Assistant Project

Assistant Project Manager & Portfolio Analyst – UK Health Security Agency (7 Vacancies)

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is recruiting 7 Assistant Project Managers and Portfolio Analysts to support projects, programmes and organisational priorities that help protect the nation from health threats.

These opportunities are suitable for professionals with recent experience in project, programme or portfolio environments, including project planning, governance, risk management, stakeholder engagement and reporting.

Job Overview

• Employer: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
• Job title: Assistant Project Manager / Portfolio Analyst
• Salary: £33,422–£45,353 per annum, pro rata, depending on location
• Job grade: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
• Locations: Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and London (Canary Wharf)
• Contract type: Fixed-term, loan or secondment, subject to eligibility
• Contract duration: 20 months for loan/secondment arrangements, as specified in the advert
• Working pattern: Full-time, part-time, flexible working or job share
• Number of vacancies: 7
• Working arrangement: Hybrid, with at least 60% of contractual working hours spent at a core UKHSA headquarters, averaged over a month
• Visa sponsorship: Not stated in the job advert. Applicants requiring sponsorship should confirm eligibility with UKHSA before applying.
• Reference number: 487660
• Closing date: Friday 6 November 2026 at 11:00 am

About the Roles

UKHSA is looking for candidates to contribute to projects and programmes across public health, technology, infrastructure, organisational transformation and wider organisational change.

Successful applicants will join project, programme or portfolio offices and help deliver initiatives aligned with the agency’s strategic objectives.

Candidates invited to interview will be asked to indicate their preferred role. UKHSA will try to match successful applicants with their preferences, but this is not guaranteed. Appointments will be made in merit-list order.

The roles are aligned with the Government Project Delivery Capability Framework. Successful candidates will be supported to work towards Government Project Delivery Accreditation if they do not already hold it.

1. Assistant Project Manager – Key Responsibilities

As an Assistant Project Manager, you will support the day-to-day delivery of projects, ensuring agreed outcomes are achieved within the required time, cost and quality constraints.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing project activities and overseeing delivery against agreed objectives.
• Developing project plans, applying suitable delivery methods and tracking milestones.
• Establishing project controls and monitoring progress.
• Coordinating the development of business cases.
• Monitoring project expenditure and ensuring budgets are managed appropriately.
• Planning and managing resources.
• Identifying, measuring and tracking project benefits.
• Building effective working relationships with stakeholders.
• Identifying project risks and issues, developing mitigation plans and escalating concerns when necessary.
• Preparing project reports to support governance and decision-making.
• Supporting project assurance, audits and gateway reviews.
• Managing changes to project deliverables and maintaining appropriate documentation.
• Using digital tools and data analysis to support forecasting, planning and risk management.
• Contributing to team performance, seeking guidance and participating in the UKHSA Project Delivery Profession Community.

2. Portfolio Analyst – Key Responsibilities

As a Portfolio Analyst, you will help monitor and coordinate a collection of projects and programmes, providing information and analysis to support effective governance, prioritisation and resource allocation.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Working with business areas to identify and categorise new projects.
• Coordinating project and programme reporting requirements.
• Analysing portfolio performance and preparing information for decision-makers.
• Providing secretariat support for governance boards and meetings.
• Maintaining portfolio delivery maps and critical paths.
• Monitoring dependencies between projects and programmes.
• Identifying portfolio risks and opportunities and escalating concerns appropriately.
• Using digital tools and data analysis to provide useful insights.
• Gathering information to support benefits measurement.
• Building relationships with stakeholders across different business areas.
• Supporting the Portfolio Manager in communicating a shared vision and securing commitment.
• Keeping team standards, policies, procedures and tools up to date.
• Participating in the UKHSA Project Delivery Profession Community.

The responsibilities listed above are not exhaustive.

Essential Requirements

Applicants should demonstrate the following skills and experience:

• Recent experience working in a project, programme or portfolio office, with working knowledge of project planning, scheduling, risks and issues, resource management, governance and assurance.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Awareness of commercial and procurement processes, budget and cost management, business case development and benefits management.
• Ability to use digital tools and data analytics to support project delivery decisions.
• Effective communication skills, including the ability to influence others and challenge constructively.
• Recent experience presenting or reporting information through dashboards, highlight reports or progress updates.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Applicants should provide clear, evidence-based examples demonstrating how their experience meets these criteria.

