We offer first class flexible working benefits, a culture encouraging inclusion and diversity, excellent employee well-being support and a civil service pension scheme, as well as 25 days leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years of service.
A career in the Civil Service is like no other. If youre looking to join a world class team and develop your career with us, then the Civil Service is the place for you!
Want to learn more?
Whilst the advert provides the essential details, we will also be holding virtual drop-in sessions on Tuesday 29th October at 12pm and Thursday 7th November at 1pm. These sessions will be an opportunity to ask questions related to the job and the application process.
To join the relevant session, click on the link below:
29th October 12pm - 12:45pm
7th November 1pm - 1:45pm
For any additional queries, or for those unable to attend a drop-in session please raise enquiries via: HRResourcingSupport@defra.gov.uk
You can also visit APHA's Veterinary Careers website for further information. Home - Careers as an APHA Vet (aphavets.co.uk), We currently have 3 exciting permanent field based veterinary opportunities to join our Field Delivery Scotland team in either Perth or Inverness.
These veterinary roles involve a wide range of work including, but not limited to, the following:
Responding to incidents and outbreaks of animal notifiable diseases
Investigating animal diseases in farm livestock by:
- undertaking on-farm and field investigations
- examining and inspecting farmed animals to support differential diagnosis of disease
- conducting post-mortem examinations and collecting samples for laboratory testing when appropriate
- collecting and evaluating history and relevant data to support decisions
- collate and report findings and make recommendations
Welfare investigations, both reactive and surveillance work. Including the welfare of farm animals during transport, at time of killing and when on agricultural holdings
Inspection, approval and audit of premises at a range of settings, from zoos to pet food processing plants, and many other locations
Ensuring compliance, with statutory standards, of animal health and welfare
Building collaborative relationships with a range of valuable partners, including local authorities, industry representatives and non-APHA veterinary surgeons
A reasonable amount of duty and out-of-hours rotas are expected to be covered
All posts will be offered in merit order based on location and business need.
As part of the role, you will be expected to regularly travel and carry out the duties outlined above. During certain circumstances (e.g. National disease outbreaks) staff will be expected to work on detached duty at other locations, these requests will depend on business need. The post holder will occasionally be required to work from other locations in the delivery area with possible overnight stays., All successful candidates will be provided with an extensive programme of training and support as part of their induction into working with APHA.
Learning and development tailored to your role. APHA appreciates the varying level of experiences and skills successful candidates will hold on joining the agency. Training material is designed to ensure all new entrants, to APHA, build suitable confidence and competencies to deliver the work.
New veterinary staff will be part of regional, country and GB wide teams who will be provided with widespread support on all facets of APHA work., A valid driving licence that covers the UK, access to a vehicle with appropriate business use insurance., Please provide a Personal Statement detailing how your skills and experience make you suitable for the role. Your Personal Statement should align with the Person Specification section of the advert and provide evidence of how you meet the essential criteria. Your statement should be no longer than 500 words.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Candidates who pass the sift will be progressed to interview.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be required to deliver a presentation that will assess the Behaviour 'Communicating and Influencing'. Further details on this will be provided alongside the invite to interview.
In addition, you will be assessed on the following 'Technical' elements of the role;
Understanding the threats of notifiable animal exotic diseases in GB
Animal welfare issues in GB agriculture
Understanding of the control of endemic animal diseases in GB, such as TB
Veterinary and ethical knowledge
Please ensure you have researched and understood the above technical topics in preparation of your interview., Where the location is National the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defras 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.
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., o UK nationals
o nationals of the Republic of Ireland
o nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
o 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)
o 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)
o individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
o 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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Do you want a role safeguarding standards of animal health and welfare, protecting Great Britain from exotic notifiable diseases?, are able to engage with customers and stakeholders confidentially and professionally
have some experience of working in teams of various skills and disciplines
are confident with responsibility in the face of challenge and can adapt to new situations flexibly
are able to produce reports to communicate veterinary knowledge
are comfortable with excellent record keeping and understand the importance of audits and processes that maintain quality outputs
have some practical experience in veterinary work for example, handling of large animals. We're also looking for proficiency with routine techniques and skills which will enable you to develop as a State Veterinarian, Minimum of Bachelor of Veterinary Science or equivalent
Memberships
A Member or Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, with a status of UK Practising at commencement of the role., Must have demonstrable skills in written and spoken English to enable effective communication about veterinary topics with customers and colleagues and meet one of the following:
have undertaken undergraduate veterinary training in English;
or
having 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) or equivalent in a single sitting within 24 months at time of application Overall 7, Speaking 7, Listening 7, Reading 7, Writing 7.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
o Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
o Understanding of notifiable exotic animal diseases in GB.
o Animal welfare issues in GB agriculture.
o Understanding of the control of endemic animal diseases in GB, such as TB.
o Veterinary and ethical Knowledge., Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Many of the skills and competences already acquired in veterinary positions elsewhere will be applicable and valued in veterinary roles within APHA. Why not explore a change, a new veterinary path, one that can have far reaching impacts?
Alongside your salary of £41,220, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £11,941 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
o Learning and development tailored to your role
o An environment with flexible working options
o A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
o A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%, 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.
This post offers the successful candidate an additional pay supplement of up to £3,000 upon appointment (pro rata). The supplement is paid per annum and divided as monthly payments. Further to this, there is an additional pay supplement of up to £3,000 (pro rata) available which may be offered following an annual competency assessment.
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.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check maybe carried out.