogen sequences.
Assist with the deployment of technologies for the analysis and comparative analysis of highthroughput WGS in all sections of UKHSA, as required by HPRU GED across the different themes, including graphical user interfaces and data collection tools to help epidemiologists.
Prepare reports, posters and publications arising from the work.
Maintain and further develop the international and national reputation of national microbiology reference functions through development of strategic academic, public sector and other partnerships including participation, design, implementation and overall management of R&D projects within area of expertise.
Participate in scientific fora to help maintain the high standard of analytical work by staff in UKHSA and ensure representation at key scientific and medical conferences.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs