About the job

Job summary

Can you help us protect the biosecurity of GB through supporting the logistics and equipping of laboratories and field teams protecting GB from animal diseases?  If you thrive working as part of a team, are flexible and have an eye for detail, we want to hear from you.  We will support your career development and provide training so you will need an enthusiasm to learn.

The warehouse and dispatch operator role provides support across the Weybridge specialist stores and dispatch unit. The role includes working across all aspects of Weybridge specialist stores operations including: scientific stock management, supplier relations, receiving and dispatch of goods, and biological reagent management.

Working as part of a well-established team, the Weybridge specialist stores supports all areas of Animal and Plant Health Agency operations, so you should be happy to talk to a wide variety of people and be ready to encounter something new every day and for a significant amount of manual handling tasks.

Job description

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Our diverse teams of over 2,000 skilled and committed professionals come together to provide research, advice and support to UK Government for safeguarding animal, public and plant health for benefit of the environment and economy.

The Weybridge specialist stores provide a critical role to the functioning of APHA through the procurement, stocking and logistics of specialist scientific equipment and biological reagents. The agency safeguards animal and plant health through numerous activities from operational inspectors to laboratory services, with the Weybridge stores team providing support for many of them. As well as providing day to day functions to scientists at the Weybridge site and regional hubs across the country, the warehouse team also provides a key function in managing stocks to prepare for exotic animal disease outbreaks. 

As a fully-fledged member of the team the warehouse and dispatch operative will be working across all aspects of the Weybridge stores functions to gain experience and broad understanding of the complete functioning of the specialist stores team before joining one of the teams to focus on a specific area.

These functions include:

• Stock management of specialist scientific supplies, equipment and biological reagents for regular business use
• Planning and forecasting stock levels for animal health emergency supplies stocked in the event of exotic animal disease outbreaks
• Dispatch of goods and biological substances, including IATA Infectious Substances by Air standards requirements
• Receipt of domestic and international goods and reagents and agency logistics
• Storage and management of biological reagents and chemicals, including formal quality requirements and emergency response plans
• Record keeping and auditing for specialist licence requirement. 

The role is based at Weybridge and homeworking will not be possible due to the nature of the work. 

Person specification

The work in this post can be physically demanding and due to access requirements to warehouse areas individuals must be physically able.

Specialist equipment and machinery is used within the warehouse, individuals must be aged over 17 to undertake qualifications required.

Due to the nature of the warehouse, contents and vehicle use a number of formal risk assessments and standard operating procedures are used, post holders are expected to adhere strictly to these procedures and actively participate in improving procedures.  

Experience

As an entry level post no previous experience is required and applications are welcomed from recent school leavers.

Ability

Individuals will need to read and understand formal documentation around health and safety requirements for the working environment.

Individuals will be expected to read and follow Standard Operating Procedures for specific tasks on an ongoing basis.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,245, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £7,356 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 selection process you will be asked to provide:

• A CV-style template that details your relevant work history and experience.
• A 500-word personal statement showing how you meet the skills and experience detailed above.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Sift

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

Interview

If successful at the application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the behaviours, Working Together and Managing a Quality Service, as well as Experience. When giving answers you should focus on specific examples and frame your answer using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method.

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.

This post is based at APHA Weybridge.

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.

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.

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 on 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 residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have between 3 to 10 years continuous UK residency depending on the level Security. However residency qualification maybe reduced for certain roles and will be considered on a case by case basis.

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.