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 change in a challenging and dynamic environment?   

Do you have the ability to influence others and guide your team in a shared strategy?

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 like to hear from you!

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.

Job description

The role of the Plant Health Compliance & Enforcement Manager is to ensure APHA operates as an effective National Regulator, adhering to the Regulators’ Code and the powers contained in the plant health legislation. It has a wide-ranging portfolio of work dealing with all aspects of regulation, compliance, and enforcement; from legislative requirements, specific case management, project approach to implementing civil sanctions and multi-agency/policy liaison.

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

• Develop APHA’s capabilities and strategic approach in targeting compliance, assurance and use of intelligence.
• Build robust relationships with enforcement partners, policy customers, and other government regulators and stakeholder representatives.
• Lead the co-ordination of consistent and proportionate joint enforcement approaches in plant health & bees; including assisting with Centre for International Trade of Exotic Species (CITES) and non-native invasive species for plants.
• Facilitate effective data sharing between those with responsibility for enforcement of plant health and bees.
• Identify plans and manage tactical solutions to potentially high-risk areas of non-compliance in consultation with key stakeholders.
• Ensure that APHA has the capacity and capability to advise policy customers on the legislative and practical aspects of delivery of its policies/controls for non-compliance, including the development of the civil sanction regime.
• Assist with the development of collecting and collating information on plant health non-compliance and analysis of levels of compliance across sectors.
• Be involved in wider APHA work where there are new policies/ controls to ensure compliance issues are addressed and to assist other business units, for example the Windsor Framework schemes.
• Ensure training packages are suitable for Plant Health & Bee Inspectors to understand the regulatory role.

Plant Health & Bee Legislative Compliance & Enforcement

The primary function is the development of APHA non-compliance and enforcement processes, working with policy customers in Defra and Welsh Government, enforcement partners and other agencies. Key activities include:

 

Its primary function is the development of APHA non-compliance and enforcement processes, working with policy customers in Defra and Welsh Government, enforcement partners and other agencies. Key activities include:

• Providing a single point of contact and national focus for APHA on non-compliance and regulatory issues for plants and bees;
• Managing the delivery of enforcement by working in partnership with the enforcement authorities and Defra Investigation Services. This includes the co-ordination of multi-agency investigations;
• Collaborating with policy colleagues on the development of the Defra Enforcement Strategy;
• Operational Lead for the implementation of civil sanctions and internal change activities and business readiness;
• Ensuring APHA staff are appointed to work under the relevant legislation and provided with ID cards and counterpart documents;
• Designing bespoke training for inspectors on regulatory procedures, including writing witness statements, keeping continuity of evidence and court room skills;
• Continuous improvement and lessons identified following complex non-compliance cases;
• Ensuring that regulatory decisions and changes to legislative controls are made with due consideration to the potential impact on growth and economic outcome of an industry/ business and these are captured to report progress to meet the Business Impact Target;
• Improve targeting of interventions by reviewing effectiveness of risk assessments and models and how these are used to target non-compliant business;
• Leading work with other Regulators to identify and use opportunities to share information and intelligence to enable a more co-ordinated and risk-based approach
• Engaging with APHA transformation programme ‘Delivering Sustainable Futures’ especially in the targeting of activities based on compliance data and intelligence.
• Working with Operational Delivery colleagues to ensure there is a consistent and quality approach to dealing with instances of non-compliances.

Person specification

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

• Exceptional organisational skills due to conflicting demands
• Collaborative yet decisive leadership, including leading teams through change
• Holds meaningful conversations about performance and coaching others
• Manages performance effectively to meet targets
• Builds relationships with a wide range of delivery partners and customers
• IT literacy
• Understands compliance and enforcement principles and the overarching legislation which governs these activities; PACE, CIPA.
• Experience of working in an enforcement capacity
• Dealing with a wide variety of stakeholders at different levels
• Ability to work on own initiative and collaborate with others to deliver outcomes

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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, and a 750-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, technical skills, 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. 

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. 

Location 

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.

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.  

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. 

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 

NSV

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

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.