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. 

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

Are you someone who can lead and manage change in a challenging and dynamic environment?  

If so, we would love to hear from you!  

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Contingency Planning Division. Our team is responsible for developing our Agency’s readiness and capabilities to deal with the management of exotic disease outbreaks, other incidents, emergencies and disruptive events that impact the Agency or its stakeholders. Through effective planning and collaboration with other areas of the Agency, policy customers, operational partners and stakeholders, we ensure that APHA is prepared to mount and sustain an appropriate response to any outbreak of exotic animal, plant or bee diseases and pests, or to any other incidents impacting on animal health or welfare, such as severe weather, floods or major contamination incidents. 

Job description

Our team covers areas such as contingency/continuity planning, training, instructions, and the administration of assurance schemes. The team strategically supports all the groups in the APHA Service Delivery Directorate to respond to the various incidents that impact the business and the day to day work of APHA.

As a team we provide strategic oversight for any Outbreak Emergency Response and play a role in incident management response. As a member of the team, you will support delivering all the activities required to achieve our aim. You will be expected to work closely with other team members to ensure relevant support is provided to the business. On some occasions, this may also require working unsocial hours (utilising overtime provisions).

Each Senior Resilience Manager will take responsibility for several work streams from the list below: Exercises, Lessons Identified, Continuity, Supplier liaison, Capability, Recovery Plans, Procedures and Engagement, Instructions, and IT. In the event of an outbreak, it is expected the SEO will lead and manage a team within the Outbreak Coordination Group (OCG).

The role consists of some of the elements below depending on which area you are working in and can change depending on priorities:

• Providing guidance and training to ensure that all teams involved in emergency response have the skills and competence to deliver the work required in an outbreak/incident;
• To review and update the emergency response plans with relevant leads;
• Ensure that APHA teams are trained in IT tools, processes, procedures and that competence is maintained through exercises;
• To be able to give advice and guidance to teams within APHA on best practice in relation to resilience planning, training, business continuity processes;
• Stakeholder and operational partner engagement, building relationships and networks that support business as usual and outbreak/incident response functions;
• To provide support and a service to GB policy teams – ensuring individual policy needs are met and that they are being delivered consistently by APHA teams.
• Contribute to the development of readiness and capability to deal with outbreaks of exotic notifiable diseases of animals, plants and bees, and with other incidents and emergencies affecting the Agency, this includes designing measures to assess readiness as well as contributing to and developing response plans and exercises;
• Manage activities that may have statutory, Ministerial or other operational targets associated with them, which may be delivered through a project management approach and the production of regular progress updates;
• Participate in an on-call out of hour’s rota. During an emergency, you may also be required to undertake tasks within the incident response teams that may require working additional hours at other GB locations;
• Maintain expertise and knowledge of contingency plans, disease control strategies and any other operational instructions/processes to facilitate the transition from Business as Usual into an effective national disease response structure;
• Provide input and contribution to correspondence, reports and briefing material on various aspects of disease control preparedness;
• In the event of a disease outbreak undertake a designated Outbreak Coordination Group (OCG) role as part of the National Disease Control Centre (NDCC) to ensure an effective outbreak response;
• Contribute to and coordinate Lessons Identified reviews and evaluations following exercises, disease outbreaks or other incidents, including production of evaluation reports;
• Undertake an Incident Management coordination role for incidents and emergencies that the Agency is required to respond to or report on, including production of situational reports and management information as required by senior management teams, policy customers or Cabinet Office;
• Manage and support business continuity for APHA Directorates, ensuring plans are in place, reviewed, tested and lessons are incorporated;
• Manage a team of staff supporting them to deliver individual portfolios of work. This includes day to day management duties, one to ones, Performance Management Reports (PMRs) etc.

Person specification

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

• Strong verbal and written communication skills;
• 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 etc;
• Good planning and organisational skills;
• Positively responds to change;
• Ability to meet targets and re-prioritise work;
• Have proven project management skills;
• Experience of working in APHA or Defra, Scottish Government or Welsh Government or a knowledge of APHA’s roles and the functions delivered by the network;
• Performing well in pressured environments;
• Application of sound judgement and analytical abilities; Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to develop rapport, influence, negotiate and network effectively;
• Ability to adapt well to consistently changing environments;
• Able to work on own initiative, with minimal supervision and as part of a team.

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 £39,439, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £10,648 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 and Experience.

Application Process 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV, outlining your full job history, previous experience, and Qualifications. 
• A personal statement of 500 words 
• A behaviour statements of 250 words for the lead behaviour, Leadership.

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 and strengths. 

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed. 

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 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. 

NSV

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

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. 

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.