Pandemic Preparedness Adviser

Leeds, London

Job Summary In the Department of Health and Social Care, we are proud of our purpose – to enable everyone to live more independent, healthier lives for longer. To achieve this, and create a great place to work, we have four values: we are inclusive, we constantly improve, we challenge, and we are agile. If this sounds like an environment you would like to work in, we would love to hear from you.

The Emergency Preparedness and Health Protection Directorate sits at the heart of DHSC’s work to protect the public and ensure the health and social care system is ready for the risks, threats and incidents that matter most. Our work spans emergency preparedness, national security, health protection, pandemic preparedness, risk, resilience and incident response.

These roles offer the chance to work on some of the most varied, high-profile and important policy areas in government. You could be helping to prepare for future pandemics, develop policy, strengthen national capabilities and work with partners across the health and care system, arm’s-length bodies and wider government, while opportunities may also arise to work on other emerging risks.

We are looking for people who are curious, proactive and comfortable working with complexity. You do not need to be an emergency planning expert. You will need good judgement, strong communication skills, an ability to work with others, and the confidence to make progress on both longer-term policy projects and urgent issues when they arise.

Job Description Pandemic Preparedness Strategy and Portfolio The Pandemic Preparedness Strategy and Portfolio team leads work to implement the UK’s Pandemic Preparedness Strategy which was published in March 2026, turning strategic priorities into agreed plans and providing assurance for their delivery. It also leads on specific priority cross cutting policy deliverables as well as overall pandemic preparedness governance.

PPSP roles involve working across DHSC, the health system and wider government to support strategy implementation, identifying the key priorities and engaging with key stakeholders to agree plans, developing response planning policy and guidance, ensuring effective governance and assurance to support overall delivery of the pan prep portfolio.

These roles suit people who can bring structure to complex policy areas, work collaboratively across organisational boundaries, and help drive delivery in a high-profile area of national preparedness.

Pandemic Preparedness Strategy and Portfolio The Pandemic Preparedness Strategy and Portfolio team leads work to implement the UK’s Pandemic Preparedness Strategy which was published in March 2026, turning strategic priorities into agreed plans and providing assurance for their delivery. It also leads on specific priority cross cutting policy deliverables as well as overall pandemic preparedness governance.

PPSP roles involve working across DHSC, the health system and wider government to support strategy implementation, identifying the key priorities and engaging with key stakeholders to agree plans, developing response planning policy and guidance, ensuring effective governance and assurance to support overall delivery of the pan prep portfolio.

These roles suit people who can bring structure to complex policy areas, work collaboratively across organisational boundaries, and help drive delivery in a high-profile area of national preparedness.

Person specification

Successful candidates will be able to communicate clearly, build effective relationships, manage competing priorities and use good judgement to support policy development, planning, delivery and incident response. You will be a strong team player who is willing to work flexibly across a varied portfolio, including supporting urgent work when risks or incidents arise.

The roles being advertised include two primarily focused on pandemic response planning and policy development, with key responsibilities ranging between:

• Supporting the completion of pandemic response plans and their adaptation to other routes of disease transmission, including liaising with various pandemic policy teams to develop aspects of the plans
• Contributing to policy work arising from the new Pandemic Preparedness Strategy, for example improving the way inequalities are considered as part of preparedness and working on local system preparedness
• Drafting advisory notes, briefings, submissions and presenting proposals to seniors
• Project management to ensure good planning, risk management and escalation for the policy deliverables led by the team
• Managing the secretariat function for the cross-government Pandemic Diseases Capabilities Board, to assure the government’s pandemic preparedness outside of health and care, through meeting organisation, agendas, minutes and actions follow-up
• Delivering core policy and accountability processes, including briefing materials, Parliamentary Questions

Responsibilities There are also two roles primarily focused on the implementation and delivery of commitments set out in the UK Pandemic Preparedness Strategy, with key responsibilities including:

• Managing the secretariat function for pandemic preparedness governance functions within health and adult social care, through meeting organisation, agendas, minutes and actions follow-up.
• Supporting governance and assurance processes, including tracking risks, dependencies, and implementation.
• Monitoring progress against agreed milestones and hold policy leads accountable for delivery against plans and timelines.

Support the development of success measures, and maintain reporting frameworks, and assurance mechanisms to assess national preparedness capability

• Preparing briefings, updates, and recommendations for senior officials and ministers on programme progress and emerging risks.
• Supporting strategic planning and coordination for preparedness and response activities relating to infectious disease outbreaks and national emergencies.
• Providing flexible support across priority work areas as projects move from policy development into implementation and delivery phases.

All roles will involve working closely with and co-ordinating activity across policy teams, partner organisations - including UK Health Security Agency, NHS England and the Cabinet Office - and other government departments.

All roles could be suitable for policy professionals and two could also be suitable for project delivery professionals. Given the wider role of the directorate all roles may be required to support incident response when necessary.

Candidates will be asked to state a preference between the two areas at interview stage.

Essential Key skills and experience required for the role

• Ability to build strong working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Ability to learn new topics quickly, analyse and assess complex information and apply that knowledge to policy, planning or delivery.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail, ensuring the delivery of high-quality outputs and products.
• Ability to work at pace, flexibility and independently, including within fast-moving or complex environments.
• Good organisational skills and ability to manage small projects to deadlines, including ensuring there is an agreed plan and engaging stakeholders across teams as needed.
• Ability to support the development of innovative new approaches to complex problems and develop clear proposals.

Desirable

• Experience in policy, operational delivery, emergency preparedness, resilience, health protection, governance, programme delivery or a related field.
• Knowledge of the health and care system, public health, national security, civil contingencies or pandemic preparedness.
• Experience working across organisational boundaries to deliver shared outcomes.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Alongside your salary of £34,816, Department of Health and Social Care contributes £10,086 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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%

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Applications will be sifted W/C: 14/09/2026

Interview date: W/C 05/10/2026

Interview location: The interview will take place at: Virtual Further details and interview slots will be released to candidates who are successful at sift.

Applications will be sifted on Statement of Suitability, Behaviours and an online judgement test.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to