Band 6
Main area Pathogen Genomics Bioinformatics Grade Band 6 Contract Permanent Hours Full time – 37.5 hours per week (9-5 Monday to Friday) Job ref 028-HS030-1026
Site Wales Genomic Health Centre Town Cardiff Salary £40,559 – £48,841 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 18/10/2026 23:59
Welcome to Public Health Wales, the national public health organisation for Wales
Our vision is Working to achieve a healthier future for Wales
Applicants are invited to apply in Welsh, any application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application made in English. To support our all Wales service, we particularly welcome applications from Welsh speakers.
Important Note for vacancies offered on a fixed-term or secondment basis.Individuals who hold permanent (substantive) employment within the NHS may only be appointed via secondment. Approval for a secondment must be obtained from your current line manager prior to submitting an application.
Job overview
PenGU Bioinformatics is the software development and analysis support arm of the Microbiology Division. It supports genomic diagnostics, bespoke software development, genomic surveillance of communicable disease and infections in Wales, and provides sup port for Health Protection Team s in outbreak investigation and control, provides health intelligence on communicable disease matters and carries out applied research. Bioinformatics activity covers 5 subject areas : 1. A ntimicrobial resistance , 2. V iruses , sexual health , TB and Vaccine preventable disease and respiratory infection 3. Software development 4. Next Generation Sequencing and 5. Genomic epidemiology, research and training. The post-holder will be assigned to one or more subject groups , but will provide support to the others, as required .
Main duties of the job
The post -holder will be a key member of scientific staff within the Bioinformatics team which is based within the Public Health Wales Microbiology Division. They will work closely with senior scientists, clinical scientists, bioinformaticians and other team members, to develop new bioinformatics systems , expand on existing ones and provide support during outbreak and major event situations . The post-holder will take a lead on discrete projects and reports and help ensure that analytical and reporting deadlines are met.
The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post; English and/or Welsh speakers are equally welcome to apply.
Working for our organisation
We are Public Health Wales – the national public health agency in Wales. Our purpose is ‘Working together for a healthier Wales’. We exist to help everyone in Wales live longer, healthier, happier lives. Together with our partners, we work to increase healthy life expectancy, improve health and well-being, and reduce inequalities for everyone in Wales, now and for future generations.
Our teams work to prevent disease, protect health, and provide leadership, specialist services and public health expertise. We are the leading source of public health information, research and innovation in Wales. In a world facing complex health challenges, our work has never been so important.
We are guided by our Values, ‘Working together, with trust and respect, to make a difference’. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace that values equality and diversity. We welcome applications which represent the rich diversity of the communities we serve and are supportive of flexible working arrangements, including part time roles and job sharing.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Qualifications and Experience
- A first degree in a scientific discipline or equivalent experience
- Post graduate qualification in public health, epidemiology, bioinformatics statistics or related subject or equivalent experience
- Post graduate experience of scientific or information analysis work
- Experience of working with large or complex data sets
- Experience of project based working
- Experience of producing written reports for publication and working to deadlines
- Strong background in a biological science or health related field
- Experience of working in software development and of software versioning systems
- Experience of communicating information to scientific audiences, external partners and the public
- Experience of research and development
Skills and Knowledge
- Skilled in use of data analysis, coding and/or statistical software packages (e.g. Python, SQL, R)
- Excellent analytical and epidemiological skills, including statistical analysis and data interpretation
- Good all round IT skills, including using and interrogating databases
- Excellent written communication skills, including report writing and presentation of data in appropriate formats
- Ability to plan and organise a number of concurrent projects
- Ability to self-manage workload, work to agreed objectives, set priorities and meet deadlines
- Ability to contribute to and evaluate peer reviewed papers
- Knowledge of microbiological principles
- A broad basic knowledge of information governance, data security and privacy issues
- Ability to speak Welsh or willingness to learn
- Skilled in mapping and data visualisation software
- Basic knowledge of public health
- Knowledge of health service organisation in Wales
Personal Attributes
- Able to work independently and as a member of a team, with high levels of motivation
- Able to engage with people at all levels
- Able to respond calmly to unpredictable work patterns and meet urgent deadlines
- Flexible, adaptable and innovative approach to work
- Conscientious and pays attention to detail
- Ability to maintain required levels of confidentiality
Other
- Commitment to continuous personal development
- Prepared to travel
- Willing to work flexible hours if required to meet the needs of the service
Public Health Wales, reserves the right to close this vacancy early. We therefore encourage early applications.
Priority is given to staff awaiting redeployment. We therefore reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any stage.
If you have a disability and have any particular requirements to enable you to participate in the application process, please contact peoplesupport.PHW@wales.nhs.uk
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR APPLICANTS: Applications for our roles are carefully reviewed and shortlisted based on specific criteria, which varies from job to job.
Using a generic application or automated AI application services, such as Lazy Apply or AI Apply, does not usually provide enough personal evidence of your skills and experience relevant to the role. This can make it difficult for us to assess your suitability and will reduce your chances of being shortlisted.
To ensure your application is given full consideration, we recommend submitting a tailored application that directly addresses the criteria listed in the Person Specification section of the advert, providing clear evidence and examples to demonstrate how you meet each requirement.
Visa Sponsorship Eligibility
- If you require sponsorship under the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Visa routes, please ensure youself-assess your eligibility for sponsorship for this role before applying.
If you are successful and short listed for interview you will be contacted by email using the address with which you registered. Please ensure you check your email account regularly.
We are committed to fair, transparent recruitment and believe in equality of opportunity in our workplace and will not tolerate discrimination on grounds of age, disability, gender identity, religion or belief, race or nationality, marriage or civil partnership status, sex, sexual orientation, working pattern, caring responsibilities, trade union activity or political beliefs – or on any other grounds. We welcome applications from individuals seeking flexible working arrangements.
The salary scale shown is for a full-time member of staff, with the amount being adjusted pro rata for those working less than 37.5 hours per week.
In general, anyone joining our Trust who has not previously worked in the NHS will, by default, start on the first point of the advertised pay band. Pay progression will then be determined by annual Performance and Development Reviews in accordance with the NHS Wales Pay Progression Policy . An application for Incremental Credit may be considered, but can only be awarded based on evidenced, reckonable service and/or equivalent, relevant experience.
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