About the job

Job summary

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the development of a world class science facility delivering infrastructure critical to animal health and farming in the UK. The SCAH programme is designed to deliver the new facilities over a ten-year programme of work, with a budget in excess of £1B.

Job description

Defra group is responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Its mission is to protect and enhance the environment – with policies and actions that are also key to sustainable national growth.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) works to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy. APHA is responsible for veterinary research and surveillance; it is at the forefront of research into diseases such as TB, TSEs, Blue Tongue and Avian Influenza; it is critical in protecting the UK farming and food industries from the impact of animal disease and for ensuring that outbreaks of animal disease are successfully contained.

The Science Capability for Animal Health (SCAH) programme involves the re-development of APHA’s science laboratories based at Weybridge. The site has a wide range of specialist and complex scientific facilities, laboratories and a range of other buildings, and is one of only a small number of such sites across the world. The Weybridge site is the largest facility in terms of size and complexity across the Defra network.

This Programme will oversee the re-development of this large site over a 10-year period. It is critical to the continued successful running of APHA’s science business to enhance the capability and update the research facilities. The programme includes the clearing of part of the site, by temporarily relocating a substantial part of the APHA team and facilities to allow the construction of a consolidated Science Hub.

This major redevelopment has the added complication of maintaining science operations on the site during the development of the new facilities. The vision of the SCAH Programme is to bring all facilities, laboratories and associated functions together into new fit for purpose facilities, together with the required infrastructure and public realm improvements.

Role Purpose

As Deputy Director, Capital Programme Delivery within the SCAH programme, the key immediate challenge will be to act as lead sponsor for enabling and infrastructure works to clear and prepare the site for the main construction to begin in 2027. The urgency of the re-development at Weybridge means this
must be achieved to meet the Defra strategy for the site. This will be a critical role given the complex interdependencies on a site which must remain operational throughout the works. The post-holder will work closely with the SCAH Programme Delivery Partner, responsible for delivery of capital works, and the programme Technical Partner as well as other key stakeholders on the site, including APHA and Defra Group Property, to ensure works are aligned with overall site wide strategies and requirements.

This is a specialist Deputy Director role that will operate within the Defra Group Project Delivery Profession. Reporting to the SCAH Programme Director with specific responsibility for sponsorship of the delivery of defined capital works, they will be a key part of the SCAH Senior Leadership team, working closely with the SCAH Programme Executive, the main Internal Governance Board for the Programme. 

Key responsibilities

• Acting as Sponsor for capital project delivery on behalf of the SCAH Programme Intelligent Client Function (ICF), responsible for strategy, investment approvals, and assurance of the Delivery Partner and supply chain delivery of project level design, construction, commissioning and handover.
• Developing delivery strategies and collaborating with the Delivery Partner to integrate all enabling, infrastructure, and early works including energy, power, services and logistics.
• Leading the delivery of a Master Outline Planning Application, ensuring compliance with planning conditions for all projects.
• Ensuring projects achieve their objectives, focusing on value-for-money throughout their lifecycle, and reporting progress, issues, risks and mitigations to the Programme Executive and Board.
• Building and maintaining respected and trusted relationships with APHA, Defra group Property, consultants, contractors, government stakeholders (i.e. Government Property Unit, Health & Safety Executive, and Home Office) and key regulators to ensure safety, ethical, and biosecurity standards are met.
• Acting as a member of the Senior Leadership Team for SCAH, building team capability, leading corporate objectives for the Programme and DEFRA and integrating scientists and the Safety, Health and Wellbeing team ensuring their needs are built into delivery plans.

Person specification

Successful candidates must be able to demonstrate the following qualifications, skills and experience:

Essential Criteria

• Experience of leading within an Intelligent Client function overseeing the delivery of major complex construction projects, working alongside scientific, engineering and construction delivery professionals across a diverse, complex organisation.
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of leading high-calibre, multi-disciplinary teams (across multiple suppliers) to deliver against demanding timescales across diverse customer groups.
• Experience of leading projects within the GMPP Portfolio with the associated governance and oversight requirements or other complex public sector environment.
• Experience of managing the design and construction of multi-discipline high containment laboratories, scientific facilities or other similar complex, technical design-led programmes.
• A sound understanding of the regulatory, legal and financial aspects of delivering and operating containment laboratory facilities (or similar complex programmes) and engagement with regulatory authorities.

Desirable

• Professional membership of a recognised accrediting body such as RICS, ICE, CIOB, CIBSE, RIBA or equivalent.
• Accreditation at senior or master practitioner level under the government project delivery profession scheme or working towards it. Otherwise the Department will support you in gaining this status.
• Professional qualification in an Engineering and/or science related field.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £75,000, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £20,250 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

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process no later than 17:00pm on Tuesday 20 August 2024.
All applications must be submitted using the link www.gatenbysanderson.com/job/GSe113746

You will be asked to submit the following:
1. Some basic personal information collected by the online system.
2. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years
3. A Statement of Suitability, (no longer than 1250 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.

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 security 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.