About the job

Job summary

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, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions. 

More than ever before the health of our environment, plants, animals and bees matters. Do you wish to be part of are part of an amazing, diverse team on the frontline in researching, investigating, and acting to protect the UK’s animal, plant and bee health?  You will be helping to make a difference to the UK and contributing to global efforts to control and eradicate disease in plants, animals (such as Avian Influenza) and protecting global biodiversity.

Are you someone who can lead and manage successfully in a challenging and dynamic environment?   

Would you like to be part of an agency where we value managers responsible for building and maintaining employee morale, helping employees reach their full potential and inspiring employee loyalty?   

If so, we would love to hear from you!   

We have an exciting opportunity for a Delivery Team Leader to join our England Field Delivery Team. Utilising your excellent interpersonal skills, you will provide leadership and line management to a multi-disciplinary team based in the Southern Delivery Area offices of Norwich, Bury St Edmunds, Welwyn Garden City and Chelmsford, ensuring the effective and efficient deployment of resource to meet delivery requirements. The Delivery Team Leader (DTL) will be accountable for meeting all expected delivery targets and will work closely with Veterinary and Technical advisors to develop and assure high performance of veterinary and technical team members. 

Job description

We have one exciting opportunity for a Delivery Team Leader to join our England Field Delivery Team.

Utilising your excellent interpersonal skills, you will provide leadership and line management to a multi-disciplinary team based in the Southern Delivery Area offices of Norwich, Bury St Edmunds, Welwyn Garden City and Chelmsford.

Ensuring the effective and efficient deployment of resource to meet delivery requirements, the Delivery Team Leader (DTL) will be accountable for meeting all expected delivery targets and will work closely with Veterinary and Technical advisors to develop and assure high performance of veterinary and technical team members.

This is a varied role, and you will have the flexibility to turn your hand to different tasks as the situation demands. The key responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Lead a mixed veterinary and technical professional team, helping to prevent the introduction of notifiable diseases and invasive species, safeguard animal welfare, and facilitate international trade.
• Be accountable for prioritising resource and workloads across the teams to maintain a quality service and delivery regulatory activities.
• Be accountable for maintaining collaborative relationships with Operational Partners and other Stakeholders.
• Be accountable for maintaining collaborative relationships with key teams with the Defra group family to help ensure regulatory activities are delivered correctly and consistently, and procedure and policy thinking is undertaken with understanding and evidence from our Operational teams.
• Provide leadership and direction to the delivery group members whilst cultivating collaboration, quality assurance and continuous improvement.
• Understand the importance of quality assurance and continuous improvement.

Note: Regular travel to the Southern Delivery Area offices of Norwich, Bury St Edmunds, Welwyn Garden City and Chelmsford is expected to provide visible leadership.

Person specification

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate the following skills and experience: 

• The post holder will be required to possess great organisational skills with an ability to manage multiple projects at once.  
• This is a data driven role so we are looking for someone who can use Excel effectively to provide good management information and who can clearly communicate that information appropriately to different audiences.  
• Demonstrable line management experience is essential. You will be able to provide examples of leadership and direction setting to delivery group members whilst cultivating collaboration.
• The post holder must be able to work flexibly, proactively support others and have resilience at times of challenge. You will need to prioritise work and operate at a fast pace both independently and as part of a team. 

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. 

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.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,439, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £10,648 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 and Experience.

Application Process 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and a 500-word Personal Statement.  

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

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. 

Interview 

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on your behaviours and strengths. 

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed. 

For the purposes of the selection process, the Lead Behaviour will be ​Making Effective Decisions. 

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, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

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. 

Reserve List 

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

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

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 maybe carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/ Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

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. 

Loan and Fixed Term Appointments 

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return. 

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as a Delivery Team Leader on the England Field Delivery Team because the post requires temporary cover, for no more than 12 months, pending potential approval of a permanent post. The fixed term will end (if the post has been approved as permanent) when the permanent recruitment completes or will end on the fixed term end date if the post has not been approved as permanent. 

Your responsibilities will include those shown on the Responsibilities section of the advert. This post will therefore begin from the agreed start date and end on 31/03/25.  

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.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to London 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.

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. 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.