Consultant Medical Virologist / Clinical Scientist

Applications are invited for a full-time medical consultant virologist or consultant clinical scientist post, a new role created to support the regional clinical virology service and contribute to the mission and strategic goals of UKHSA. This is an exciting opportunity to join our team of clinical virologists in a dynamic, innovative service, based at UKHSA South West Regional Laboratory, Bristol. Our Specialist Virology Centre is part of Severn Infection Sciences, situated in a modern multidisciplinary pathology environment. We provide comprehensive clinical advice and diagnostics to three local trusts, and regional specialist and public health virology, as well as national STI services.
The departmental and service delivery needs are for the equivalent of a whole-time post, however part-time and flexible working will be considered.
Bristol is a popular, vibrant and diverse city known for its green spaces, sustainability, music and good transport links to other parts of the UK.
This role is being offered as lab working based at Southmead Hospital., To work at consultant level within the UKHSA clinical virology service SW regional laboratory, and associated structure of national UKHSA and local Severn Infection Sciences.
The main duties and responsibilities are commensurate with being a clinical service consultant virologist/clinical scientist within UKHSA. Complementary to clinical activities, is assisting UKHSA to deliver its mission, including close liaison with health protection services and field epidemiology, support to national public health initiatives, and participation in the public health first responder function.
The laboratory is one of the largest diagnostic laboratories in the UK, processing approximately 1 million specimens annually.
The clinical virology on call commitment is currently at a frequency of 1 in 4, category A with cross cover but would be expected to reduce to 1 in 5 if this post is filled.
This role encompasses duties and responsibilities commensurate with being a clinical service consultant medical virologist/consultant clinical scientist within UKHSA:
Clinical liaison and consultations for a wide range of specialties; public health duties; infection prevention and control advice.
Laboratory test selection, interpretation, reporting, and troubleshooting laboratory results.
Teaching and training a broad range of staff (undergraduates, medical registrars, STP and HSST, academic fellows, biomedical).
Managerial, CPD; audit; research and development; appraisal/ revalidation.

Working for your 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 position is open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Applicants are strongly advised to use the criteria in the Person Specification of the Job Description as sub-headings in their application to make it clear how they meet each of the selection criteria.
The successful candidate will be appointed to the point of the Consultant salary scale appropriate to their years of seniority or if from a background other than medicine to NHS Agenda for Change Band 8d.
Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) or be registered with the Healthcare Professions Council as a Clinical Scientist.
If included in the GMC Specialist Register in a specialty other than medical virology/ medical microbiology and virology/ virology and infectious disease, candidates must have equivalent training and/or appropriate experience.
Selection process details
STAGE 1 – Application & Sift:
This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and capabilities outlined in the person specification. You will be required to complete an application form. You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This will be assessed in line with the advertised criteria.
At sift stage you will be assessed on the essential criteria listed in the job advert and statement of suitability.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview and assessment.
STAGE 2 – Interview
All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will progress to an interview and will be assessed on the essential criteria as advertised.
Interviews will be held virtually over Teams.
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 Basic Personnel Security Standard.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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 consider 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 it could be time accrued over that period.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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.

