Application Operations Engineer - Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)

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., We are looking for a problem solver that is a quality-driven individual and a service-orientated technician to join our Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Support team. Working as a LIMS Application Operations Engineer within the Surveillance Systems and Bioinformatics Division of the Data Operations Directorate, UKHSA you will be part of a dedicated team responsible for two main Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) in UKHSA. These systems support the work of the UKHSAs Laboratory services that are at the forefront of our mission to save lives and protect livelihoods.
You will be a key resource in the operation of our LIMS systems working within a team to support the needs of a large and varied group of stakeholders. You will help to identify data errors and assist in remedial actions such as reloading files along with supporting users in the safe use of LIMS software and hardware. Along with other members of the team you will be vital for the day-to-day support of systems that integrate with the LIMS such as our eLab system that is used to deliver test results to requestors. This post will also give opportunities to be involved with invoicing processes and the preparation of high quality technical documentation., + Assist in technical support activities and carry out agreed or routine maintenance and administration tasks to LIMS systems and systems that interface with them
+ Investigate problems in systems, processes and services, with an understanding of the level of a problem
+ Implement changes based on requests for change from laboratory colleagues and other stakeholders and apply change control procedures in accordance with Divisional processes
+ Apply agreed security and IG controls to LIMS and associated assets, in line with local and organisation-wide policies and guidelines. Verify the location and state of assets that support or interface with LIMS.
+ Manage service components to ensure they meet business needs and performance targets
+ Identify and register incidents, gathering the required information and allocating it to the appropriate channel
+ Own an issue until a new owner has been found or the problem has been mitigated or resolved
+ Contribute to the implementation of remedies and preventative measures
+ Make proposals for LIMS reports and training policies such as the use of different equipment/software/web technology, reporting methods, training practices for the LIMS.
+ Correctly execute test scripts under supervision and understand the role of testing and how it works
+ Identify and engage with users or stakeholders to collate needs in the form of user stories or other documented requirements.

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 https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers, This post is part of the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Support group, within the Information & Surveillance Systems team, based at the UKHSA Colindale site.
The postholder will:
+ Deliver capabilities in the LIMS team to analyse situations and information to identify and resolve a range of problems such as computer system errors, user, computer or programme problems, network issues and data errors in data repositories
+ Identify and analyse sources of variations, errors in information reports. And help to instruct users in the safe use of LIMS software and hardware
+ In conjunction with the LIMS support team, the LIMS Support Officer will assist with the day-to-day user support for our LIMS and eLab systems as well as other auxiliary systems used by the team and the Laboratories to manage their business
+ Prepare invoice runs, fixing errors, re-run failed reports, update documentation, support User Acceptance Testing (UAT),deal with LIMS invoice queries and help maintain the invoice database
+ Monitor and update the local team incident log in addition to Trackwise incident management system, interpret the data and produce reports for LIMS-related incidents
+ Answer and monitor user support calls and emails, logging them on the LIMS Helpdesk systems or the ServiceNow system and resolving them where possible
+ Maintain LIMS User accounts and system access rights and assist the LIMS team in updating and maintenance of the MOLIS address database.
+ Assist in the distribution of laboratory referral forms
+ Be flexible in their working arrangements in order to assist the team in providing extended hours or out-of-hours support when required on rare occasions (due to national emergencies etc.)
+ Responsible for the supervision of the printing and enveloping of hard copy laboratory reports and provide training to new members of the report printing team
+ Attend team meetings as required and contribute to the activities of the wider team
+ Be familiar with relevant statutory requirements, including awareness of clinical governance, risk management, Caldicott and quality policies and procedures in place in UKHSA and the system(s) of accreditation in use
+ Update all relevant documentation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Q-pulse as required., This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours/Ability/ Experience/Technical skills.
Success Profiles
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 6 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
+ Application form ('Employer/ Activity history' section on the application).
+ 500 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 Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.
Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:
+ Educated to Higher National Diploma level in science subject or Information Technology or equivalent level of qualification and/or equivalent experience
+ Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including Software documentation knowledge, knowledge of administrative procedures, project management or information analysis
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview.
Please do not exceed 500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a (single) face to face interview at 61 Colindale Ave, London NW9 5EQ.
Behaviours, technical, experience and ability will be tested at interview.
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:
+ Working Together
+ Delivering at Pace
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Changing and Improving
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).
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.
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. 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 can not 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.
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

You will be assessed on the below 6 essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description:
+ Educated to Higher National Diploma level in science subject or Information Technology or equivalent level of qualification and/or equivalent experience
+ Experience of data management, analysis and manipulating information
+ Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including Software documentation knowledge, knowledge of administrative procedures, project management or information analysis
+ Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
+ A team worker with the ability where necessary to work on own initiative and organise own workload with minimal supervision working to tight and often changing timescales
+ An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships.

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: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/
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.