Senior Clinical Fellow NMRS

This is an excellent opportunity to work within a new role in UKHSA’s world-leading National Mycobacterial Reference Service (NMRS). The successful candidate will be part of an innovative and supportive team delivering whole-genome sequencing for TB as a routine diagnostic service for clinical and public health use. This is a 12-month fixed term appointment from September 2025 to August 2026, for applicants who have completed IMT / CMT or at ST 3-7, allowing the post-holder to develop expertise in genomic microbiology and mycobacteriology, with exciting possibilities for being involved in and developing research projects.
Further details of qualifications required, and duties of the post-holder can be found in the person specification.
There are two posts available, one of which is based in based in the NMRS-South laboratory in Colindale, London and the other is based in the NMRS-North & Central laboratory in Birmingham; close working collaboration will be required between the two. Please indicate your preference of location on your application., The principal activities of the service include provision of a Mycobacterial Reference Service based on Whole Genome Sequencing for identification of Mycobacterium sp isolates; prediction of drug susceptibility and resistance, and determination of relatedness for detection of transmission and investigation of outbreaks. Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing is carried out for selected M tuberculosis complex and non-tuberculosis mycobacterial isolates. The laboratory also offers primary isolation service including microscopy and culture; urgent PCR Service for detection of M. tuberculosis complex and rifampicin (and multidrug) resistance. The NMRS provides information and advice to clinical and public health teams for the identification and investigation of outbreaks and TB transmission. Our activities support surveillance activity for TB in the UK.
At an international level the NMRS-South is a WHO Supranational Reference Laboratory within the Global Programme on Drug Resistance in Tuberculosis and works with other designated National Reference Centres. In addition to its reference, diagnostic and clinical activities, the NMRS carries out research projects in the UK, Europe and Africa.
The successful applicant will be expected to participate fully in the clinical service provision (supervised by consultants) of the laboratory.

Person specification
The post-holder will be expected to contribute, with the support of senior colleagues, to the routine clinical functioning of the laboratory. This will include, but is not limited to:
Advising clinical and public health colleagues on the selection of diagnostic tests and interpretation of results (molecular, genomic and conventional).
Clinical authorisation of results and participation in weekly multidisciplinary meetings to discuss complex cases and laboratory results.
Initiation of and participation in clinical audit.
Liaison with public health teams in outbreaks and incidents.
Postgraduate teaching of medical and biomedical scientist trainees.
In addition, dependent on the post-holder’s experience and interests, there will be opportunities to participate in tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria outpatient clinics, TB cohort reviews and other clinical activities by arrangement.
Ensure that the epidemiology, surveillance and monitoring of communicable disease covered by your service is of the highest standard.

If based at Colindale, one of our scientific locations, you will be required to have a Counter Terrorism Check security vetting check as a minimum. For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should
normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years as the role requires Counter Terrorism Check (CTC) clearance. In exceptional circumstances UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

+ Learning and development tailored to your role
+ An environment with flexible working options
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
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/
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., If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment
Please do not exceed 1500 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 remote interview.
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview .
A 5 minute presentation will be required, the subject will be provided prior to interview. Visual aids / slides will not be used.
Interviews will be held week commencing 27th January 2025. Please note, these dates are subject to change.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Your starting salary will be dependent upon your experience and current scale point within the salary band.
Inclusion in the GMC Full and Specialist Register with a license to practice (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview) is required.
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security 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.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical
Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements
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
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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 equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.