+ Registration with Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Clinical Scientist
+ Honours degree in relevant science subject
+ PhD in Clinical Virology or equivalent Professional- Fellow of Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath) OR assessed equivalent knowledge and expertise within speciality of clinical Virology
Desirable criteria
+ Eligible for Higher Specialist Scientific register (HSSR)
Experience (CCS Virology)
Essential criteria
+ Recent post registration experience as a Registered Clinical Scientist in Clinical Virology in an HSST post
+ Experience of leadership and management including service planning and development
+ Record of research and development in clinical Virology including peer reviewed publications and oral presentations at local and national meetings
Desirable criteria
+ Scientific and clinical experience of Virology
+ Leadership or management qualification
Skills (CCS Virology)
Essential criteria
+ Ability to lead on service development and delivery in Clinical Virology
+ Ability to deal on own initiative with complex and unpredictable situations and lead others
+ Well developed analytical and technical skills
+ Ability to lead and direct method development projects including in the evolving field of Pathogen Genomics
+ Ability to initiate, lead and supervise R&D activities
+ Able to advise clinical staff on investigations and interpretations of clinical Virology tests
+ Able to recognise patterns of abnormality and relate them to clinical situations and assess differential diagnoses
+ Able to conduct clinical audit of services and instigate corrective action
+ Able to use and manipulate PC packages and laboratory and hospital information systems
+ Good oral and written communication skills
+ Able to pass on skills/knowledge to others within both formal and informal training and teaching environments
+ Able to prepare and present complex scientific and clinical information at local, national and international meetings to large audiences
+ Able to impart bad news in a sympathetic manner
+ Good hand eye co-ordination for fine manipulation of delicate instrumentation
Knowledge (CCS Virology)
Essential criteria
+ Comprehensive scientific and technical knowledge of Clinical Virology including antivirals infective processes, aetiology and drug interactions/spectrum of activity
+ Comprehensive knowledge of clinical analytical and research methods, regulatory standards, accreditation (ISO), quality assurance and problem solving
+ Comprehensive knowledge of clinical aspects of Virology to provide consultant level advice to scientific, medical and nursing staff on investigations in clinical Virology, and on the clinical interpretation/public health advice based on diagnostic information in complex diagnostic situations
+ Thorough Knowledge of managerial procedures in general, in the Trust and NHS/UKHSA and a good understanding of the principles or Clinical and Research Governance
+ Knowledge of resource management and procurement
+ Well-developed clinical and professional awareness within and beyond context of own specialty
+ Thorough knowledge of PC packages for word processing, presentations spreadsheets and databases
Desirable criteria
+ Comprehensive knowledge of clinical virology, advice and antimicrobials
+ Knowledge of regional or National committees of professional body or NHS groups, + Excellent interpersonal skills
+ Able to work collaboratively with laboratory and clinical teams
+ Committed to personal and team development via recognised CPD schemes
+ Able to make judgements requiring analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options
+ Motivation, drive and enthusiasm
+ Able to maintain self-control in difficult and challenging situations
+ Able to maintain concentration on important tasks despite interruption
+ Good organisational and time management abilities
Qualifications and Registration (Consultant Medical Virologist)
Essential criteria
+ MBBS or equivalent
+ Full and specialist registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) and licence to practise (or be eligible for such registration within six months of interview)
+ UK trained applicants must also hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in medical virology or medical microbiology and virology or medical virology with infectious diseases (or be within six months of achieving CCT by the time of interview). Non-UK applicants will be required to demonstrate the equivalent
+ Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists by examination in virology, or equivalent in training and experience
+ Evidence of continuing medical education and professional development. Existing consultants must demonstrate active participation in a recognised CPD scheme
Desirable criteria
+ Five years’ supervised training in an appropriate training programme
+ Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP)
+ Higher academic qualification (MD, PhD or equivalent), MSc, or a teaching or management qualification
Knowledge, Training and Experience (Consultant Medical Virologist)
Essential criteria
+ Clinical training and experience equivalent to that required for gaining FRCPath in virology by examination and UK CCT in virology
+ Recent clinical experience of managing viral infection in the acute hospital setting
+ Recent experience and familiarity of UK hospital systems and practices (or equivalent)
+ Ability to offer an expert clinical and clinical laboratory opinion on a range of problems relating to virology in primary care, inpatient and tertiary referral settings (including the immunosuppressed)
+ Recent experience of public health virology
+ Experience in the interpretation of complex laboratory results including molecular virology
+ Experience in clinical audit, quality improvement and report writing
+ Ability to teach a range of healthcare and allied healthcare staff including medical under-graduates & postgraduates
Desirable criteria
+ Experience in clinical infectious diseases
+ Research experience
+ Experience in teaching and training of medical and non-medical staff
+ Completion of a general management course or programme
Skills, Capabilities and Behaviours (Consultant Medical Virologist)
Essential criteria
+ Caring attitude to patients
+ Competent to work without direct supervision where appropriate
+ Effective in written communication
+ Ability to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, and a wide range of healthcare professionals and other agencies
+ Good interpersonal skills: including building rapport, listening, negotiating, motivating
+ Ability to lead a team and form effective working relationships within a team
+ Ability to organize self and own work to prioritise clinical need
+ Enquiring, critical approach to work
+ Reliability- punctual; sense of responsibility
+ Resilience- ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
+ Decisiveness- able to take responsibility, show leadership, and make decisions
+ Flexibility- able to adapt, including ability to respond appropriately in unplanned situations
+ Enthusiasm- well motivated
+ Values diversity and difference, operates with integrity and openness
+ Consistently looks to improve what they do, and also seeks out innovation
+ Honesty, integrity, appreciation of ethical dilemmas
+ Ability to adhere to the UKHSA values and behaviours
+ Commitment to Continuing Medical Education & Development and the requirements of Clinical Governance and Audit
Desirable criteria
+ Willingness to undertake research
+ Peer-reviewed publications
Equality and Diversity
Essential criteria
+ An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and diversity, Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

+ Learning and development tailored to your role
+ An environment with flexible working options
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity