About the job

Job summary

APHA is an innovative 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. 

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

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

Do you want to apply your communication and problem-solving skills in a role that provides variety and flexibility?   

If so, we have an opportunity for you! 

Job description

We currently have two opportunities for Resilience Managers to join the Contingency Planning Division. 
  
The Contingency Planning Division is responsible for developing our Agency’s capability and readiness to manage and respond to: 

• Outbreaks of exotic disease in animals.
• Pests or disease affecting plants, vegetables, trees, or bees.
• Disruptive events, emergencies, and other incidents which impact on the business or its stakeholders.

As a team, we are responsible for areas such as contingency/continuity planning, training, development of instructions and reporting against assurance schemes, providing strategic support to all areas of the APHA Service Delivery Directorate and enabling response to the various incidents that impact the business or during commission of day-to-day APHA activities. We also provide strategic oversight for any teams Outbreak Emergency Response.   

The Resilience Manager supports activities required to achieve overall team objectives. A flexible approach to delivery is key to the role. Your day-to-day work will be project and program based; however, the role requires a significant level of flexibility due to response requirements in emerging situations. You must be able to work in an environment where there is limited clarity during emergent situations and be capable of influencing managers and colleagues to achieve a resolution or effective response.  You will be expected to work closely with other team members to ensure relevant support is provided to the wider business.   

For a more detailed list of duties, please refer to the document attached towards the bottom of this advert.

Please note: 

On some occasions during emergency response, this role may require working unsocial hours (utilising overtime provisions). 

Travel may be required to attend training courses, meetings and to support outbreak response.   

Person specification

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

• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to develop rapport, influence, negotiate and network effectively.
• Be able to communicate clearly complex issues internally & externally.
• Work collaboratively in a high-pressure, time sensitive environment with policy and operational delivery partners.
• Be fully IT literate, able to use Excel, Word, Outlook, MS Teams, SharePoint, and shared mailboxes.
• Have good planning and organisational skills.
• Able to meet targets and re-prioritise work.
  
• Perform well in pressured environments.
• Attention to detail.
• Application of sound judgement and analytical abilities.
• Able to adapt well to consistently changing environments and respond positively to change.
• Hold meaningful conversations about performance, supporting and coaching others.
• Able to work with minimal supervision.

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 £32,136, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £8,676 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 full CV and a 500-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 'Managing a Quality Service'. 

Sift and interview dates as well as the interview location to be confirmed.

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 

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.  

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/ 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. 

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.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to Weybridge may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are 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

Loan and Fixed Term Appointments

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return. 

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as a Resilience Manage on the Contingency Planning Division because the post is not permanent. It is time-limited due to a fixed funding period or as part of a specific project

Your responsibilities will include those shown on the Responsibilities section of the advert. This post will therefore begin from the agreed start date and end on 31/03/25.    

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.