Senior Risk Communications and Community Engagement (RCCE)

Launched in 2016, the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) is an innovative government-academia partnership funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and co-led by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), with a consortium of academic and implementing partners in the UK and internationally. It comprises a multidisciplinary team of public health professionals and researchers with a novel integrated triple-remit of outbreak response, research, and capacity strengthening to prevent and control epidemics of infectious diseases in countries eligible for UK Official Development Assistance (ODA).

Objectives

1.Support partners in ODA-eligible countries to prepare for, prevent, detect, and respond rapidly to disease outbreaks, with the aim of stopping a public health threat from becoming a health emergency.

2.Identify research questions with partners and deliver rigorous research with partners that improves the evidence base for best practice in disease outbreak prevention, detection, and response in ODA-eligible countries.

3.Support the strengthening and development of in-country capacity for improved national response and readiness to respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

The UK-PHRST is a multidisciplinary team that includes a range of technical skillsets from across public health, core programme/operational management, and senior leadership., Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) is an essential component in any public health response. The Senior RCCE specialist will be a key member of the multi-disciplinary UK-PHRST. The postholder will be responsible for leading the RCCE functions of the UK-PHRST and for providing expert advice during outbreak responses and emergencies, where required. The Senior RCCE specialist will co-lead the RCCE and Social Science team, alongside the UK-PHRST's Social Science lead. The postholder will directly line manage a small team of RCCE and equity and human rights experts.

As a member of the Core Deployable Team, the post holder will be available to be rapidly deployed to outbreaks in response to requests for RCCE support . They will also be expected to conduct and lead on research projects and capacity strengthening activities with partner countries on behalf of the UK-PHRST. The post holder will be employed by UKHSA with an honorary contract with LSHTM. The successful applicant will be expected to work closely with both institutions.

When not required for outbreaks, the post holder will, among other things, contribute to capacity strengthening activities overseas, and conduct research relevant to the UK-PHRST's role and remit in partnership with well-established networks of collaborators.

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.