About the job

Job summary

Do you have excellent communication skills, thrive in a fast-paced, common sense driven, changing environment and enjoy working to tight deadlines? If so, we would love to hear from you!

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 2,000 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 and you will be part of this workforce supporting our staff. 

The role of the Admin Team Leader is to lead and manage a small administrative team in the department and act as the main point of contact for all administrative activities. In liaison with the Business Manager, the post holder is responsible for implementing administrative policies and corporate administrative functions, planning, prioritising, and allocating admin/finance work to ensure a common Science Directorate (SD) approach. The post holder will provide assistance as part of the wider SD administrative team to cover staff resource issues or other duties in the event of a disease outbreak.

This is a part-time role - 32 hours per week.

Job description

Working closely with the department Business Manager, duties will include most but not necessarily all the tasks listed below:

Finance

• Understand and follow accounting principles, monthly, quarterly and end of year routines, and APHA purchasing
  regulations.
• Work to prescribed financial deadlines.
• Responsible for Accounts Payables for courier, gas and certain crucial supplier accounts.
• Fully understand department budgets. Manage own department’s annual budget round.  Monitor and analyse expenditure variances in-year. Prepare monthly forecasts and undertake monthly housekeeping.  Raise issues to
  line mangers as appropriate.
• Assist HOD with preparation of department/workgroup income budget based on planned staff hours.
• Department contact for Oracle time recording queries, procurement, uncommitted spend, i-expenses, invoice
   payment, new suppliers, foreign payments, adjustment journals, capital purchases, and fixed asset verification.
• Work closely with Project Support staff and Finance as appropriate.

Department support

• Point of contact for administration matters which may include support for HOD, preparation and review of
  Commercial forecasts, Oracle 12, test reporting, meetings secretariat, PA duties, organisation charts, staff tracker, specialist purchasing, estates issues, STaR Award management, absence records, fixed assets and equipment/asset registers
  plus ad hoc tasks pertinent to grade, where sensitivity and confidentiality is paramount.
• Proactively ensure issues and anomalies are queried and resolved.
• Follow APHA Health & Safety policies to ensure a safe working environment.
• Work within recognised Quality accreditation standards to ensure compliance.

Recruitment

• Provide advice/support on the recruitment system from initial request to fill a vacancy through to appointment.
• Work with the vacancy holder and local People Team to ensure correct approval process is followed.
• Oversee the recruitment process:  upload the vacancy details, support the vacancy holder through interview arrangements and sift, set up interview panels, candidate security and paperwork checks, and results upload.
• Manage the Oracle SOP ‘New Starter’ process with the vacancy holder, including procuring IT kit and i-phones.
• Ensure monitoring spreadsheets are regularly updated.

People & Communication

• Lead and manage none or up to three AO staff.
• Ensure consistent communication flow with local Business Manager, Science Admin Manager, Head of Department,
• Lead Scientists, Finance, CAPS, SD People Lead, and SD Comms Lead.
• Proactively follow up all incoming requests for assistance to manage stakeholder expectations.
• Lead on visitors procedures and maintain records of health and security checks.

Corporate Governance

• Take responsibility in own department for preparation of annual and bi-annual governance reports including documentation for Internal Control Quality Assurance, Gifts & Hospitality, Conflicts of Interest, and Fraud and Error.
• Provide Business Continuity support to SSP HOD for the Science Directorate BCP annual reviews. May involve deputising and attending meetings on behalf of the HOD.  

Person specification

• Appropriate finance experience and analytical skills
• People Management
• Intermediate Excel and Word skills
• Experience of procurement processes
• Display initiative to problem solve and consult managers when required.
• Highly organised with the ability to balance and prioritise multiple tasks with competing priorities.
• Ability to communicate and interact effectively with individuals at various seniority levels.
• Experience of recruitment processes
• A minimum of two A Levels or equivalent, or several years’ relevant experience.

Flexibility in working hours / out of hours work may be required if called upon to finish a particularly urgent task or in the event of a disease outbreak.

Travel may be required to visit other sites or attend training courses/meetings. The role will be based at our Weybridge site where the team is located. Hybrid working may be possible depending on business need.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,827, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £8,323 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV-style template, detailing your employment history and qualifications, a 500-word personal statement, and a Behaviour example of 250 words, using the Situation, Task, Action and Result (STAR) technique.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your Personal Statement should be a maximum of 500 words and should provide evidence of how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role as detailed in the person specification:

• Working in a procurement or finance team or in a role with financial responsibility
• Evidence of People Management
• Experience of procurement processes
• Ability to communicate and interact effectively with individuals at various seniority levels.
• Ability to work on own initiative to problem solve and prioritise work.
• Ability to maintain sensitivity and confidentiality relevant to the task.

Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour: Making Effective Decisions.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Sift and interview dates as well as the interview location to be confirmed.

Interview
If invited to interview you will be required to complete a short Excel test which will become part of your overall interview score. At interview you will be assessed on Behaviours, Strengths, and your skills and experience.

Location 
The role is based at our Weybridge site where the team is located.

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s)

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

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.

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.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD

Reserve list 
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Salary 
New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

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 defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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 you’re 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.

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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

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 applicant’s 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.

NSV
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

Higher Security Clearance
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 Government’s response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason all post holders 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 and 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. Residency qualification may be reduced for certain roles and will be considered on a case by case basis.

Childcare Vouchers
Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window). 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.