Salary and Pension Benefits

The salary depends on the successful candidate’s work location:

• National: £33,422–£40,731 per annum
• Outer London: £35,587–£43,244 per annum
• Inner London: £37,749–£45,353 per annum

The advertised overall salary range is £33,422–£45,353 per annum, pro rata.

Other benefits include:

• Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• Learning and development tailored to the role.
• Flexible working options.
• An inclusive working environment that promotes equality, diversity and opportunity.

Starting salary arrangements may differ for applicants transferring from another government department, the NHS or a local authority, depending on the applicable pay rules.

Application and Selection Process

The recruitment process consists of three stages.

Stage 1: Application and Sift

Applicants must complete the online application form, including the Employer/Activity History section, and submit a supporting statement of no more than 1,000 words.

You will not be able to upload a CV, so complete the application history section in sufficient detail.

The supporting statement must be divided into two parts:

Part 1 – Lead Selection Criterion (maximum 300 words)

Explain your recent experience working in a project, programme or portfolio office. Demonstrate your knowledge of project planning, scheduling, risks and issues, resource management, governance and assurance.

Use a specific example that explains what you did, how you approached the task and the outcome.

Part 2 – Remaining Six Selection Criteria (maximum 700 words)

Provide evidence of your:

• Interpersonal skills and stakeholder relationship management.
• Awareness of commercial processes, procurement, budgets, business cases and benefits management.
• Ability to use digital tools and data analytics.
• Communication, influencing and constructive challenge skills.
• Experience preparing dashboards, highlight reports and progress updates.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Use genuine examples from your own professional experience. Applications may be assessed against the lead criterion first if there is a high volume of applications.

Longlisting and Shortlisting

If applications are numerous, UKHSA may group candidates according to whether they meet all, some or none of the essential criteria. Only candidates meeting all essential criteria may progress to shortlisting.

An initial sift may focus on the lead criterion and stakeholder relationship skills.

Stage 2: Pre-Interview Assessment

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a 20-minute remote assessment via Microsoft Teams.

You will be presented with a project or portfolio scenario, given five minutes to consider it and then asked to explain your thinking for approximately ten minutes. This stage assesses technical skills, critical thinking and situational judgement.

Stage 3: Interview

Successful candidates will be invited to a face-to-face interview at one of the core locations. Interview dates are to be confirmed.

The interview will assess behaviours and technical skills, including:

• Delivering at Pace – lead behaviour.
• Communication and Influencing.
• Working Together.

Feedback will only be provided to candidates who attend an interview or assessment, as specified in the advert.

Hybrid Working and Location Requirements

The positions are based at one of UKHSA’s core headquarters in Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool or London (Canary Wharf).

The hybrid working arrangement requires employees to spend at least 60% of their contractual working hours at a core headquarters, averaged over a month. This is approximately three days per week for a full-time employee, subject to the applicable working pattern.

Regular travel between UKHSA sites may be required.

Security Clearance and Eligibility

Successful applicants must pass the required pre-employment checks, including a criminal record check and Security Check (SC) clearance.

Candidates would normally be expected to have lived in the UK for the previous five years to support the vetting process. A shorter period of UK residence does not automatically prevent clearance, but applicants should contact the recruiting manager for advice.

The vacancy is open to external applicants as well as eligible internal candidates. However, applicants must meet the Civil Service nationality and right-to-work requirements.

For external applicants, a fixed-term appointment may be available. Existing civil servants from other departments may be considered for a loan arrangement subject to approval from their home department. Existing UKHSA employees may be appointed under the agency’s applicable pay and employment policies.

Applicants who have spent more than six months abroad during the previous three years may need an International Police Check.

Additional Information

• Successful candidates may be required to support UKHSA incident response activities when necessary.
• A reserve list may be maintained for up to 12 months, subject to candidate agreement.
• Applicants can request reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process.
• UKHSA is investing in a future National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex. The new facilities are expected to become operational in phases from the mid-2030s, with full completion planned for 2038. Staff currently based at affected sites may eventually move as facilities become available.
• Applications and supporting statements must be truthful and based on the applicant’s own experience. UKHSA warns that inappropriate use of AI-generated or plagiarised application content may result in an application being withdrawn.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should review the full vacancy details and submit their application through the official recruitment website before the deadline.

Closing date: Friday 6 November 2026 at 11:00 am.

For application-related enquiries, contact:

• Job contact: Nigel Poole
• Email: Nigel.Poole@ukhsa.gov.uk
• Recruitment team: recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Important: Check the official advert for the latest eligibility and application instructions before submitting your application.