Senior Infectious Disease Modeller

Role Summary

• Responsibilities: As our first Senior Infectious Disease Modeller, you will work in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to tackle global health challenges through advanced modelling techniques. You will develop models for various diseases and communicate results to stakeholders, as well as establishing infectious disease modelling as a new service offering for Costello Medical
• Salary: £55,000 to £58,000 per annum, depending on experience
• Benefits: Discretionary profit share bonuses, generous holiday allowance, private medical insurance, critical illness cover, income protection, full funding for external training and more
• Role Type: Full time or part time permanent role. Our standard working week is 37.5 hours, Monday to Friday, however we can also consider applicants looking for part-time hours of 30 hours per week
• Start Date: This role will ideally commence in April, May or June 2025. However, we have start dates available throughout the year and you will be asked to state your availability on your application form. Whilst there are no set application deadlines, we strongly recommend applying as early as possible. The role will close when a suitable candidate is found
• Location: This role is available in our Global Headquarters in Cambridge, as well as our London, Manchester and Bristol offices

About the Role

Are you an experienced Infectious Disease Modeller ready to leverage your expertise in a rewarding environment that values creativity and collaboration? Are you passionate about using epidemiological modelling to make real-world change in healthcare? Are you driven by innovative, data-driven projects and thrive in collaborative, multidisciplinary teams? If so, our first Senior Infectious Disease Modeller role will be well suited to you.

In this role, you will lead efforts to tackle pressing global health challenges. This will include applying advanced modelling techniques to predict disease spread, evaluating intervention strategies and contributing to impactful public health solutions. This work helps to prevent the spread of infections, ensure timely interventions and improve overall community health outcomes; ultimately saving lives and enhancing well-being.

As our first hire specialising in infectious disease modelling, you will play a pivotal role in the formation of this new service offering at Costello Medical. This new infectious disease modelling unit, within our Real-World Evidence division, will aim to advance global health by providing state-of-the-art infectious disease modelling support to our clients. These clients include pharmaceutical, medical device and public health organisations as well as charities and government stakeholders.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Conceptualising and developing infectious disease models across a range of indications (for example, HIV, RSV and tuberculosis)
• Communicating complex modelling results to stakeholders in a clear and actionable manner
• Supporting with the establishment of infectious disease modelling as a new service offering, which will involve supporting with business development and writing up proposals for new projects or clients
• Working within collaborative, multidisciplinary teams that include Statisticians and Analysts, alongside clinical experts, to develop suitable modelling strategies for clients
• Analysing epidemiological data to inform model development and validation
• Providing expert guidance on infectious disease trends and potential outbreaks to clients and stakeholders
• Staying up to date with the latest advancements in infectious disease modelling and public health
• Mentoring and training junior team members in modelling techniques and best practices

Hybrid Working Policy: We recognise that home-working can improve work life balance, reduce commuting times and costs, and provide the opportunity to juggle personal commitments. At the same time, we believe that having face-to-face time in the office holds many benefits and is central to ensuring that the community we have created, where people have a workplace they belong to and feel part of, is never lost.

Therefore, we offer flexible working arrangements that allow our colleagues who have passed probation to work from home for up to half of the time, measured across a 2-week rolling period. During your probationary period (normally the first 6 months of the role) you will be able to work from home for 1 day per week.

About Costello Medical

Costello Medical is a rapidly growing global healthcare agency specialising in medical communications, market access and health economic and outcomes research. We work with a wide range of clients, including the industry’s most successful pharmaceutical and medical technology companies, patient and public health bodies and charitable organisations. Please click here to learn more about us, our work and our mission: https://www.costellomedical.com/

Career Profile

We offer many opportunities for personal and professional development at Costello Medical. Please click below to read firsthand accounts from our colleagues about their time with the company: https://www.costellomedical.com/careers/working-at-costello-medical/

About You

We are seeking a dynamic and entrepreneurial candidate who is ready to spearhead our new infectious disease modelling service. With a keen analytical mind and a proactive approach, you will excel in developing innovative solutions to complex problems within the healthcare sector. The ideal candidate will thrive in fast-paced environments and be passionate about making a significant impact in public health.

