About the job

Job summary

Do you want a role safeguarding standards of animal and plant health and welfare?

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is a government agency that is part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and we employ staff based at various sites across the UK.

We are seeking a dedicated and detail-orientated Group Quality Auditor to join our team. As an auditor, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring compliance with ISO17025 and ISO9001 quality management standards, promoting continuous improvement, and upholding our commitment to delivering high quality services.

Job description

Responsibilities:

• Plan and conduct internal audits to ISO17025 and ISO9001 standards to ensure compliance and drive process improvements
• Generate internal audit reports to assess compliance with standards and identify areas for enhancement
• Ensure alignment with relevant policies, procedures, and standards
• Develop, monitor, and manage the External Quality Assurance (EQA) program
• Manage Flexible Scope applications
• Provide flexible support to the Quality and Standards Team as needed
• Contribute to quality management for our multi-site UKAS accreditation to ISO 17025
• Identify opportunities for efficiency gains and continuous improvement
• Coordinate Group Quality System Review/Management review
• Collaborate with colleagues to define and review Quality Management System aims and objectives

Person specification

To be successful in this role, you should possess the following skills and experience:

• Understanding of ISO17025 or relevant Quality Management Systems
• Excellent communication skills
• Strong organisational skills
• Team player with the ability to collaborate effectively
• Good IT literacy skills e.g., proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint etc.)

If you have a passion for maintaining quality standards and seeking a challenging role within a dynamic organisation, we encourage you to apply!

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,470, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £7,416 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 and Experience.

Throughout our selection process, we will make decisions about your capability to do the job, based on evidence you provide during the application and interview process.

Application Process

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

• CV - you should include details of qualifications, career history, skills and experience.
• Personal Statement - In a maximum of 750 words, please demonstrate how you are most suited to this role.
• Three Behaviour Statements  - no more than 250 words on Managing a Quality Service (Lead Behaviour), Communicating and Influencing and Delivering at Pace. 

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Sift and Interviews are expected to take place during April 2024.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on four behaviours Managing a Quality Service (Lead behaviour), Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace and Working Together.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

Interviews to be held via video link.

Location

Please be aware that this role will be contractually based in an APHA workplace. 

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.

Travel

Frequent travel within the UK and EU will be required and this could include farm or abattoir visits as part of ongoing research. The successful candidate may have to ensure that no contact is made with farmed animals for a period of 1-2 days or more before visiting livestock farms. This may preclude anyone who lives on a livestock farm.

Support, Training, and Induction  
Everyone in APHA is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. New joiners to the organisation will attend an induction programme that will provide you with 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.

Health Checks

Depending on the areas of work involved you will be expected to have any necessary vaccinations or health surveillance. This will be arranged by the Health Team, Weybridge.  It will also be necessary to undergo a pre-employment medical assessment.

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 range. The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. As a general rule allowances and supplements will not be recognised.

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 or Disclosure Scotland (dependant on your location) 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.

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.

This role is subject to higher security requirements. Job offers to this post will be made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

NSV

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

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to APHA 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.