481318
£58,207 £58,207 - £64,715 (National pay scale)
£64,015 - £71,178 (Weybridge pay scale) A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% GBP
Grade 7 Grade 7 veterinarian
Permanent
APHA Science - Bacteriology
Science
Veterinary Services
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
1 Contents
Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Carmarthen, Crewe, Exeter, Leicester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Preston, Weybridge, Winchester, York About the job
Do you want a role safeguarding standards of animal and plant health and welfare?
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food \& Rural Affairs, and works on behalf of the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Our diverse teams of over 3,000 skilled and committed professionals come together to provide research, advice and support to UK Government for safeguarding animal, public and plant health for benefit of the environment and economy. The Science Directorate (SD) delivers high quality, high impact and highly relevant multidisciplinary science. Our people are diverse, talented, engaged and inspired to deliver innovative outcomes.
APHA is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, because it helps us be more innovative and make better decisions. We are dedicated to being an inclusive employer, offering equitable opportunities for all individuals. Our goal is to build a diverse workforce, and we hope to attract applications from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups.
The Bacteriology Department is seeking an Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Disease consultant. For this role, we are looking for a veterinarian with postgraduate qualifications or evidence of substantial relevant experience. Based within the Bacteriology Department, this role provides scientific and technical expertise to support the surveillance, diagnosis, prevention and control of bacterial diseases affecting animal and public health. The postholder will lead scientific activities, provide evidence-based advice, work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, and contribute to research, policy development and disease control programmes. Strong leadership, communication and stakeholder engagement skills, together with expertise in bacteriology and disease surveillance, are essential. The Lead will be an active part of the Bacterial Diseases and Food Safety (BDFS) Portfolio leadership team, contributing to set the direction of the portfolio, with particular emphasis on AMR.
You will need to demonstrate the following:
Security clearance - for Weybridge-based staff only
The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Governments response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason, all postholders based on the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post at APHA Weybridge to ensure they meet the residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK \& have at least three years continuous UK residency as this is a requirement to work at the Weybridge site where the team and work is situated.
Health clearance
The post will also require Health clearance. You will be expected to complete a questionnaire on your general health and have any necessary vaccinations or health surveillance, including skin sensitisers \& tetanus. This will be arranged by the Health Team, Weybridge. It may also be necessary to undergo a pre-employment medical assessment
Degree in Veterinary Medicine.
Postgraduate qualification or evidence of significant experience in the field.
Registered to the Royal Veterinary College.
Must have demonstrable skills in written and spoken English to enable effective communication about veterinary topics with customers and colleagues and meet one of the following:
have undertaken undergraduate veterinary training in English; or
having a sufficient command of spoken and written English to effectively perform the role being undertaken by a public sector worker in a customer-facing role; or
have achieved the following scores in the academic international English Language Testing System (IELTS) or equivalent in a single sitting within 24 months at time of application Overall 7, Speaking 7, Listening 7, Reading 7, Writing 7
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
Alongside your salary of £58,207, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £16,862 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides . Our benefits include:
These are just a few of our benefits we offer. To find out the full range of what we offer refer to the Information Pack attached for more detail.
Learning and Development
Everyone in APHA is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role. This can include a variety of courses, Apprenticeships, paid Masters and PhD and on-the-job training specific to your role.
In return for your dedication, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training. Inclusion, support and the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA.
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. Application Process
You will be required to complete the following as part of your application:
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
CV Guidance
Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements and your main responsibilities in each role and be no longer than 2 pages. Your CV will be used to provide further context on your Personal Statement and scored against the essential criteria.
Personal Statement Guidance
When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Person Specification thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Please ensure you evidence the key personal qualities and experiences that align with the criteria. Consider the Job Description and look to demonstrate how your previous experience may align with the expectations and be applicable to the role. The written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc.
Scoring for all criteria of the application is from 1 to 7 A score of 4 and above will progress to interview unless there is a large number of applications. In this instance, an initial sift will be conducted using the CV-style template. The panel may agree a benchmark score higher than 4 with a rationale for the decision. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.
For further guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV style application, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit the Civil Service Careers website. How to write your CV , Civil Service Careers
Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via [email protected] with the vacancy reference number, your applicant reference number, and the closing date.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on
If you are selected for interview, you will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs account.
Upon receiving the interview invitation, please log into the system to schedule your interview slot in advance.
Your interview will be conducted on-line \& you will be given a link to the on-line interview..
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
The interview will follow a blended approach and will last approximately 60 minutes.
A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview, offering a more inclusive approach.
The Behaviour based questioning explores what the candidate can and has done, but also their potential.
Behavioural questions will explore what you have done in previous jobs or experiences as well as what you have achieved and/or learned.
Technical questions assess the specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications required for the role.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
After the interview
Once all the interviews have been conducted, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. If you are successful at the interview stage, we will be in touch to offer you a role. Offers will be made in merit order. Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.
Location
Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location (excluding Northern Ireland) and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Where multiple locations are listed, the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defras location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes. Please note that all listed locations are subject to desk availability.
Candidates intending to be based at Weybridge must undergo additional checks. The level of security needed to be based at Weybridge is Counter-Terrorist Check (CTC). Please note that these checks can take up to 6 months to complete and may delay your start date. See our vetting charter .
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations. For most candidates your hours of work will be a blend of working from an APHA workplace (specific to the team location) with working at home.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Salary
New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to DEFRA 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
Visa Sponsorship Statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa \& Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.
Merit Lists
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
Higher Security Clearance
All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to Weybridge may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter
The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Governments response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason, all staff based on the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK and have at least three years continuous UK residency in order to start the mandatory Counter Terrorist Check security checks that are required to work at APHA Weybridge. If you cannot meet this criterion, CTC clearance will not be possible as this is part of pre-employment checks required before taking up the post.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the Assistance required section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Accessibility
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Internal Fraud Database Check
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
Further information on nationality requirements
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 embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy . Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window). Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
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 Government Recruitment Services via email: [email protected]
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here
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