About the job

Job summary

An opportunity has arisen within our Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) branch to fill 2 temporary Plant Health Inspector (Winter) vacancies. 

 

A Division of the Scottish Governments Directorate for Agriculture and Rural Delivery Directorate (ARDD), SASA provides advice and scientific services to the Agriculture and Rural Economy (ARE) Directorate and the rest of the Scottish Government in relation to crops and the environment.

 

Working as a member of a team of inspectors, you will visit farms to carry out the inspection of seed potato consignments and the drawing of soil samples from fields destined for seed potato production for the purposes of potato cyst nematode detection.  You will be expected to present your findings by recording results accurately and inspection reports completed in a neat and legible fashion.

 

You will travel to various locations to conduct inspections and it is therefore a requirement for you to have driving licence which allows you to drive in the UK.  You will be expected to use your own transportation. 

 

Winter plant health inspectors are home based and will be expected to be generally available for work during September to April and in subsequent years.  You will be contacted by the local area office to work as and when the need arises according to customer demand for tuber inspection and soil sampling.

 

Full, comprehensive training will be given to successful candidates in the identification of potato tuber diseases, tuber inspections and soil sampling method. All inspectors have to demonstrate their competence on a regular basis to continue in employment.

 

Daily rate of £123.63 per day (travel and subsistence expenses will be reimbursed where appropriate).

 

This appointment is from September 2024 to April 2025.

Job description

• Support area office travelling between farms to inspect seed potato consignments for a number of different growers.
• Identify faults in the crops and record results of inspection in accordance with best practice.
• Support office travelling between farms drawing soil for the purposes of potato cyst nematode detection.

Person specification

1. Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with both colleagues and growers and be able to communicate information in a clear, accurate and concise manner.
2. Strong planning and organisational skills including the ability to use initiative to meet targets whilst working with minimal supervision.
3. The ability to use own initiative and judgement to make decisions, understanding the impact others and knowing when to seek the support of senior supervisors.
4. A successful track record of working effectively as part of a team and building good working relationships with others.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Sift and Interview dates TBC
Please apply using the link provided

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.