Field Epidemiology Training Programme Director

The National Field Services Division was established to provide a national comprehensive service which is geographically dispersed and integrates epidemiological, microbiological, data science and other public health capacity and skills to consistently deliver high-quality disease surveillance, public health intelligence and outbreak response.

National Field Services provides an effector arm for UKHSA, supporting the translation of evidence into practice as well as having a role in strengthening disease surveillance and outbreak response through closer links with the NHS and other partners. It also maintains valuable links to academic centres to support the advancement of the evidence base for health protection and provides effective leadership and coordination of the UKHSA field epidemiology training function.

This position will require travel and attendance at training modules delivered in week-long blocks at various sites across the United Kingdom, and occasionally overseas., The Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) is a competency-based 2-year specialist postgraduate training programme aimed at medical, scientific, veterinary or nursing staff who are, or will be, working in a post involving field investigation and epidemiology and who want to further enhance their specialist skills. Training is provided on the job, but at least ten percent of time is dedicated to formal training courses. Fellows are currently based in training locations within UKHSA and within the public health agencies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the two-year programme and are supervised day to day by Primary Field Supervisors (PFS) at these sites. The programme office is based in Colindale, and the core team comprises the FETP Director, FETP Scientific Coordinators, FETP Business Manager and Administration team and a virtual learning designer

The post comprises two main remits: the first being the development of UK public health and epidemiology capability, developing national and international experts; and the second to support global capacity building through teaching and training.

This will involve leadership and management of the Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP), which has been running since 2011.

The training programme provides training and experience in the following key areas, which have been agreed) as the core competencies for field epidemiologists in the European Union (EU)

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.