Head of Tuberculosis Unit

Job Description

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice.To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit PHE WebsiteOn 18 August 2020, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced plans to establish the National Institute of Health Protection and consult on the best future options for strengthening health improvement and other public health functions in the wider system. Public Health England and its employees will be in scope for transition to new organisations in Spring 2021. Any new or current employees working for PublicHealth England during this time, will receive appropriate consultation prior to any formal transfer taking place.Public Health England provides strategic leadership and vision for protecting and improving the nation’s health. Its ambition is to lead a transformation in the health expectations of all people in England, regardless of where they live and the circumstance of their birth. It will achieve this through the application of research, knowledge and skills. PHE is an executive agency of the Department of Health. It is a distinct delivery organisation with operational autonomy to advise and support government, local authorities and the NHS in a professionally, independent manner.This senior post is positioned to lead the Tuberculosis Unit of the Tuberculosis; Acute Respiratory, Gastrointestinal, Emerging /Zoonotic Infections and Travel Health Division which is part of the PHE National Infection Service based on the Colindale Site. The unit brings together microbiological, clinical infection, public health and epidemiological expertise with the aim of working with others to reduce the disease burden and associated health inequalities with TB and other mycobacterial infections in the population.The postholder will lead on the appointment to several new or upgraded posts, forging new ways of working with a fully integrated Unit that will strengthen functaional partnerships with colleagues in PHE, and the National Institute for Health Protection, the NHS, and international leads for TB Control. They will deliver on key functions in support of PHE’s Infectious Disease Strategic Priorities and a collaborative 5 Year Action Plan with the NHS, towards the elimination of TB in England, in line with WHO goals. The team is also closely involved with the work of the NIHR-funded Health Protection Research Units, which are collaborative ventures involving PHE and academia.The post holder will be a medical consultant withexperience in public health and/or mycobacteriology,including genomic medicine, and/or NHS clinical medicine and experience of incident and outbreak management. They will provide leadership and strategic direction for the Unit by ensuring intellectual rigour, high quality outward facing and collaborative service delivery, innovative public health microbiology and improvements in epidemiology methodology and continuous service development. The post holder will enhance the international and national reputation of the unit and the PHE national microbiology reference functions through development of strategic academic, public sector and other partnerships including participation, design, implementation and overall management of appropriate R&D projects.Interviews planned for w/c 12 October 2020Applicants are strongly advised to use the criteria in the person specification as sub-headings in their application to make it clear how they meet each of the selection criteria. Please also see job description for competencies.Option 3 – ExternalOpen to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).For further information or an informal discussion about the post, please contact Nick Phin by email: .uk or by telephone onFor further details / informal visits contact:Name: Nick PhinJob title; Deputy Director, TARGETEmail address: .uk