Bioinformatician

Job description

Job responsibilities

Responsibilities will include

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

• Substantial interactions with members of the Bioinformatics Team and the Central Sequencing Lab (CSL)
• Regular interactions with Laboratory scientists, embedded bioinformaticians and epidemiologists.
• Substantial interactions within Digital & Data and with central IT (ICT) colleagues.

External

• Interaction with external scientific computing experts to deliver appropriate technologies through external cloud-based resource and utilising UKHSA computing infrastructure.
• Interactions with collaborating centres (Oxford University, EBI) to deliver software process for analysing WGS data.

Essential criteria:

• Degree in Bioinformatics or a related life science and postgraduate training in Bioinformatics
• Familiar with Linux/Unix
• Knowledge of Next Generation Sequencing technologies and associated bioinformatic analytical approaches
• Experience of bioinformatics tool use, preferably to the analysis of microbial DNA
• Coding skills, preferably python
• Highly motivated, enthusiastic, and hard working
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Desirable criteria:

• Ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise
• Experience of VCS systems (e.g. Git) for software versioning and documentation
• Awareness of software containerization (e.g. Docker, Singularity)

Selection Process Details:

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience, Ability and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed 8 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• 800-word supporting statement.

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 supporting statement will be marked together.

Longlisting: 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

The pile that meets all essential criteria will be used for further sifting.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on 'Degree in Bioinformatics or a related life science and postgraduate training in Bioinformatics'

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 & assessment

Please do not exceed 800 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a single remote interview.

Behaviours, technical, and ability will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be

• Delivering at pace (lead behaviour)
• Working together
• Making effective decisions,
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills and ability will be tested via technical questions in the interview.

Interviews will be held week commencing 25th August 2025. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

External

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

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 Counter-terrorist Check

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). 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.

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. 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) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale)

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Person Specification

Application form and supporting statement

• Application form and supporting statement

Behaviours

• Delivering at pace (lead behaviour)
• Working together
• Making effective decisions
• Changing and Improving

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

London, Colindale, Birmingham, Leeds or Liverpool

London, Colindale, Birmingham, Leeds or Liverpool

E144PU

Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency