About the job

Job summary

At the Animal and Plant Health Agency, we safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy.

To enhance its scientific activity APHA develops commercial products and services and makes them available to organisations globally. These are brought together under APHA Scientific brand to ensure the products and services are delivered effectively for customers.

Being a Business Development Manager at the heart of APHA Scientific will allow you to grow our commercial business in the Animal Health industry and research & development sectors through active business development, key account management and excellent customer care. This is a high impact outward facing position requiring business opportunity assessment, project development, costing and contract negotiation with both new and existing customers. Suppling a world-leading service to develop and maintain relationships. To effectively analyse information to achieve results. The role requires a blend of strategic thinking, interpersonal skills, and industry knowledge.

Job description

As a Business Development Manager, you’ll be primarily responsible for growing our commercial business with customers working in the veterinary and human diagnostic laboratory sectors. Creating strong relationships with both new and existing clients, you will develop new business and carefully manage accounts. We’ll look to you to identify opportunities for selling reagents and proficiency testing schemes in collaboration with our established network of distributors (worldwide), scientific experts, universities, R&D institutes, and others. Working closely with our project delivery, marketing teams and business development colleagues, you’ll ensure we make the very best of every opportunity.

Responsibilities

• Creating, building, and maintaining new and existing relationships with clients, distributors, agents, partners and stakeholders through active business development, key account management and excellent customer care.
• Cultivating and managing a network of distributors and agents to sell products and services on behalf of APHA scientific in designated territories. Negotiating contracts, terms and agreements that align with business objectives.
• Updating distributors and agents on new products and promotions. Providing training and support to enhance their understanding of products and services offered.
• Monitoring and evaluating performance of distributors and agents to ensure targets are met with sustained profitability within a designated market.
• Overseeing the recruitment and continuous management of distribution hubs and shipping partners, who act as an intermediary in the supply chain to support the shipments of products through customs.
• Liaising with Regent’s Production teams to ensure products and services are delivered on time and to budget, ensuring all teams are fully informed with the most up to date information.
• Business opportunity assessment, project development, costing/pricing, and contract negotiation with both new and existing customers, with support from legal and finance teams.
• Growing commercial business to contribute to revenue targets by identifying potential areas for Biological Reagents and VETQAS Proficiency Testing sales with veterinary laboratories, universities, research & development institutes, and more.
• Reviewing and modifying business strategies, as required, to respond to changing strategic priorities of the wider agency and external market requirements.
• Quickly assemble information when required and conduct an analysis using a variety of techniques to support and make informed business decisions.
• Regular reporting on business development activities, success metrics and market feedback.
• Collaborating and working closely with the Marketing team, VETQAS team and International Development Team to coordinate promotions. Generating technical and scientific content that demonstrate the unique selling points based on scientific attributes, to position products and services effectively in the market. 
• Participate in tradeshows and other events, requiring national and international travel to engage with clients and partners worldwide. Capturing and managing lead data, facilitating effective follow ups and relationship maintenance.
• Conducting environmental analysis and research on scientific trends and market needs within the animal health industry.
• Staying updated on the organisations product and services and effectively communicating their value proposition.
• Line management of the Sales Office Manager to oversee order and fulfilment of Biological Reagents to deliver high quality customer service to our global customers. 
• Determining and implementing effective pricing strategies for products. 

Person specification

• What are we looking for?

  We expect you to have a degree in a biological science subject and a background in practical laboratory science, along with critical experience in customer relationship management. Experience of common laboratory techniques will be essential and experience of working within a formal quality system an advantage. You will have had demonstrable success in building rapport with national and international collaborators. You’ll bring to the role excellent communication skills - from presentations to negotiations. Willingness to travel to customers is vital. You’ll also bring to the role proven sales experience within the veterinary, pharmaceutical or veterinary diagnostic industries. This individual will be sales-savvy with a keen eye for development and being able to effectively analyse information to achieve results.

   You will:

•  Have significant experience in dealing in sales management alongside a demonstrable commercial aptitude and understanding.
• Have a degree-level qualification or equivalent in biology or life science.
• Have strong communication skills (essentially in negotiations, presentations and “one to one” meetings) with strong interpersonal skills and an ability to collaborate with all stakeholders, both technical and non-technical.
• Experience in customer relationship management and contract negotiation.
• Finally, you will have a genuine interest in working for Government, and enthusiastic about developing a career with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,577, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £11,496 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 assessment process, you will be asked to give examples of Behaviours using Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR). You may be asked to give details in a suitability statement of how you match the skills and experience detailed. If successful for an interview you may be asked to undertake a further assessment such as a presentation and details of this will be given at the time.

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

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 behaviour, Working together. 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 behaviours, experience and technical skills.

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.

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

A valid full driving licence is necessary or access to an alternative means of transport.

Periodic travel within the UK or overseas will be required to visit colleagues, customers, distributors, attend events (e.g., congress and symposiums). Out of hours work may be required in these circumstances. 

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 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

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.

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

NSV

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

Higher Security

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 residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have between 3 to 10 years continuous UK residency depending on the level of Security. However residency qualification maybe reduced for certain roles and will be considered on a case by case basis.

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.