About the job

Job summary

Can you help us protect the biosecurity of Great Britain, safeguarding plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy?  

If you have a passion for plants and the environment, with good communication and organisational skills, and an eye for detail, we want to hear from you.  We’ll support you throughout your career development and provide extensive training so you’ll also need an enthusiasm to learn.  

We have a number of exciting opportunities to join our team of Plant & Bee Health Inspectors delivering physical inspections of plants, associated products and produce across the region.   

Working as part of a regional team, on-site inspections may include visiting farms, nurseries, garden centres and markets, as well as conducting wider environmental surveys, so you should be happy to work outdoors all year round. 

Job description

The role 

Supported by your line manager, your main duties will include, but are not limited to: 

• Physical inspection of plants, seeds, planting material and produce, agricultural crops and machinery, looking for quarantine plant pests and diseases and collecting samples where appropriate.  This may include taking action to control potential outbreaks
• Perform statutory duties, enforce marketing standards, ensure compliance with regulations
• Build client relationships and manage customer expectations, in line with policies, targets and legislation.  Be prepared to undertake difficult conversations with customers, stakeholders and/or delivery partners
• Complete administrative duties accurately and in accordance with standard operating procedures, agency guidelines and within established timescales

For a more detailed description of the role and responsibilities, please see the attached Further Information. 

Successful candidates will be required to: 

• Be committed to training and continued development in service delivery
• Communicate complex issues clearly to customers, both internally & externally in English
• Work collaboratively in a high-pressure, time sensitive environment with delivery partners
• Work safely by adhering to all APHA health and safety policies

 We will offer you: 

• Full training and support to become an inspector and carry out your duties
• Ongoing career development, which may include insight, technical and professional development. This may be provided with partners or in-house and you will have access to Civil Service-wide learning and development opportunities

Person specification

For these posts you will be assessed on the areas set out below.

In addition to the below listed criteria we are looking for candidates who are disciplined, organised, able to analyse information with precision. Candidates should be confident even when under pressure and be team players, whilst taking ownership over their own work.

The following Experience criteria are essential to this post:

You must meet these essential criteria: 

• Minimum of an National Diploma or equivalent qualification in Agriculture/Horticulture/ Biological Science or at least 2 years relevant industry experience in this area
  
• Be IT competent in order to examine online applications, delivery plans and record findings via a paperless system. Be proficient in using MS Word, Outlook, Teams and Excel 
• Good communication, planning and organisational skills
• Respond positively to change
• Ability to meet targets and re-prioritise work
• Prepared to work flexibly to offer a 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week level of service to the trade for import & export certification & biosecurity checks
• Have a full, valid UK driving licence (evidence to be provided at interview) with independent access to own transport.  Candidates will need to use their own vehicle to carry out their duties, for which business mileage will be reimbursed

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £25,915, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £6,997 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process

As part of the selection process you will be asked to provide: 

• a CV detailing your relevant experience and qualifications
• a 500 word personal statement showing how you meet the criteria as outlined above

You will be expected to demonstrate in your Personal Statement the following:

• Your experience in Horticulture and/or agriculture
• Demonstrate how your qualifications and experience of the essential criteria listed will enable you to deliver the role as outlined in the job description

Should you wish to apply for multiple regions please do so, however, you will only be sifted and interviewed once and your scores will be shared across the regions.

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.

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 Behaviours, Strengths and Technical skills under the Success Profile Framework. 

When giving your Behaviour answers you should focus on very specific examples and frame your answer using the STAR method.

The Technical element will be a short knowledge test based on plant identification and identifying pests and diseases will also be conducted at interview. The Knowledge test is based on 20 questions, and includes both pictures and text questions. Candidates will need to score at least 50% in order to pass.

All interviews will be conducted virtually via MS Teams. 

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.

Internal (core Defra) employees can apply for this role and choose to remain in their current location or to be based in one of the advertised locations.

All other applicants will be based in one of the advertised locations.

Defra’s current policy is that no more than 40% of the working week should be spent at home, averaged over a month unless exceptional circumstances apply and/or the post-holder is a contractual home worker.

Travel and subsistence will not be paid for travel to a base office location.

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 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.