Join us as an Assistant Scientist and make an invaluable contribution to our Food Safety & Biosecurity As an assistant scientist you will assist with the extraction and preliminary identification of plant-parasitic nematodes from plant and soil samples, received from the APHA Plant Health and Seed Inspectorate (PHSI) and via the Fera Plant Clinic. You will also support other pest and disease identification duties and project work as required. What you’ll be doing: Process a large number of plant and soil samples within deadline, following standard operating procedures. Preliminarily identification and quantification of plant-parasitic nematodes, both free-living and cyst using low power dissection microscopy. Work to ISO 17025 and ISO 9001 standards and to a quarantine code of conduct. Report potato cyst nematode (PCN) analysis results to the PHSI by the most appropriate means i.e. electronic system, email or telephone. Provide support for other diagnostic work or project work within the Nematology team and wider Plant Protection Programme as required. Maintain nematode cultures for reference material and R&D projects. What we’re looking for: Ideally you will have a relevant science qualification or equivalent experience. Experience or an interest of working with plant pests or pathogens is desirable. Strong customer service skills and the ability to work in an organised and efficient manner in a busy environment. Excellent team working skills, who cares for the quality of their work and asks questions when unclear. Excellent written and verbal communication is essential. An individual who can pay attention to detail for long periods of time, maintaining quality whilst performing repetitive tasks. A keenness to develop knowledge of nematological biology and taxonomy is highly desired. What’s in it for you? A Salary of £25,090 ?23 days’ holiday (rising to 27) with the opportunity to buy extra leave. Flexible working hours, on-site gym, restaurant, and free parking The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks…and plenty more. Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle – from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology Access to our Employee Network Groups, which represent every strand of diversity and allow colleagues to connect and learn from each other on an open, inclusive platform Fera operates a LTIP ( Long Term Incentive Plan) under which all employees are awarded points towards shares in the Employee Benefits Trust on an annual basis. The Employee Benefits Trust holds shares on behalf of our employee, at the point of an equity event the shares will realise a cash value. What we hope you’ll do next: Choose ‘Apply now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you. If you have any questions you’d like to ask before applying, you can contact We’re an equal opportunity employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We’re committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format or if you’d like to discuss other changes or support you might need going forward, please email at and we’ll get back to you.