Travel and Logistics Coordinator (UK-PHRST) At London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Travel and Logistics Coordinator (UK-PHRST)

Civil Service: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

Public Health England (PHE) is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care providing; strategic leadership, research, advice and support for Government, local authorities and the NHS in protecting and improving the nation’s health

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ
This is a Non Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules and is therefore open to UK, Commonwealth and European Economic Area (EEA) Nationals and certain non EEA members. For more information please refer to the supporting documents detailing the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

For posts on PHE Civil Service terms and conditions, on appointment the salary is normally the minimum point (see salary range above). This will be dependent on the successful candidate’s current salary and terms and/or equivalent experience. The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change, most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. Please see attached an information sheet explaining starting salaries and benefits when joining PHE.
For clinically ringfenced AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must obtain the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence on previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine starting salaries.

Temporary Appointments: If you are external to the Civil Service, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment, if you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of PHE, you will take up the post as a loan and if you are an existing PHE member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per PHE’s Pay and Grading policy. If you are an existing Civil Servant, (in PHE or elsewhere) you must have prior agreement from your Line Manager before applying for this post.

Roles Supporting The Covid Response Work: If the role is supporting the Covid response, then the position is a Temporary Appointment with no expectation of permanence. The role will be demobilised when the pandemic response scales back and the Temporary Contract will conclude.

Given the nature of the work of PHE, as a Category 1 department, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.

We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: PHE website

On 18 August 2020, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced plans to establish a new agency (then referred to as the National Institute for Health Protection) to lead on health protection in England and to consult on the best future options for strengthening health improvement and other public health functions in the wider system. On 24 March 2021, the Secretary of State announced the new agency would be called the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and on 29 March 2021 he announced the creation of the Office for Health Promotion (within the Department of Health & Social Care). Public Health England and many of its employees will be in scope for transition to new organisations in Autumn 2021. Any new or current employees working for Public Health England during this time, will receive appropriate communications and consultation prior to any formal transfer taking place. Employees who are required to transfer to successor bodies would usually remain on their existing contractual terms and conditions ( with any proposed changes being subject to consultation) and this applies both to current employees and those recruited during the transition. The recruitment, growth & development of our workforce is vital for the continuing success of PHE, and the future UK Health Security Agency and Office for Health Promotion.

To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.

As from 1 January 2021 broadly the following groups may be eligible to work in non-reserved posts within the Civil Service:

UK nationals
Nationals of Commonwealth countries
Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
EEA nationals with (or eligible for) status under the EUSS
Relevant EEA or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
Relevant EEA or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
Certain family members of the relevant EU & Turkish nationals

Changes_to_the_Civil_Service_Nationality_Rules_from_1_January*2021*-_Guidance_and_departmental_actions.pdf

Job overview

The Travel and Logistics Coordinator will be responsible for co-ordinating on travel and logistical arrangements to support the rapid, efficient and safe deployment and return of public health experts on UK-PHRST operations worldwide.. The successful applicant will be expected to work closely with LSHTM.

Main duties of the job

The Travel and Logistics coordinator will:

Manage all UK-PHRST logistical arrangements, including the development and implementation of logistics policies and procedures.
Procure goods and services, transportation and distribution of equipment
Manage material stocks and supply chain, ensuring that the supply chain is appropriate and cost effective, based on budget, markets, infrastructure, and need for timely delivery
Provide travel support for the UK-PHRST (including flights, visas and accommodation)

Working for our organisation

Public Health England (PHE) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) have established an innovative partnership to develop and maintain a UK Public Health Rapid Support Team (UK-PHRST) that will support response and operational research in outbreaks with potential to become significant public health events.

The UK-PHRST is delivered through a joint partnership between PHE and LSHTM, and will continually monitor infectious diseases and other hazards globally, identifying situations where the deployment of specialist expertise can mitigate these threats. It will rapidly deploy on behalf of UK Government, bilaterally or with WHO and as part of the Global Outbreak and Response Network, as appropriate, a standing team of multidisciplinary public health professionals and researchers as required in countries that are a priority for the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Contribute to the cross-government deployment decision making process by providing timely information on all logistical aspects of deployment, including providing creative solutions where problems are identified
Ensure that agility and mobility in logistics and create a structure that allows for flexibility and collaboration
Liaise and co-ordinate with internal (e.g. occupational health) and external partners (e.g. OGDs and international partners) to support rapid and safe deployments
Work closely and build a good working relationship within the UK-PHRST to ensure that the team is appropriately supported pre-, during and post-deployment
Develop standard operating procedures for logistical support and maintain a database of business critical operating documents to support the UK-PHRST programme
Ensure timely and accurate reporting and the escalation of risks to the logistics objectives of the UK-PHRST to the Programme Manager and Director
Support the UK-PHRST Deployments and Operations Manager to ensure that deployments are provided with comprehensive pre-deployment and in-country logistical support, working in close partnership with the UK-PHRST Field Logistician

Option 3 – External

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant experience

Desirable criteria

Project Management Qualification (e.g. Prince2 Practitioner)

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria

Experience in logistics and supply chain management
Experience of procuring goods and services and providing value for money and procurement
Experience of working in projects delivered in partnerships
Experience of monitoring budgets and business planning processes
Demonstrated capability to act upon incomplete information, using experience to make inferences and decision making

Desirable criteria

Experience of successfully operating in a politically sensitive environment
Knowledge of the U.K. National HMG system and working cross-government and international arena
Understanding of global health issues, including the health challenges of LMICs and the international health architecture

Skills and Capabilities

Essential criteria

Ability to manage multiple projects, to prioritise effectively with the tenacity to work under pressure whilst meeting conflicting deadlines
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office with good keyboard skills
Strong organisational and project management skills
Strong communication and interpersonal skills, and proven experience of building excellent working relationships, both internal and external
Substantially numerate, with highly developed analytical skills using qualitative and quantitative data
Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty, change and in a busy environment
Ability to analyse and resolve highly complex information queries and problems

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (attached as a supporting document).

Employees who feel they have been unfairly treated during a recruitment process can use the civil service commission’s grievance procedure. External candidates should complain to the hiring manager handling their campaign. In addition both internal and external candidates have the right to complain to the Civil Service Commissioners.

If we receive applications from more suitable candidates than we have vacancies for at this time, we may hold suitable applicants on a reserve list for 12 months, and future vacancies could be offered to candidates on the reserve list without a new competition.

Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.

PHE is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.
For more information please go to the PHE website.

If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

Any move to Public Health England from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Benefits of working at PHE include:
Generous annual leave:

26 days for the first 5 years of continuous service
28 days after 5 years of continuous service
32 days after 10 years of continuous service,
plus public holidays and one for the Queen’s birthday

We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving
• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site

PHE views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including; working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.
We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.