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 be part of a team protecting Great Britain from exotic notifiable diseases?   

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

Do you want to apply your communication and problem-solving skills in a role that provides variety and flexibility?   
   
If so, why not join us and make a difference.

We currently have the following three exciting opportunities for Field Epidemiologists to join APHAs Field Epidemiology Team:  

• 2 x permanent posts – 1 post to be based in Scotland or the Northern region of England and the second post to be based nationally.  

• 1 x Fixed Term Appointment until 31/07/2026 based nationally.  

Please note: All posts will be allocated in merit order based on location, with the highest scoring candidates being appointed the permanent positions.

These roles will involve working closely with the G6 Veterinary Head of Field Epidemiology, the Head of National TB Epidemiology, the, the National Emergency Epidemiology Group (NEEG), the EpiRisk Team and other Veterinary Advisors (VAs), Science and Service Delivery Directorate colleagues across APHA.

You will play a central role in the provision of epidemiology-based veterinary advice to operational colleagues across APHA and policy makers in all the Devolved Administrations in GB.

Job description

These vital roles deliver Field Epidemiology advice across GB, with a focus on the investigation and control of both exotic disease outbreaks, and TB (in England and Scotland). This includes all aspects related to undertaking disease investigations, providing epidemiological advice and training for capability / capacity building in epidemiology and risk assessment. 

 The role involves a wide range of work including, but not limited to, the following:

• Provision of epidemiological analysis and policy advice, together with local and national stakeholder engagement
• Providing veterinary epidemiological expertise to the National Emergency Epidemiology Group (NEEG) during outbreaks and provide out of hours cover as part of the analytical duty epi rota
• Scientific review of relevant evidence to assess quality, uncertainty and appropriateness for guiding policy and translation of complex science to policy briefings or reports
• Establishing linkages between the APHA Field team and other relevant departments/teams to facilitate knowledge exchange
• Reviewing and developing control strategies for dealing with outbreaks of notifiable diseases in liaison with Administrative and Legal colleagues, Defra, other Government Departments (including liaison with the Devolved Administrations) and stakeholders
• Providing written and verbal evidence-based, quality assured veterinary and epidemiological advice as required to Ministers, Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs), policy teams, administrative colleagues, APHA field and laboratory staff and external stakeholders
• Supporting senior managers to deliver the APHA vision by contributing to the corporate leadership of the Agency and acting as a role model to embed the necessary performance improvements and culture changes in their subject area of influence
• Providing leadership to and/or contributing to national policy initiatives and reforms, undertaking important roles in project teams and working groups as required
• Leading on field epidemiology projects, particularly focused on TB and exotic disease. You will work both independently and collaboratively on all aspects of scoping, design, and delivery. You will communicate your work to key stakeholders and maintain an up-to-date understanding of the science and methodologies relevant to the projects you are engaged in, build relationships, and collaborate with expert colleagues in APHA
• Delivery of projects on time, within agreed budgets and meeting relevant quality standards. This will include project-planning, identifying customer requirements, prioritising tasks, reviewing progress, problem solving and managing and monitoring the project budget and staffing allocations
• Acting as a field epidemiology consultant and advisor for projects undertaken within APHA. The VA will be part of the Field Epidemiology Team and work closely with the G6 Head of National TB Epidemiology and Veterinary Head of Field Epidemiology, and other VAs, science and service delivery colleagues across APHA

You must be able to regularly travel to other locations to meet business needs. In the event of an exotic disease outbreak, You may be expected to travel at short notice, to help co-ordinate the field epidemiology response with colleagues at the Forward Operating Base (FOB).

Person specification

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

• Strong personal organisation, time management, inter-personal and communication skills
• Experience of TB control and knowledge of the TB situation in Great Britain
• Experience and knowledge of exotic disease outbreaks
• An interest in animal disease epidemiology

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. Our benefits include generous annual leave of 25 days (rising one day per year up to 30 days after 5 years), flexible working, a contributory pension, staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £52,120, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £14,072 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, Experience and Technical skills.

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 750 words - Considering the Job Description and Person Specification, please demonstrate how you are most suited to this role
  
• Four behaviour statements of 250 words per behaviour

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 experience, behaviours and technical skills.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed. 

Interview to be held via video link.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will beable 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. 

Merit Lists 

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

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. 

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 Veterinary Advisor Field Epidemiology on the Field Epidemiology Team.

The post is permanent, and the permanent post-holder is absent for a known period. The fixed term will end on the return of the post-holder or when the post is filled on a permanent basis by a different person.  

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 31/07/2026.

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 London 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.