About the job

Job summary

A post-doctoral scientist with expertise in bacteriology and molecular biology, specialising in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), based at the Department of Bacteriology at APHA Weybridge. The role will involve performing and overseeing the statutory and scanning surveillance laboratory work as well as contributing to the research into AMR in zoonotic and commensal bacteria occurring in animals, as well as those bacteria which are veterinary pathogens. The post holder will also develop underpinning technical and scientific expertise relating to the isolation, detection and characterisation of bacteria and associated AMR. The post holder will be expected to assume oversight of research and surveillance project work-packages within the Department of Bacteriology and to develop new projects. The post holder will contribute to research and surveillance outputs, as well as national and international AMR reference laboratory functions and will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in this area.

Job description

• Laboratory manager, overseeing the day-to-day management of a small team of scientists conducting the isolation, identification, quantification and characterisation of AMR in bacteria, including investigation of phenotype and genotype, using appropriate bacteriological and molecular techniques
• Contribute to and/or lead surveillance and research projects or work packages in the area of AMR in bacteria and produce outputs and summary reports describing the findings
• Develop /expand expertise in AMR diagnostic testing, including tests undertaken in support of scanning surveillance and research activities
• Undertake project, staff and work package management responsibilities and meet targets for delivery of work, project milestones, validation documentation and publications. Liaise with line managers/project leaders to meet deadlines and assist or lead project budget management
• Prepare relevant validation documentation as required by senior managers, work to appropriate quality standards and disseminate findings through peer-reviewed scientific publications and presentations
• Represent APHA by collaborating with national and international stakeholders and presenting at national and international meetings
• Train, develop and manage scientists, especially in technical and scientific aspects, within the team and as part of a matrix management system to enable delivery of surveillance and research work. They will undertake advisory, training, and reporting duties associated with line management of staff and, as appropriate, visiting students
• Liaise/collaborate with scientists and veterinarians within the agency and at external organisations (e.g. collaborating institutes, approved laboratories, industry, and Universities)
• Maintain a safe working environment and implement safety regulations and quality systems within the laboratory including maintenance of ISO9001 and ISO17025
• Contribute to ideas and drafting of concept notes, research, and other AMR proposals
• Contribute to ensuring maintenance of APHA response capability for AMR in a range of bacteria
• Ensure personal compliance with all health and safety requirements

Person specification

We are seeking enthusiastic applicants with expertise in bacteriology and molecular biology, specialising in antimicrobial resistance. They will be able to manage the day to day running of a laboratory conducting surveillance and research into AMR in bacteria occurring in animals.

Reporting to the team lead, the post holder will manage and deliver research and surveillance work on AMR, primarily in those bacteria occurring in animals and form part of a small team. Responsibilities will include areas such as surveillance of AMR in bacteria in healthy animals at slaughter and AMR in bacteria present on meat, in addition to characterisation of resistances identified through scanning or other surveillance programmes and contributing to the AMR research programme at APHA. The applicant will assist in the development of approaches to detect, characterise and evaluate AMR in animals, the environment or other matrices and their robust application in circumstances where detailed investigation into the occurrence of AMR in such matrices may be required. Traditional bacteriological approaches, as well as new technologies and techniques available for molecular characterisation may all be utilised. The applicant will also contribute to the AMR research programme and in the production of research and surveillance outputs.

The post holder will support national and international engagement by contributing to AMR related activities and assist in developing grant proposals to help diversify the funding for the group. Accurate and traceable laboratory records compliant with stipulated quality standards (ISO9001, ISO17025) will be required, and the post holder will have management responsibility for junior colleagues. They will assist senior staff in developing and managing staff in their roles and supervise visiting scientists and students.

The successful candidate will be required to: develop and maintain expertise and knowledge of AMR in bacteria; identify, quantify (where necessary) and characterise AMR in bacteria; utilise appropriate techniques for selective isolation of resistant bacteria; collate data, prepare and submit relevant documentation including annual surveillance reports and research reports, publish work in peer-reviewed journals; represent APHA at national and international meetings as necessary; maintain collaborations and developmental research activities with scientists from other APHA internal departments and external partners; and assist in project budget management, interacting with veterinary and science leads and staff across the workgroup and agency as necessary.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,857, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £9,681 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement & behaviour statements.

For the personal statement, please write up to 500 words demonstrating how you meet the skills & experience detailed in the job description.

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

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead criteria "Leadership". 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 successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on your technical skill, experience & behaviour statements.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

Location

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 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 offenses. 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.

Full Time only

This post is full-time, we may consider two part-time staff on a job-share basis if continuity can be arranged. The post is based at the Weybridge APHA laboratories. Attendance at the laboratories is essential and therefore the post holder needs to be able to work from the APHA Weybridge site.

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 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 CTC residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have a minimum of 3 years continuous UK residency. If you cannot meet this criteria CTC clearance will not be possible as this is part of pre-employment checks before taking up the post.

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.