Consultant Clinical Scientist Virology

Consultant Clinical Scientist Virology

About the Organisation:
Public Health Scotland launched 1st April 2020 as a national health board, employing around 1200 people, and with an annual budget of around £101 million. Public Health Scotland wants to see a Scotland where everybody thrives, a Scotland where life expectancy improves and the difference in life expectancy between our poorest and wealthiest areas gets smaller.

The Post:
We have an exciting opportunity for a Consultant Clinical Scientist in Virology to join the Public Health Microbiology (PHM) Division within the Clinical and Protecting Health Directorate in PHS. The work of the Public Health Microbiology Division aids the coordinated diagnosis and management of infectious diseases, characterises microbial pathogens and their variants efficiently and effectively, supports effective outbreak/pandemic management, treatments and interventions, all within PHS ambitions to reduce the public health burden in Scotland.

The post holder shall provide strategic clinical leadership for the commissioning of national reference laboratory services in virology for Scotland and provide Consultant input to incident and outbreak response management through the provision of public health virology expertise. The post holder will work closely with the Scottish Government, National Services Scotland, the microbiological community within Scotland and across the four Nations to progress a unified end to end public health microbiology service for Scotland through delivery of commitments in the Genomic Strategy for Scotland (2023) and the Public Health Microbiology Strategy (2018).

The role entails close working relationships between One Health partners, Health Protection, microbiologists and virologists across Scotland, linking into Scottish networks e.g. Scottish Health Protection Network, Scottish Microbiology Virology Forum. The successful candidate will provide leadership, management and expert specialist advice on public health issues relating to infectious disease, surveillance, emerging infections/variants, genomics, the evaluation of interventions to improve outcomes for the population of Scotland.

You will use an evidence-based approach to inform the work of Public Health Scotland and their partners and have the skills to work with partners to drive forward change.

The post will report directly to the Head of Division Public Health Microbiology

The Candidate:
We are looking for a Consultant Clinical Scientist with specialist experience, expertise and knowledge of Virology with some experience within the Health Protection/Public Health context at a senior level.

Eligible candidates must have current registration as a Clinical Scientist with the Health and Care Professions Council, Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath) or a qualification externally assessed as equivalent, and a PhD in a related area.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a PVG Scheme check. Any candidate who has lived/worked overseas for more than 12 months in the preceding 5 years will also be required to provide a criminal record check from the appropriate overseas agency. Details of how to apply for, or to update, PVG Scheme membership/Disclosure will be supplied to successful candidates.

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Location and Working Pattern:
The post is based in either Gyle Square, Edinburgh or Bothwell Street, Glasgow. We are currently hybrid working; therefore, you will be expected to spend time in both PHS offices as well as the option to work at home.

Monday – Friday: subject to mutual negotiation and agreement up to 37 hours per week between 0900-1700.There is no on-call associated with this post.

Part- and full-time applications will be considered.We are particularly interested to hear from candidates interested in combining this post part time (e.g. 0.6 WTE) with an existing Consultant post in a NHS Health Board or academic institution.We are willing to consider different types of working patterns to suit both the Division and successful candidate.

PHS is a flexible employer, and we are happy to discuss requests for alternative working patterns

During times of public health emergency, or other urgent business need, you may be required on a temporary basis to work your normal contracted working hours over 7 days including weekends, in order to meet the needs of the service.

It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with PHS.

Benefits:
Our benefits package includes pension scheme, comprehensive range of work life balance policies, occupational health services, learning resource centres and discounted leisure, financial and shopping benefits.Click here to view the full range of the PHS Employee Benefits.

Further Information:
For an informal discussion on the post, please contactDr Deborah Lockhart, Head of Division Public Health Microbiology via email

Closing date for completed applications is Monday 11th August 2025.

Further information on PHS is available from:www.publichealthscotland.scot

Please note that the majority of correspondence is sent by e-mail only, so please check your e-mail regularly (including junk folders).

Public Health Scotland is an equal opportunities employer and as such guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies.