Risk Communications and Community Engagement Specialist
UK Health Security Agency
Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 11th February 2025
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About the job
Job summary
Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) is an essential component in any public health response. The RCCE specialist will be a key member of the multi-disciplinary UK-PHRST. The postholder will be responsible for supporting the RCCE functions of the UK-PHRST, under the leadership of the Senior RCCE Specialist, and for providing expert advice during outbreak responses and emergencies, where required.
As a member of the Core Deployable Team, the post holder will be available to be deployed to outbreaks rapidly. They will also be expected to conduct research projects and provide capacity strengthening in LMICs on behalf of the UK-PHRST. The post-holder should expect to spend up to 40 percent of their time overseas. 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, when possible, operational research relevant to the UK-PHRST’s role and remit in partnership with well-established networks of collaborators. The post holder will also spend some time in the UK on teaching, training and operational research.
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.
Job description
- Provide support on outbreak response activities for the country of deployment and the UK-PHRST for risk communication and community engagement activities.
- Lead and/or contribute to the design, development, and implementation of targeted interventions & to assist with outbreak management and reduce spread of disease either nationally or in specific, affected areas.
- Contribute to and support the design, development, pre-testing, production, and dissemination of culturally relevant outbreak response RCCE materials meeting on the ground requirements and international quality standards.
- Lead and/or contribute to the development, elaboration and implementation of the risk communication and community engagement plan as part of outbreak response operations.
- Identify and develop strong partnerships with key stakeholders for the promotion of key practices to stop disease transmission.
- Support the tracking and management of community feedback in communities of concern to ensure an agile and accountable response.
- Liaise closely with local and regional counterparts for risk communication ensuring coherence of strategy, materials and approaches.
- Lead and/or contribute to implementing Rapid Qualitative Assessments for generating rapid social science insights
- Support response in affected countries to reduce the impact of the outbreak
- Work on sustainable RCCE plans
For a full list of the main duties and responsibilities of the role, please refer to the attached Job Description.
Person specification
Essential criteria:
- MSc or PhD in Social and Behavioural Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Education, Communication, Public Relations or another relevant Public Health Communications related field
- Knowledge of current developments in risk communication and community engagement in outbreaks or other public health emergencies and emergency communication for development/social and behaviour change.
- Proven experience of rapid assessments, operational research, social data research and analysis, including participatory and qualitative methods, with proficiency in qualitative data analysis software such as NVivo, supported by peer-reviewed publications.
- Proven experience in the development and implementation of risk communications strategies and plans in LMICs
- Experience of delivering training and/or capacity development in risk communications, community engagement, health promotion, or communication for international development.
- Able to apply risk communications/community engagement principles and concepts in acute emergency settings in LMICs
- Highly effective verbal, written and presentation communications skills; capable of constructing and delivering clear ideas and concepts concisely and accurately for diverse audiences.
- Able to build and maintain effective relationships with co-workers and key stakeholders both in the UK and overseas
- Experience of providing effective project and people management.
- An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems and working with multi-ethnic and multi-cultural teams.
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy will be assessed using a competency-based framework which will assess your Qualifications, knowledge and experience and / or skills and abilities outlined in the essential criteria.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the 10 essential criteria listed in the Person Specification, and this will be in the form of a:
- Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
- (1250) 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.
Longlisting:
In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:
- Meets all essential criteria
- Meets some essential criteria
- Meets no essential criteria
The following piles will be taken to the next stage:
- Meets all essential criteria
- Meets some essential criteria
Shortlisting:
In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on the following:
- MSc or PhD in Social and Behavioural Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Education, Communication, Public Relations or another relevant Public Health Communications related field
- Able to apply risk communications/community engagement principles and concepts in acute emergency settings in LMICs
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment
Please do not exceed 1250 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.
Knowledge, experience, skills & abilities will be tested at interview
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 - External
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
For Fixed term posts
For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. 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 cannot 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.
Location
We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using 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 be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
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/
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 Security Clearance.
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 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC). 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.
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.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Gurkamal Bhambra
- Email : Recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : Recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk
Further information
