Healthcare Scientist Principal (Epidemiology)

About The Organisation

Public Health Scotland launched 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.

The role of the Clinical and Protecting Health Directorate is to protect the people of Scotland from infectious and environmental hazards; enable high-quality clinical and public health knowledge, research and innovation; and change clinical and public health practice by using audits at a national and local level.

The Post

The Clinical and Protecting Health Directorate are seeking to appoint 1 WTE Band 8a Healthcare Scientist. Providing scientific expertise across the respiratory surveillance service. This post will work in the Routine Surveillance and Health Protection team, contributing to the weekly Viral respiratory diseases (including influenza and COVID-19) in Scotland surveillance report, providing leadership to the COVID-19 sub-team, leading the monitoring of COVID-19 variants and mutations, evaluation of surveillance systems across the team, contributing to guidance development, leading on research and analysis projects, and providing expert advice and support for outbreaks and incidents.

The post-holder(s) will work closely with Clinicians, Data Management, Bioinformatics, and Analytical staff as part of Clinical and Protecting Health team to contribute to PHS intelligence surveillance, research and development opportunities, working with a range of policy makers and public health/health protection service providers and stakeholders across all sectors in Scotland.

The Candidate

Your data and analytical skills will be highly developed and you will be able to demonstrate your experience and knowledge of statistical analysis tools, such as R. You will have excellent communication skills, with the ability to interpret and present complex outputs, clearly and concisely to a variety of stakeholders.

You will have strong communication skills, as you will have overall responsibility for interpreting and preparing timely communications about the status of the investigations as well as scientific reports and published articles of the results.

Location and Working Pattern:

The post is based in either Gyle Square, Edinburgh or Central Quay, Glasgow. We are currently hybrid working; therefore, you will be expected to spend time in both PHS offices as well as the option to work at home.

Please note that PHS will be relocating from Central Quay, Glasgow to Bothwell Street, Glasgow in 2025.

Monday to Friday/Sunday, 37 hours per week.

PHS is a flexible employer, and we are happy to discuss requests for alternative working patterns.

During times of public health emergency, or other urgent business need, you may be required on a temporary basis to work your normal contracted working hours over 7 days including 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.

Benefits

Our benefits package includes pension scheme, comprehensive range of work life balance policies, occupational health services, learning resource centres and discounted leisure, financial and shopping benefits.

Further Information

For an informal discussion on the post, please contact Liz Blackman, Service Manager at or Allan McLeod, Lead Healthcare Scientist at.

Closing date for completed applications is 3rd March 2025.

Interviews are anticipated to be on 27th March 2025.

Further Information On PHS Is Available From

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.