About the job

Job summary

Provide an efficient, precise, and reliable service for the serotyping and further testing, such as AMR testing, of Salmonella cultures, for Regional Laboratories, project work and private customers. In addition, the post holder will provide database management, scientific expertise, and administrative support to the Bacteriology department, primarily for the National Control Programmes (NCPs) for Salmonella and diagnostic submissions. The post holder will act as joint deputy manager of the Salmonella National Reference Laboratory (NRL) and will have line management responsibility for members of the Salmonella serotyping NRL team. 

The post is full-time, but we may consider part-time staff on a job-share basis if continuity can be arranged.  The post is based at the Weybridge APHA laboratories. Attendance at the laboratories is essential and therefore the post holder needs to be able to work from the APHA Weybridge site.

Job description

The post holder will be expected to work flexibly and undertake some of the following activities:- 

1. Serotyping of Salmonella cultures under the National Control Programmes (NCPs), Zoonosis Order and Animal By-Products orders and for project work and private customers using microagglutination, tube and slide agglutination and biochemical techniques.
2. Additional testing of submitted Salmonella cultures such as AMR testing, and vaccine strain testing.
3. Line management responsibility for members of the Salmonella serotyping team.
4. Acting as joint deputy manager of the Salmonella NRL, assisting with day to day running of the laboratory and the team.
5. Temperature monitoring and maintenance of equipment, upkeep of all relevant records, cleaning, and housekeeping for Salmonella work area in accordance with UKAS ISO17025 and ISO9001 requirements.
6. Responsible for recording and reporting of Salmonella results, including approval of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) results.
7. Maintain and troubleshoot problems with databases linked to the National Salmonella database and provide timely and accurate data for the Disease Consultant.
8. Provide support for all commercial work carried out by the section to ensure it is correctly coded, processed and attributed to correct test codes.
9. Liaise with colleagues within the APHA and with external bodies to provide improved communications, troubleshooting and consultancy.
10. To provide database management, IT liaison and scientific expertise for work in Field Epidemiology and Surveillance team, carried out under surveillance contracts and for private customers involving serotyping, phagetyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Salmonella.
11. Train new and existing staff (of all grades) in database applications and keep staff updated of any new developments.
12. Check/apply expert rules to AMR profiles for Salmonella and alert relevant staff to any high importance cases or new and emerging resistances.
13. Provide admin support for the Field Epidemiology and Surveillance team.
14. Provide support to Department of Epidemiological Sciences for providing NCP Quarterly Reports and responding to ad-hoc data queries.
15. Work in accordance with all health and safety guidelines and procedures.
16. Contribution to international project work and training, as part of the NRLs role as a WOAH reference laboratory for Salmonella. This may require occasional international travel. 

Person specification

This role assists with the delivery of critical statutory disease surveillance for Salmonella. It is a mixture of laboratory working and data-base management. This is a Weybridge based post that requires availability for daily laboratory work and laboratory management duties.  The post-holder will be motivated with good organisational skills and ability to work effectively with others within and outside the Bacteriology department. Good decision-making skills are required to progress testing and reporting of results appropriately. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are needed to communicate with colleagues within and across departments. Attention to detail will be critical for cleaning of data and ensuring accurate, timely reporting for incorporation into both internal and external reports.

• Laboratory testing experience in bacteriology.
• Knowledge of interpreting results from bacteriology testing.
• Use of software such as Microsoft Office, LIMS, for data management/preparation.
• Working to quality (9001:2015 or UKAS 17025) and safety policies and standards.
• Working to Standard Operating Procedures and Risk Assessments.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,827, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £8,188 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. 

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 CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

Sift and interview 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 your CV & behaviour statements.

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.

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 offenses. 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.

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 Government’s response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason all postholders based at the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post at APHA Weybridge to ensure they meet the CTC residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have at least 3 years continuous UK residency.  If you cannot meet this criteria CTC clearance will not be possible as this is part of pre-employment checks before taking up the post.

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 counter-terrorist 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.