Director of Public Health Microbiology in Leeds

This is a high-profile, challenging and rewarding leadership role at UKHSA with the ability to make a significant impact on the organisation’s future direction. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) exists to protect people from health threats. We prevent and reduce the harm caused by infectious diseases, chemicals, radiation, the health effects of climate change and environmental hazards. The Director of Public Health Microbiology provides national leadership for UKHSA’s microbiology and laboratory-based infectious disease science, ensuring high-quality diagnostics, surveillance and expertise that underpin the Agency’s mission to protect health and strengthen national health security. The role is accountable for the National Reference Laboratories, Clinical Network Laboratories, microbiology services in bacteriology, virology, mycology and parasitology and associated laboratory technologies.

Main duties of the job include:

• Ensuring the Public Health Microbiology network delivers safe, resilient and efficient services, maintaining day-to-day operations while generating surge capacity for public health incidents.
• Leading the modernisation of laboratory systems, driving scientific and operational excellence, and ensuring that UKHSA meets its domestic and international commitments, including designated collaborating centres and specialist functions.
• Working closely with the Director of Health Security Scientific Research to align scientific strategy, integrate laboratory services and uphold national and international standards.
• Fostering strong partnerships with government, the NHS, academia and industry, building workforce capability and contributing to timely, accurate and high-quality microbiological testing, surveillance and innovation across UKHSA.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Providing overall direction and accountability for the Public Health Microbiology Directorate, setting strategic priorities within UKHSA’s framework and leading change, succession planning, and organisational resilience.
• Modernising UKHSA’s laboratory network by implementing advanced technologies, digital systems, and new service delivery models that improve efficiency and resilience, and working with NHS and academic partners to enable scalable surge capacity.
• Ensuring validated testing, international accreditation, strong clinical governance and statutory compliance, while promoting high-quality research, innovation, and national and international collaboration.
• Overseeing diagnostic development programmes, in partnership with public sector and commercial partners.
• Building and maintaining a skilled, safe and motivated workforce through recruitment, retention, training and career development, ensuring robust health and safety standards.
• Strengthening collaborations with NHS, academia, industry and global health bodies, supporting commissioned services and UKHSA’s international commitments.
• Leading quality systems, data reporting and business continuity, ensuring efficient, timely and cost-effective delivery.
• Acting as budget holder, responsible for financial oversight, resource allocation, and operational improvement.
• Driving cultural change, innovation and continuous improvement, developing multidisciplinary capability, and strong leadership pipelines.

This role is hybrid working, based at one of UKHSA’s core locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) or at one of our scientific campus sites (Colindale, Porton and Chilton). In exceptional circumstances, you may also be based in one of UKHSA’s supporting hubs or health protection operation centres. There will also be a need to travel regularly to London and Porton Down.

This role requires Developed Vetting (DV) clearance. If not already held, the successful candidate can start the role once Security Check (SC) clearance has been obtained, but continued employment is dependent on obtaining and maintaining DV level clearance, which must be initiated within the first 3 months of an agreed start date.