This specialist veterinary role requires an individual who is passionate about international trade and who can successfully work collaboratively in a geographically dispersed, multi-disciplinary team of veterinarians to deliver Defra's global ambitions focusing on market access, international engagement and scientific collaboration.
Our Veterinary Advisors play a pivotal role in the provision of veterinary advice across a range of policy areas related to international trade in animals and animal products.
This requires trusting professional relationships to be built and maintained with various stakeholders, including the competent authorities of trading partners, and supporting the establishment of the UK’s new and independent trade regime.
Knowledge and experience of the UK’s domestic SPS standards and how they compare with those of trading partners, including the EU, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement is key.
The successful candidates will work to boost UK trade while protecting UK biosecurity.
As part of their functions, VTF Veterinary Advisors will:
• Lead on the provision of independent, evidence-based authoritative advice on UK and international trade, to inform the strategy, policy and delivery of Defra’s international SPS agenda for export and import of animals and animal products.
• Support the UK economy by removing unnecessary SPS barriers to trade and salvaging trade in the face of disease outbreaks.
• Lead technical engagement with domestic and international veterinary counterparts to facilitate opening of new trade markets, agreeing export health certificates and agreeing regionalisation/compartment measures.
• Deliver and/or host international audits of SPS regulatory systems to assess or provide assurance of compliance with relevant standards.
• Deliver the UK’s international disease reporting function to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and coordinating UK input into the development of relevant international standards.
• Provide veterinary support to the UK Chief Veterinary Officer and their deputies on matters relating to international trade.
• Represent Defra domestically and internationally in achieving its trade policy ambitions, building collaborations with traders, certifiers and delivery agencies, and promoting the standards of the UK veterinary profession which underpin trade.
• Work closely with policy, legal and technical colleagues in APHW and across government.
Support senior managers to deliver the Defra vision by contributing to the corporate leadership of the Department.
Travel within the UK and internationally may be required.
The role may include line management responsibilities.
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