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.  

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

Do you have the ability to use and communicate veterinary knowledge in a way that promotes understanding by internal and external target audience(s)? 

If so, why not join us and make a difference! 

Job description

The Wales Bovine TB Epidemiology Team was formed in 2013 to support the Welsh Government’s Bovine TB Eradication strategy by integrating the use of field epidemiology in the control of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Wales. 

It currently comprises three vets, two data/GIS analysts and one admin support officer. The core Epi Team is complemented by a wider team of up to nine (TB Epi) Field Veterinary Contributors. These are TB case vets with a special interest in epidemiology, who are involved in local epidemiological investigations such as whole genome sequencing requests and reviews as well as participation in the quarterly Wales TB Epi review & strategy meetings with Welsh Government.  

As a Policy facing team, the Wales TB Epidemiology Team fulfil an integral role in TB disease investigation and policy planning, providing quarterly and annual descriptive TB epidemiology reports and compiling an annual TB eradication target & strategy review. 

Since 2020 the TB Epi Team have worked with the Aberystwyth University Centre of TB Excellence and School of Veterinary Sciences, and the Department of Epidemiological Sciences, APHA Weybridge. The post holder will support a substantial and growing portfolio of TB science projects, including implementation and oversight. They will lend their expertise to all activities relating to TB disease data analysis, research & development. 

We are seeking an experienced team leader to lead the TB Epidemiology Team. 

Main duties for the role will include but not be limited to the following: 

Veterinary field (bTB) epidemiology: 

• To act as functional lead on TB analysis for Wales in close collaboration with the Veterinary Lead Wales and the Wales Bovine TB Lead for Data and GIS 
• To lead on the production of TB reports, including the annual TB surveillance & strategy review as well as the quarterly Wales TB Epidemiology report, providing expertise in epidemiological methods and their application to livestock disease. 
• Regularly liaise with/advise Welsh Government TB Policy Team and Office of the Wales Chief Veterinary Officer on all matters relating to bovine TB epidemiology and policy. 
• Regularly engage with science colleagues at Aberystwyth and Weybridge on how their analytical work can be further supported. 
• Taking account of net benefits and impacts on budgets and resource requirements, to inform the development and delivery of robust bTB policies across Wales. 
• To develop, maintain and apply own epidemiological skills and to promote and develop the application of veterinary epidemiology across APHA Wales and the wider agency. 
• To maintain a positive and active engagement with APHA Wales veterinary and technical staff and, working with others, explore and implement new methods to provide robust and intelligent surveillance reports. 
• To communicate the surveillance outcomes to policy customers, risk groups, BVA specialist divisions, private veterinary surgeons, APHA colleagues and others via direct communication and written reports 
• To train and develop APHA staff in analytical skills, supporting the Wales Field Veterinary Team’s resilience and succession planning in the context of TB epidemiology. 

Disease Investigation 

• To communicate effectively within the policy and delivery landscape to influence, input to and challenge during the policy cycle ensuring efficient, value for money policies and interventions through the application of epidemiology, to deliver a high standard of animal health and welfare. 

Supporting field veterinary work 

• To use veterinary expertise to provide appropriate and relevant advice at the individual, premises level and to organisations and stakeholders in relation to GB Government policies. 
• To use veterinary expertise to support interventions as necessary, including the gathering, interpretation, and presentation of evidence, appearing as a witness of fact or as a professional witness when required, and on occasions providing expert witness testimony if appropriately qualified. 

Outbreak contingency & business support 

• To support business continuity, to carry out veterinary risk assessment and risk management, contingency planning, incident, and outbreak response (including the undertaking of epidemiological investigations into endemic and/or exotic disease outbreaks as well as participating in the APHA Wales Incident manager out-of-hours rota.

Person specification

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

Experience 

• Ability to use and communicate veterinary knowledge to both internal and external audiences in a way that promotes understanding , including production of succinct and accurate reports to meet specified requirements. 
• Evidence of competence in systematic data capture, analysis and interpretation to support the investigation of animal health and welfare issues. 
• Essential IT skills: good working knowledge of at least one type of data query and summary software (e.g., MS Excel, MS Access, OpenOffice Calc, iOS Numbers) .
• Essential IT skills: good working knowledge of at least one type of data analysis and statistical software (Stata, R, SPSS) .
• Essential IT skills: good working knowledge of at least one type of data presentation software (e.g. MS Power Point, iOS Keynote, OpenOffice Apache).
• Well-developed interpersonal, leadership and evidence-based decision-making skills. 
• Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English to enable effective communication about veterinary epidemiological topics with customers and colleagues. 
• Track record of scientific/veterinary report writing.

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 £52,120, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £14,072 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 750-word personal statement and two 250-word behaviour statements for the following:

Communicating and Influencing

Seeing the Big Picture  

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 and lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing. 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 abilities, behaviours, and technical skills. 

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed. 

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

For the purposes of the selection process, the Lead Behaviour will be Communicating and Influencing. 

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.

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.  

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.

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 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 

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.