Data Process & Audit Lead

UK Health Security Agency; London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job description

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA's remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation's expert national health security agency UKHSA will:

• Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation's readiness, defences and health security
• Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
• Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
• Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
• Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities.

Job overview

The Directorate is pivotal to UKHSA's mission, overseeing the comprehensive delivery of commercial, contract management, and business development functions. It manages a vast commercial portfolio, ensuring the agency has the resources to address health security threats. The directorate leads the procurement, storage, and distribution of vaccines and countermeasures for national immunisation and emergency response programmes. It fosters industry partnerships, drives strategic market engagement, and builds supply chain resilience. Additionally, the team is responsible for investment governance, dispute management, and building commercial capabilities. They also develop and execute strategies for income generation, leveraging UKHSA's expertise and facilities to secure funding and commercial opportunities.

• This role, leads the integrity and development of Demand and Analytics team processes, ensuring compliance with UKHSA data quality and governance requirements.
• Manage financial and data audits, maintain accurate inventory forecasting models, and oversee the review and registration of critical systems and decisions.
• Support Demand Planning Leads in refining forecasting approaches and ensuring high-quality, controlled models.
• Maintain the team process database, ensuring updates align with organisational standards. Proactively review assumptions and processes to support compliance with UKHSA and DHSC requirements, contributing to operational efficiency and strategic objectives.

Main duties of the job

• Lead on matters relating to the integrity and development of the processes used by the Demand and Analytics team.
• Lead the assessment, assurance, and interface with Finance, leading on any financial and/or data audit activities.
• Supporting IBP Demand Planning and Analysis Leads with responsibility for inventory forecasting management and ensuring that high quality, highly controlled models are used when managing inventory.
• Review of existing forecasting approaches in relation to inventory to ensure current technical stance is appropriate for existing services provided by the organisation.
• Ensure team processes and systems meet UKHSA data quality assurance requirements, lead assessment of data holdings, and ensure best practice, compliance, identification and recording of business-critical systems, models, and decisions.
• Own and maintain the team process database and ensure timely review and update of processes.
• Ensure registration of all models, decisions, and updates on any and all UKHSA and DHSC required registers.
• Always ensuring proactive review of latest assumptions and compliant interactions with UKHSA and DHSC Finance maintaining a live record at all times.

Working for our organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

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 of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Please visit our careers site for more information here

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Professional development

• Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan. Attending internal / external training events
• To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

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

• Finance Business Partner (FBP), Security and Data (S&D), Programme, Quality & Regulatory: Collaborate with middle managers in Finance and Operations teams to ensure compliance with financial and data audit requirements and to refine inventory forecasting models. Communication includes meetings, reports, and data-sharing to align processes with organisational objectives.
• Finance, Commercial Project Management Office (CPMO), Data and Analytics (DAS): Engage with senior managers across UKHSA to present updates on process improvements, compliance reviews, and audit outcomes. This involves strategic discussions, formal presentations, and decision-making support.
• UKHSA: Provide briefings and updates to top management, such as directors or senior civil servants, on the integrity of critical systems, high-level audit findings, and compliance strategies. Communication is typically formal, via reports, strategic updates, or board-level presentation.

External

• Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Cabinet Office (CO), Treasury, NHS: Work with middle managers in other government departments to ensure alignment on shared data governance frameworks, financial compliance, and interdepartmental audit requirements. Communication includes regular updates, data-sharing, and collaborative meetings.
• DHSC, CO, Treasury, NHS: Coordinate with senior managers in partner departments, such as DHSC or Treasury, to address strategic concerns, share best practices, and ensure consistency in policy implementation. Communication involves structured meetings, presentations, and policy discussions.
• DHSC, CO, Treasury, NHS: Brief top management in other departments, such as directors or senior civil servants, on critical cross-departmental processes, high-level audit outcomes, and compliance with overarching government standards. Communication is formal, often through official reports or interdepartmental forums.

Essential role criteria:

• Proven experience in process design, inventory forecasting, and data assurance.
• Demonstrated experience in leading the design, review, and assurance of operational processes, ensuring compliance with financial/data standards and organisational requirements.
• Ability to manage and improve inventory forecasting approaches, lead reviews, and assessments, ensuring accurate registration and documentation of critical processes and decisions.
• Strong ability to manage financial and data audits, ensure the accuracy of forecasting models, and maintain compliance with data quality and governance frameworks.
• Ability to build and sustain relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work autonomously to make decisions and lead projects at middle management level.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.
• Postgraduate level qualification in a relevant field (Data Analytics, Business Management, Finance, Supply Chain or an equivalent level of experience would be at least 2 years working in a relevant area.

Desirable role criteria:

• Expertise in compliance with government data governance frameworks and financial standards, demonstrating the practical application of skills in these areas.
• Experience of line managing a team.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams, fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment. Provides clear direction, empowers team members, and ensures accountability for delivering objectives.

Selection Process Details :

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

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)
• 1000 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.

The 3 desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview stage in the event of a strong field of candidates and after all essential criteria has been assessed.

Statement of Suitability and the Application form will be scored 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

In order to be shortlisted you must meet all essential and some of the essential criteria.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• Demonstrated experience in leading the design, review, and assurance of operational processes, ensuring compliance with financial/data standards and organisational requirements.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.

Please do not exceed 1000 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 and Strengths will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and influencing

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Eligibility Criteria

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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ's. 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 HQ's (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) 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).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Person specification

Application Form and Statement of Suitability

Essential criteria

• Application Form and Statement of Suitability

Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ

Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.

This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.

For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.

For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA's Pay policy.

Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.

Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website here .

Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.

The panel will assess if candidates meet the requirement of the role first, using a specific benchmark system. If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.

UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.

If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ .

Benefits of working at UKHSA include:

• Generous annual leave:
  -26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service
  -28 days after 5 years of continuous service
  -32 days after 10 years of continuous service
  -Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King's birthday
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.
• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.
• We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
• We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.

Hybrid Working

UKHSA operates 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 usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.

Disability Confident Scheme

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview. If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.

To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you.

An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.

This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.

If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:

Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here.

International Police Check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant's personal details - name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.

Security Vetting

Please check the Security Clearance needed for the role and follow the link for more information:
here.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Documents to download

• JD ( PDF , 376.4 KB )
• Civil Service Recruitment Principles ( PDF , 2.6 MB )
• Civil Service Nationality Rules ( PDF , 195.3 KB )
• Application Form Guidance Notes ( PDF , 77.3 KB )
• Information Sheet - Starting salaries and benefits ( PDF , 129.4 KB )
• Information Sheet - Selection Process ( PDF , 110.1 KB )
• Working at UKHSA and your benefits ( PDF , 219.2 KB )