Senior Conferences and Events Officer

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.
UKHSA's remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation's expert national health security agency UKHSA will:
+ Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation's readiness, defences and health security
+ Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health
+ Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks
+ Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise
+ Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities., The Senior Conferences and Events Officer will be responsible for providing comprehensive support for the planning, co-ordination, and execution of the UKHSA Conference 2025, as well as other stakeholder-led event activity to be delivered across the organisation.
This is a crucial role in ensuring the success of the UKHSA Conference and other UKHSA-led events, working to the External Affairs strategy to encourage collaboration and partnership and the promotion of UKHSA's aims and mission to a diverse range of stakeholders.
The successful candidate will be an experienced event communications professional with a proven track record in delivering large conferences and events across in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats. Exhibition management skills and the ability to contribute to the delivery of a multifaceted conference programme will be key. The role requires a resourceful individual who can secure all essential event services, ensuring seamless coordination throughout. This includes managing vendors for AV equipment, catering and accommodation.
The post-holder is expected to be a competent negotiator with strong budget and time-management skills, with the requirement to work effectively and largely independently on several projects or elements of an event simultaneously. The role requires the ability to communicate and build effective relationships with colleagues at all levels of seniority across UKHSA, as well as with external suppliers, stakeholders and partners to maintain strong relationships and ensure active involvement and satisfaction in conference and events activity.
The Senior Conferences and Events Officer plays a vital role in enhancing UKHSA's brand, mission and reach among external audiences. Their work facilitates knowledge exchange and fosters collaboration among key players within the health security sector., + Support the Senior External Affairs and Events Manager to deliver the UKHSA Conference 2025, working to UKHSA guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols
+ Oversee the logistics of the conference, including venue, catering, audio-visual, ePoster and exhibitor management
+ Coordinate with external suppliers to ensure smooth delivery of all conference elements
+ Collaborate with Communications colleagues to maximise promotion of the conference to UKHSA target audience (stakeholder engagement, internal communications, content creation, social media, press and media, regional comms)
+ Develop and manage the conference website and registration and abstract submission process
+ Liaise with external event software provider to explore new updates and innovations for elements such as registration, finance management and development of the conference app
+ Contribute to the design process for key branded event materials, ensuring visual engagement and alignment with the overall conference them

Working for our organisation
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all., + Oversee on-site coordination of the UKHSA Conference 2025, ensuring a seamless experience for attendees, speakers, and exhibitors
+ Manage a team of volunteers/staff to support logistics and operations during the conference
+ Support development of a post-conference report, including a budget analysis, feedback from attendees, and key takeaways
+ Work within agreed budgets, negotiate with suppliers and assist in the maintenance of records of costs and revenues
+ Build strong connections throughout UKHSA to proactively discuss upcoming events and engagement opportunities. Ensure early scheduling to allow for optimal resource planning
+ Review and refine working processes to ensure optimisation of available technology, ensuring a seamless and streamlined event management experience. Be proactive in finding ways to deliver higher quality event management services through continual improvement and innovations
+ Monitor event costs and analyse spending after events to understand full costs against budget
+ Be the central point of contact for event support requests within the organisation - highlight and communicate the External Affairs team remit, discuss requirements with senior managers and assess the strategic importance of proposed event activity
+ Provide professional advice on event management to colleagues across the UKHSA. This includes providing advice on logistics, venues, budgets, invoicing, marketing, branding and suppliers.
+ Deputise for the Senior External Affairs and Events Manager as required, attending meetings, writing reports and acting as a first point of contact for members of the Senior Leadership Team
This job description and person specification are an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The job holder will carry out any other duties that may reasonably be required by their line manager. The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the Department and the organisation., An understanding of and commitment to UKHSA's values: Impactful, Insightful, Inclusive, including the need to listen to a range of stakeholder voices and to work in partnership with our people, our partners and across communities.
Selection Process:
This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:
+ CV/ Application form ('Employer/ Activity history' section on the application)
+ 1000 words Statement of Suitability.
This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.
The CV and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment
Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a (single) face to face interview
Behaviours, technical and experience will be tested at interview.
You will be asked to do a writing test and deliver a short presentation at interview, with instructions provided in advance.
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together
+ Developing Self and Others
+ Managing a Quality Service
Interviews will be held week commencing TBC. Please note, these dates are subject to change.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Location information
UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at your core location - 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf, London E14 4PU. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.
Working for the Civil Service:
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
It's important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:
+ life sentences
+ arson
+ sexual offences
+ hate and terror offences
Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role.
If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available .
Starting salary
Entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase.
Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
For further details please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment
IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)
For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.
For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have 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 of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.
For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA's Pay policy.
Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, 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.
Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles (attached as a supporting document).
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website here.
Reserve List - If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.
Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.
UKHSA 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.
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 UKHSA 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 UKHSA include

+ Extensive experience in organising successful conferences, including large, multi-stream events attended by 500+ people, preferably with commercial event management experience
+ Excellent project management skills with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
+ Experience of using specialist event management software and setting up online registration for large events
+ Strong communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills
+ Budget management experience
+ Excellent writing and editing skills
+ Attention to detail and a strong sense of organisation
+ Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Skills and capabilities (these are part of the essential criteria)
+ Lead by example, communicate in a truthful, straightforward manner with integrity, impartiality and promoting a working environment that supports the Civil Service values and code
+ Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills and set standards for communication
+ Analytical skills, including effective use of insight and evaluation data
+ Ability to recognise emerging issues and trends which might impact or benefit our work. Previous experience in working with the media would be helpful

Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King's birthday
+ 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.
+ We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA 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.
Hybrid Working
UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce.
As a hybrid worker, you will usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.
Disability Confident Scheme
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview. If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.
Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone.
To help you during the recruitment process, we will take into account any reasonable adjustments that could help you.
An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work.
This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme.
If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should:
Contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.
You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments