UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). At UKHSA, our mission is to protect people’s health by preventing and responding to threats – whether that’s a new pandemic, everyday infections like influenza, or environmental dangers like radiation or extreme weather. We save lives, protect livelihoods, and work with partners across the NHS, care systems, and globally to keep communities safe.  We’re a hub of scientific and operational expertise, tackling health challenges at every level – local, national, and international.

The Chief Data Officer (CDO) group is the analytical powerhouse of UKHSA and plays a key role in making sure data is used safely, legally, and ethically. We support every step of the data journey – from collecting and managing information to analytics and delivering insights that drive real-world action.

If you’re passionate about using data to make a difference and want to help solve big health challenges, there’s a place for you here in the CDO group.

Support for Postgraduate Researcher:

UKHSA is an excellent placement destination as we have a developed culture of learning and development, fostered in an inclusive environment. To ensure that you have opportunities to expand your skillsets and to develop professionally, we can provide training in analysis, where required, but we’ll also support you in engaging with subject matter experts and other early career researchers (ECR) across UKHSA. At UKHSA, we have a thriving Early Career Research network led by our CDO Partnerships team. You will have the opportunity to join, and be supported by the ECR network, and by other ECRs and team members within your host team.

After your placement you will also join our Alumni ECR Network, where you will receive exclusive insights, future opportunities and development from CDO. So, invest in your future and apply, if you think you fit the skills criteria below, we’d love to hear from you!

Project title: UKHSA’s Wastewater strategy and planning

The UKHSA is seeking external academic expertise to support with development of wastewater monitoring R&D planning for 2026/2027.

Wastewater-based surveillance developed rapidly during the pandemic as an approach to monitor COVID-19 circulating in communities. It has been utilised to monitor biological and chemical markers of human health and lifestyle, but post-pandemic, there is an appreciation that it could be potentially tailored to provide a broader, relatively cost-effective public health surveillance function, complimenting or enhancing other surveillance data or as an early-warning capability where gaps exist.

UKHSA have acquired funding to develop a proof-of-concept for the development of wastewater analysis to support our public health capabilities and wider national considerations. This 12-month project builds on our previous national wastewater monitoring programme for COVID-19 and the ongoing poliovirus monitoring programme in England. We have undertaken projects based on aircraft wastewater and are currently exploring several additional opportunities for wastewater surveillance projects and collaborations. Collectively, this work will impact how UKHSA are able to respond and deliver environmental surveillance against a complex backdrop of existing and emergent biothreats. We are now exploring opportunities to build on the expected outputs from these projects so that the capability is agile in its ability to respond, integrative across Government to maximise value for money, and catalytic to ensure that wastewater surveillance opportunities that may emerge are both resilient and sustainable in the future.

Outline of duties:

During this placement we would expect you to:

• Conduct timely and tailored reviews of academic and grey literature to support strategic planning.
• Support engagement with key stakeholders from across UKHSA and Government, establishing consensus and agreement to maximise the value of future work.
• Contribute to the production and review of materials to be used in strategic development, including presentation slides, briefing notes, succinct literature reviews, and summaries of engagement activities.
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis of information and data to include the production of tables, figures, or graphics.
• Be an active and engaged member of the CDO Partnerships team.

Expected output(s)/ deliverable(s):

The following outputs are anticipated to be delivered by the end of the placement:

• Literature review supporting the strategic priorities for wastewater surveillance at UKHSA.
• Checklist and summaries of internal and external engagement activities.
• Materials supporting engagement and development work
• Quantitative and qualitative analyses, where required.

• Strong experience working with academic and grey literature, including conducting of literature reviews.
• Strong writing and communication skills, especially focused on summarising and synthesising complex or broad topic areas.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently but evidence of a strong teamwork ethic to deliver against tight deadlines.

Desirable

• Good experience working with code for analysis, ideally using R and / or Python.
• Good understanding of a relevant scientific area (public health; environmental surveillance; epidemiology).
• Some evidence of writing and analysis skills, including peer-reviewed publications, published code or analyses.

Any costs associated with travel or accommodation will usually be reimbursed by UKHSA in line with other funding schemes.

Placements are remote based, and you will not be expected to travel but we have several offices if you do wish to work out of them.