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?

Do you have the ability to influence others and guide your team in a shared strategy?

If so, we would like to hear from you!

We are searching for someone to drive the delivery of our field operations in England. This presents an exciting opportunity for the right candidate.

Please note: This role will require on-call duties, weekends, Bank Holidays and occasional evenings. There will be regular travel to other APHA locations. Out of hours and detached duty work will be required in the event of an outbreak or incident.

Job description

The Veterinary Head of England Field Delivery (VHofFD) (Southern) is a senior, strategic delivery role requiring a person who can successfully lead a geographically dispersed, multi-disciplinary team, both during and between animal disease outbreaks. You will be expected to provide leadership and direction to the veterinarians and animal health officers that comprise the APHA Field Delivery workforce in England.

We are looking for someone with a proven leadership track record who will quickly be able to establish their credibility with staff and stakeholders. You will also have the ability to harness the team around a clear set of goals and priorities, based on delivering Defra’s animal health and welfare policies. This will include taking and building on the work that has been started in building an exceptional, helpful and sustainable culture.

The successful candidate will provide strategic veterinary leadership for the implementation of APHA’s veterinary and technical strategy, clinical governance, management, and relationships within their area; acting as senior APHA veterinary representative on strategic boards, at national and on occasion international meetings.

You will be expected to role model and embed the necessary cultural changes required for the agency to thrive, as APHA moves to a matrix system of management that supports increased flexibility, an agile response and digital ways of working.

Your responsibilities will also include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring that all veterinary and technical activities are delivered in accordance with desired policy outcomes, business plans and performance targets, working with the Head of Field Delivery (HFD) to constantly seek improved efficiency and value for money
• Making veterinary decisions where there is high impact and high uncertainty, taking into account policy considerations and ensuring that those decisions are based on the best available evidence
• Building effective relationships with local senior stakeholders and partners to influence end user behaviour regarding compliance with animal health and welfare strategies and policies
• Working with APHA colleagues to monitor and assure consistency of compliance with quality and safety standards of the Veterinary Development Partnership contractors in their area
• Delivering the APHA vision to all staff and contributing to the corporate leadership of the Agency
• VHofFD will be expected to role-model authentic and inspiring leadership, embedding the necessary performance improvements and culture changes
• Contributing to the design, development and implementation of national policy initiatives and reforms, undertaking important roles on programme boards, project teams and working groups

For further details regarding this role, please find attached the VHofFD Background Information.

Person specification

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

• Knowledge and experience of working with the UK livestock industry across all sectors
• Comprehensive skills, knowledge, and ability in multiple areas of applied state veterinary medicine and veterinary public health; knowledgeable, resilient and authentic
• Experience of statutory and non-statutory disease diagnosis and investigation, threat characterisation, risk management, enforcement, and control
• Experience of successfully leading multi-disciplinary and/or geographically dispersed teams to deliver multiple targets to an assured standard within constrained resources
• Proven track record of strategic veterinary leadership and decision-making during incident and outbreak response, complex case work, contingency planning, and business continuity
• Knowledge of statutory and non-statutory disease legislation, veterinary jurisprudence, ethics, UK livestock industry, disease diagnosis and investigation, threat characterisation, risk management, enforcement, and control
• A proven track record of innovation and leading through a period of transformation
• Experience of building effective networks with policy customers, stakeholders, and operational partners
• Experience of dealing with the media
• Experience of project and programme management
• Important skills Inspiring, confident and empowering leadership, including an ability to lead through change
• High level strategic planning, development, prioritisation, and implementation skills
• Exceptional communication skills via all routes of communication
• Proven ability to build, coach and develop high performance in teams and individuals. Complete commitment to a climate of continuous learning and improvement
• Highly motivated, corporate, self-aware, and able to remain calm under pressure, with recognised and acknowledged personal and professional integrity
• Ability to set up and work within an auditable system of procedures and processes, maintaining and assuring appropriate levels of quality assurance and quality control
• Ability to innovate and work in a flexible and agile way, making use of modern technology
• Sufficient commercial acumen to support delivery of Civil Service priorities. Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English to enable effective communication about veterinary topics with customers and colleagues

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 must meet one of the following criteria:

Veterinary degree conferring eligibility to practice as a Member or Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Have undertaken undergraduate veterinary training in English or have a sufficient command of spoken and written English to effectively perform the role being undertaken by a public sector worker in a customer-facing role or have achieved the following scores in the academic international English Language Testing System (IELTS) in a single sitting within 24 months at time of application Overall 7, Speaking 7, Listening 7, Reading 7 and Writing 7.

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, a Personal Statement, and a 250 word statement for the Leadership behaviour.

Considering the Job Description and Person Specification, please demonstrate how you are most suited to this role in your Personal Statement (1000 word max).

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 Leadership behaviour 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 and Strengths.

A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.

For the purposes of the selection process, the Lead Behaviour will be Leadership.

Interviews will be held via Video link.

Location 

Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. 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. 

As part of the pre-employment process, 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.

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 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.     

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 

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.

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.