About the job

Job summary

Act as an end user operational interface and engage with stakeholders for the APHA science estate at Weybridge and Regional Laboratories. Provide support to Science Estates Manager and Science Estates Business Lead for routine operational maintenance and logistics, mainly at Weybridge. Work with end users to understand and communicate business requirements for our complex and geographically dispersed sites, contributing to APHA business continuity.

Job description

This post will provide a range of project support tasks to the APHA Science Estate and engineering teams for the delivery of a range of critical infrastructure enabling and transition moves of science facilities. This includes:

Science Estates

• Develop knowledge of the APHA science business needs, the science facilities and the estates services and support in managing the relationship between science users, Defra Group Property (DgP) and the Facility Management provider (FM) for APHA science sites. Support APHA in ensuring requirements are understood and engagement is effective, enabling and assuring a fit for purpose delivery by DgP of estates services
• Initial point of escalation of issues from building officers. Work with building officers to follow up on work requests/projects and ensure they are carried out in a timely manner. Understanding when to escalate these issues at the appropriate time
• Keeping facilities management and associated team informed of key expert personnel e.g. Building Officers/Nominated persons and biocontainment leads
• Preparation of briefing information for monthly team meetings and Science Directorate update. Provide evidence for communication of project progress, activities, and evidence of any unsatisfactory work to be escalated
• Help to close actions which are needed to move projects forward i.e. by arranging and facilitating meetings on the ground between contractors or FM, building officers, Nominated persons
• Information/fact finding/problem solving to help in removing any blockers to work starting, or to resolve issues
• Support organisation of project meetings and assisting with collation of reports and briefings
• Monitoring delivery of the Facility Management’s performance through analysis of the Business Case Proposals tracker, Planned and Reactive Maintenance Correctives and flag concerns
• Review of non-containment Planned Preventive Maintenances to identify recommendations that are not being acted upon
• Monitoring the delivery of the Facility Management’s incumbent contractors such as Flora-Tec, Rentokil, Trinity, Vitech, SSE etc and flag concerns
• Regular review of the APHA estate to identify issues that need escalating (e.g. road markings, external/street lighting, groundworks (both hard and soft landscaping) and the raising of work orders in relation to these
• Deputise for senior Science Estates staff when asked and represent NSCAH at selected working groups (e.g. Traffic Management) and other meetings as required
• Contribute to NSCAH department objectives, priorities and continuous improvement through collaborative working and sharing lessons

General Estates Admin support duties:

• Provide secretariat support for meetings – organise meetings, draft agenda, draft minutes and progress actions, facilitate workshops and provide data analysis outputs etc
• Keep track of incoming APHA project requests via the Business Case Proposal route
• Take ownership of and maintain the Science Estates SharePoint site
• Management of contact lists, organograms etc
• Arranging for visitors (give pre-visit site information packs), book-in with reception and security, meeting at gatehouse and escorting where required

Stand in for Estates managers as appropriate.

Person specification

• Highly organised and ability to multitask
• Good interpersonal skills
• Experience and proven written communication skills
• Experience of working in a scientific or other specialist environment
• Proven communication skills using a range of platforms, with a broad range of colleagues or stakeholders
• Experience of working on and delivering small projects
• Working towards or be expected to undertake study for Operations and Project management qualifications
• Demonstrated ability to influence
• IT literate, particularly with the use of Microsoft Office packages (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and SharePoint

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,827, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £8,323 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.

Application Process

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

For the personal statement, please write up to 500 words demonstrating how you match the required skills and experience for this post.

Please complete statements on the specified Behaviours (250 word max per 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 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 dates, as well as the interview location to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and your Experience. 

Interviews will take place on 5th & 6th February 2024.

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.

All applicants will be based at the advertised location.Our current office attendance approach requires 60% attendance in Defra group workplaces or off site meetings with partners and customers. This balance provides thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice. 

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.

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 may be 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.

Full Time Only

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying. We may consider two part-time staff on a job share basis if continuity can be arranged. Part-time hours will only be considered as part of a job share.

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.

The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Governments response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason, all post holders based on the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Security Check (SC) clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post at APHA Weybridge to ensure they meet the residency criteria.

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. 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.