Working for DHSC
We offer a varied, exciting, challenging and rewarding working environment.
Previous experience in a government department is not essential: our staff have backgrounds in the voluntary, public and private sectors.
Jobs at the Department of Health and Social Care
We are currently recruiting to a variety of roles. Visit the Civil Service Jobs website for more details and to apply.
All Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) jobs are advertised on the Civil Service Jobs website. We also advertise in national and local media.
Vacancies on DHSC’s expert committees and other non-standard advisory roles are listed below. If there are no vacancies listed below, then we are not currently recruiting to any roles on our expert committees.
Vacancies on the boards of our arm’s length bodies are listed on the Public Appointments website.
DHSC values and promotes diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity for all.
Pay
We provide:
- a competitive salary that is reviewed annually
- the opportunity to earn performance awards
- an occupational pension when you join DHSC
Employee benefits and rewards
Employee benefits and rewards include:
- an employee discount scheme
- childcare vouchers or tax-free childcare scheme for eligible employees
- an employee assistance programme providing confidential advice, information and counselling
- the option to join a trade union
- an in-year award scheme for one-off exceptional personal or team achievements
- sick leave on full pay, followed by half pay, up to the maximum allowed by the relevant scheme
Flexibility
Flexibilities include:
- up to 30 days annual leave and 9 days public and privilege leave in a year (pro rata for part-time staff)
- time off to deal with emergencies, unexpected situations and certain other unplanned special circumstances
- paid time off for public service duties, for example if you are an armed forces reservist
- family-friendly policies, including flexible working patterns
- flexible working hours, subject to business needs
Family-friendly policies
Eligible employees are entitled to:
- maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid
- paternity leave of up to 2 weeks full pay
Development and career opportunities
We offer:
- rewarding and challenging jobs to help you develop and reach your potential
- a comprehensive range of learning and development opportunities to help you develop your skills, knowledge and experience
Boards and committees
Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment - chair
DHSC is looking to appoint a new chair to the Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COC).
COC is an expert advisory committee that provides independent scientific advice to government departments and agencies on matters concerning carcinogenicity risks to humans and advises on whether substances are likely to cause cancer.
As chair of COC you will provide leadership to the committee to ensure that it works to achieve COC’s objectives in a way that reflects the most recent clinical and scientific advice, while maintaining the highest standards in public life.
All applicants must be a recognised scientific or medical expert with a track record of national or international achievement relevant to risk assessment for carcinogenicity and chemicals in the environment or food. This may be through expertise in:
- cancer or medical toxicology
- environmental epidemiology relating to cancer
- risk assessment of potential carcinogenicity
In addition to the above, all applications must demonstrate:
- ability to lead a national expert scientific committee or advisory committee where you ensure all views are captured and explored, and recommendations reflect the collective opinion of the committee
- a strong career track record of leadership and relevant, significant achievements at a senior level
- excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to gain the confidence of fellow committee members and of the committee’s stakeholders
- sound judgment with an ability to critically analyse a wide range of complex information to make evidence-based decisions, and articulate scientific issues and information clearly, comprehensively and concisely
- a commitment to public health issues and public service values
The term of appointment will be 3 years with a time commitment of around 3 meetings per year with additional time for reading and preparation when required. There is no remuneration for this post but expenses will be paid in line with DHSC policy.
For further information, see the candidate information pack below. To apply, email your CV, supporting statement and completed monitoring form to appointments.team@dhsc.gov.uk.
If you require an alternative format, call Karen Dinsdale on 0113 254 5625 quoting the reference VAC-EC1871.
The closing date for applications is midday on 27 January 2026.
Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens - chair
DHSC is looking to appoint a chair to the Advisory Committee on Dangerous Pathogens (ACDP). The chair leads ACDP in the provision of the scientific risk assessment and mitigation advice on the risks posted to public health by dangerous pathogens, both known and newly emerging.
The main areas of responsibility are to:
- provide leadership to the group to ensure that it works to achieve ACDP’s objectives in a way that reflects the highest standards in public life and the most recent clinical and scientific advice
- establish and manage appropriate subgroups
- take personal responsibility for the effective functioning of ACDP and to be responsible to members of ACDP and its subgroups and other interested parties for communicating the committee’s advice
- provide briefing and advice on hazards and risks from exposure to pathogens
Candidates must be able to demonstrate they have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment. They must have a strong career track record of leadership and relevant, significant achievements at a senior level. They must demonstrate the ability to lead a national committee, where all views are captured and explored, and recommendations reflect the collective opinion of the committee. They must have sound judgement, with an ability to critically analyse a wide range of complex information to make evidence-based decisions. Finally, they must also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to gain the confidence of fellow committee members and of the committee’s stakeholders.
The time commitment for the role is approximately 3 meetings per year plus subgroup meetings which all require additional time for reading and preparation. There is no remuneration for this role, but expenses will be paid in line with DHSC policy. The proposed length of term for new appointments is generally 3 years.
For more information, please see the candidate information pack below. To apply, email your CV, supporting statement and completed monitoring form to appointments.team@dhsc.gov.uk.