Essential requirements for the role are:

• 2+ years’ of experience in a relevant role. This could be within industry or academia but must be within the field of infectious diseases or transmission modelling and should include:
• Proficiency in epidemiological forecasting and estimating prevalence and incidence rates
• Experience with vaccine and treatment validation processes
• Estimating the basic reproductive rate (R0) and understanding its implications
• Knowledge of population dynamics and ability to specify dynamic systems modelling in either a deterministic or stochastic framework. In particular, familiarity with SIR (Susceptible, Infected, Recovered) type models and their applications
• Experience in identifying, or guiding colleagues in identifying relevant data inputs for disease transmission models, such as the number of cases, or information on disease virulence and vaccine efficacy
• Experience in modelling seasonality and its effects on disease spread
• An undergraduate and postgraduate degree (minimum 2.1, or equivalent, for both) in a relevant disciple. Relevant disciplines are those that demonstrate a high level of technical and mathematical ability, such as mathematics, biostatistics, epidemiology or similar
• Advanced skills in using R or Python for relevant projects and data visualisation
• The entrepreneurial flair and adaptability needed to build a new service offering within a dynamic and growing consultancy
• Experience with, and confidence in, engaging with clients, stakeholders and/or collaborators in order to build robust and sustainable relationships. This will involve communicating directly with clients, stakeholders and/or collaborators and responding to different communication styles
• Excellent written and oral communication skills which combines technical expertise with clarity in scientific communications in order to explain complex modelling techniques and results to non-experts
• The ability to use your initiative and work independently, in addition to working collaboratively within project teams
• A high degree of accuracy and attention to detail
• Flexibility to respond to changing deadlines

Desired requirements for the role are:

• A PhD in a relevant discipline. Relevant disciplines are those that demonstrate a high level of technical and mathematical ability
• Experience of spearheading business development or, for those working within academia, applying for grants, funding or similar

Joining Costello Medical from Academia

At Costello Medical, we warmly welcome applicants from academia who are looking to transitioning into a role within a commercial, industry-based setting. We understand the unique perspectives and valuable skills that academic professionals bring to our team. To support your career change, we offer comprehensive training, mentorship programs, and a work culture that fosters collaboration, growth and innovation. We are committed to facilitating a smooth transition and helping you thrive in an industry-based setting.

Many of our team members have successfully made this transition, and they share how their expertise has been transformed into fulfilling, impactful careers with us. Learn more here: https://www.costellomedical.com/careers/working-at-costello-medical/joining-from-academia/

How to Apply and the Recruitment Process

You are required to submit your CV and a cover letter via our online application form. In your cover letter, you must explain why you think you would be suited to the role and why you would like to join Costello Medical, with examples to support both. Your CV should clearly state the dates of all qualifications and grades achieved where applicable.

Our recruitment process includes a telephone interview with a member of the Talent Acquisition team. If successful, you will be invited to an interview which will include a short presentation you can prepare for in advance. Our standard recruitment process lasts around 1 month however, this can be adapted if necessary. (Please note that, whilst we embrace AI to innovate and improve processes, your role may involve confidential data that cannot be uploaded to AI. Therefore, it is important for us to assess your own skills and abilities, so we recommend that you do not rely solely on this technology to generate any application materials.)

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce and, throughout the recruitment process, there are a number of reasonable adjustments we can provide. Please click here to learn more.

What We Offer

Alongside our award-winning company culture, where every team member is celebrated, respected, and has their voice heard, we are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes:

• A starting salary of £55,000 to £58,000 per annum, depending on your previous experience, plus a discretionary profit share bonus paid twice per year
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank and public holidays, as well as a holiday buy and sell scheme
• Flexible working hours and the chance to work from home for up to half of your working time after passing probation
• Flexible benefits scheme offering cash payments, additional pension contributions and other additional benefits
• Private Medical Insurance which offers comprehensive cover on a “medical history disregard” basis
• Paid study leave and funding for external qualifications
• Critical Illness Cover, Income Protection and Life Assurance

Please click here to learn about our full reward package and the other benefits of working for Costello Medical: https://www.costellomedical.com/careers/benefits-package-in-the-uk/

Visa Sponsorship

We can provide visa sponsorship for eligible candidates for our Senior Infectious Disease Modeller role. You will be asked to provide details of your right to work in the UK within your application, however this will have no impact on the processing of your application.