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 a role safeguarding standards of animal and plant health and welfare? 

Are you inspirational in your leadership style? Do you operate with a curious mind?  

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

If so, we would like to hear from you!

The post is not location specific but requires regular travel to London and occasional travel within GB. Reasonable Travel and Subsistence payable. Regular travel may be required to work from other locations and to attend meetings in the UK and abroad, as may periods of detached duty and overnight stays to meet business needs particularly during incidents or disease outbreak situations.

Job description

The Veterinary Head of Exotic Disease (VHED) is a strategic veterinary policy facing and operational role requiring an individual who can successfully lead and manage a geographically dispersed, multi-disciplinary team, both during and between animal disease outbreaks. 

The VHED is accountable for delivering operational excellence in veterinary leadership, veterinary, scientific, and technical evidence, advice, stakeholder engagement and customer service in exotic disease control on behalf of GB Governments.  

 In Scotland and Wales, the VHED shares accountability with the Veterinary Leads.  

The priority is to safeguard GB from animal-related threats, via effective and consistent application and enforcement of animal health and welfare and veterinary public health policies. 

The scope of this role includes but is not limited to: 

• Leadership of APHA’s Veterinary Exotic Notifiable Diseases Unit [VENDU]. 
• Veterinary leadership for the Veterinary and Technical operations team (VTOT) until a G6 (Grade 6) head of VTOT has been appointed. 
• Overseeing the leadership of an exotic diseases Knowledge Forum, being accountable for the relevant Operations Manual instructions, provision of translational evidence and advice to policy customers and operational colleagues, stakeholder management and relationships with operational partners and others at a national and international level. 
• Acting as senior APHA veterinary representative on strategic boards and at national and when required international meetings. 
• Role modelling and embedding the necessary cultural changes required for the Agency to thrive. 

You will be Responsible for: 

• Veterinary leadership and direction for response to incidents and or outbreaks of endemic or exotic notifiable disease including being available for deployment across GB. 

For further information on the role please see attached ‘Role Profile’

Person specification

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

• Inspiring, confident, and empowering leadership, including an ability to lead through change.
• Strategic thinking with analytical and creative problem-solving abilities.
• High level strategic planning, development, prioritisation, and implementation skills.
• Exceptional communication skills via all routes of communication.
• Comprehensive skills, knowledge, ability in areas of applied state veterinary medicine and veterinary public health in relation to exotic disease and exotic disease outbreak response.
• A proven ability to build, coach and develop high performance in teams and individuals and able to support a climate of continuous learning and improvement.
• Established networking ability with customers, partners, stakeholders across Government and industry with; sufficient commercial acumen to support delivery of Civil Service priorities.
• Knowledge and experience of working with the UK livestock industry across all sectors.
• Experience of statutory and non-statutory disease diagnosis and investigation, threat characterisation, risk management, enforcement and control; via post graduate programmes where applicable.
• Knowledge of statutory and non-statutory disease legislation, veterinary professional governance, disease investigation and diagnosis [clinical and laboratory], threat characterisation, risk management, enforcement and compliance control.
• Experience of successfully leading multi-disciplinary and/or geographically dispersed teams to deliver multiple targets to an assured standard within constrained resources.
• Experience of development and implementation of new policy initiatives.
• A proven track record of innovation and leading through a period of transformation.
• Experience of building effective cross-sector networks nationally and internationally with customers, stakeholders, and operational partners.
• Experience of development and implementation of statutory and non-statutory animal health and welfare policies.
• Experience of development and implementation of new policy initiatives.
• Experience of producing briefing and external communications for Defra policy colleagues, stakeholders, ministers, senior managers, the media on animal welfare outputs.
• Experience of representing APHA with important customers, partners and stakeholders.
• Experience of dealing with the media and being able to identify issues likely to attract media and stakeholder scrutiny and prepare briefing/ press lines etc accordingly.
• Experience of project and programme management.
• Experience of providing strategic veterinary leadership and decision making, possibly during development and implementation of new policy initiatives, or in an incident or outbreak response, complex case work, contingency planning or as part of business continuity.

Security clearance

This post is based at a site where the national security of the borders needs to be maintained. For this reason all postholders based at this site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post which requires CTC or above clearance to ensure they meet the residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have at least three years continuous UK residency as this is a requirement for these checks, 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.

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.

You will be required to take part in veterinary out-of-hours rota(s), including nights, weekends and public holidays, to ensure provision of a 24 hour, 7 day capability to provide telephone advice and immediate response to incidents and emergencies as required by the business. An allowance is payable for this work. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,605, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £16,903 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Application Process 

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, and a 750-word 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 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, technical skills, and strengths. 

A presentation will be required to assess the technical skills listed in the advert, you will be provided with a brief for this shortly before your interview if successful at application stage. 

For the purposes of the selection process, the Lead Behaviour will be Seeing the Big Picture. 

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.  

For most candidates your hours of work will be a blend of working from an  APHA workplace (specific to the team location) with working at home. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.