If you require an alternative format, call Ralph Cabrega on 0113 254 5481 or Rachael Gingell on 020 7484 9424 quoting the reference VAC-EC1868.
The closing date for applications is midday on 20 January 2026.
Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) - chair
DHSC is looking to appoint a chair to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN). SACN is a UK wide advisory committee set up to advise the UK governments on nutrition related matters. The committee is made up of eminent scientific specialists from a range of relevant disciplines and lay members.
The chair will need to have wide-ranging experience in nutrition and be able to demonstrate their ability to contribute robust views to technical discussions with other specialist experts, representing the interests of the wider public. The chair should have a good understanding of SACN and the public health aspects of their areas of expertise, be prepared to contribute soundly based scientific points to discussions with other eminent experts and have judgement, tact and diplomacy in handling sensitive discussions. The chair will be required to draw coherent and scientifically justifiable conclusions from diverse views and be able to communicate complex issues to the media and public.
Further information on the work of SACN can be found on the SACN webpage. More information on the role, the criteria we are looking for, how to apply and how we will assess applicants can be found in the information pack for applicants.
You will be paid £400 per full day meeting with a time commitment of approximately 10 to 15 days per year. The majority of SACN meetings are held online on Microsoft Teams. Appointments are likely to be up to a maximum of 3 years in the first instance and will be determined by the senior responsible officer for SACN.
DHSC values and promotes diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community, and from both within and outside the UK. Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK. Applicants will be asked to declare any potential conflicts of interests and must meet SACN’s policy on interests (as outlined in the SACN code of practice published on the SACN webpage).
To make an application, please send a CV, supporting letter and completed monitoring form, quoting the reference SACNChair26 in the subject field, to sacn.recruitment@dhsc.gov.uk.
If you have any queries or difficulties accessing any of the documents, please contact sacn.recruitment@dhsc.gov.uk.
The closing date for applications is midday on 9 January 2026.
Patient representatives for medical devices and products used at home
DHSC is looking to appoint a number of patient representatives to 2 independent advisory panels:
- point of care testing and hypodermic equipment (POCT):
- we are looking for applicants with lived experience as a user or carer of people using medical devices used mainly in diabetes care. Products include: continuous glucose monitoring sensors (CGMs), hypodermic equipment including needles and lancets, insulin pens, subcutaneous drug delivery devices, and detection strips for ketone, glucose and protein monitoring and neuropathy detection
- oral, dental, eye, ear and nasal products (ODEEN):
- we are looking for applicants with lived experience as a user or carer of people using oral, dental, ear, eye or nasal care products. Products include: ear drops and sprays, nasal washes and aspirator, eye drops and ointments, other eye care products, artificial saliva formulations, jaw rehabilitation products and oral film forming agents
DHSC is updating how products are assessed before they can be listed for prescribing in the NHS. As part of this, we are introducing independent advisory panels made up of patients and clinicians.
You do not need to have experience with all of these products, but you should have experience with some of them. As a patient representative, you will play a crucial role in championing patient perspectives to ensure clinicians understand what matters most to patients. Your insights will be integral to the assessment of devices, ensuring that patient perspectives are embedded in decision-making.
To be considered, applicants need to demonstrate they have the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria for appointment:
- experience representing the views of patients
- the ability to work as an individual and as part of a team, with a positive and constructive style and good communication skills
- the ability to reflect on and share lived experiences in an inclusive way
- be comfortable contributing to discussion with clinicians
- experience reviewing and commenting on written materials
- be comfortable contributing to and delivering training to clinicians on patient experience
- the ability to maintain confidentiality and act with professionalism
- be committed to the Seven Principles of Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership)
- the ability to maintain impartiality and objectivity and therefore must be free of conflicts of interest relating to payment from industry suppliers. Please get in touch if unsure
We are particularly keen to hear from individuals whose voices are often underrepresented in patient representative roles, including people from disadvantaged backgrounds, those living with multiple health conditions and individuals who experience challenges with dexterity or mobility.
If you require an alternative format, call Amy Redhead on 020 7104 7088.
Pay will be £175 per full day; this is optional if, for any reason, you do not want payment. The role has an estimated time commitment equivalent to 5 full days (does not have to be done in whole days), with the majority of work taking place in March 2026. Work and meetings will be conducted virtually. Appointments will be for a term of up to 9 months.
For further information, see the candidate information pack below.
To apply email your CV, short supporting statement (500 words) and completed monitoring form to partix-consultation@dhsc.gov.uk.
If you are successful at the shortlisting stage, you will be invited to interview, which will consist of a short conversation about your suitability for the role.
The closing date for applications is midday on 9 January 2025.
Monitoring form
DHSC values and promotes diversity and encourages applications from all sections of the community. The boards of public bodies should reflect the population they are there to serve. Boards also benefit from fresh perspectives, and we are always keen to encourage candidates new to public appointments to consider applying for our roles.
Complete the monitoring form as part of your application. You can complete it in Word or PDF.
Jobs in the NHS
If you’re interested in working for the NHS, see the NHS Jobs website.