Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Heathrow 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, because it helps us be more innovative and make better decisions. We are dedicated to being an inclusive employer, offering equitable opportunities for all individuals. Our goal is to build a diverse workforce, and we hope to attract applications from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups. Can you help us protect the bio-security of Great Britain, safeguarding plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy? We have a number of exciting opportunities to join our team of Plant & Bee Health Inspectors delivering physical inspections of plants, associated products and produce at Heathrow. Working as a part of a team on a shift pattern you will carry out documentary and ID checks on import applications and accompanying certification, as well as inspecting fresh produce in relation to marketing standards. These import controls are crucial in excluding harmful organisms from entering GB and becoming established. If you have a passion for plants / the environment, an eye for detail, with excellent communication and organisational skills, we want to hear from you. Well support you throughout your career development and provide extensive training so youll also need an enthusiasm to learn. To find out more about a day in the life of an inspector, please watch this video. A day in the life of a Plant Health Imports Inspector Job description Supported by your line manager / shift leader, your main duties will include, but are not limited to: Physical inspection of plants, planting material and produce, looking for quarantine plant pests and diseases. This work is carried out at border control points (such as air and sea ports, depending on the region) and will involve travel around and between sites, including supporting other regions Complete administrative duties accurately and in accordance with standard operating procedures, agency guidelines and within established timescales Manage customer expectations, in line with policies, targets and legislation. Be prepared to undertake difficult conversations with customers, stakeholders and/or delivery partners Liaise closely with various regulatory bodies such as Her Majestys Revenue and Customs, UK Border Agency, Animal Health authorities & Border Control Point operations management Working with external stakeholders, agents and importers, including work with BCP Traffic Marshals to prevent unnecessary delays to inspections and the transit of goods Person specification You will have these essential criteria: Be fully IT literate to examine online applications, delivery plans and record findings via a paperless system. You will be comfortable using MS Word, Outlook, Teams and Excel Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and effectively to diverse audiences Good planning and organisational skills Respond positively to change Ability to meet targets and re-prioritise work Have a full, valid UK driving licence (evidence to be provided at interview) with independent access to own transport. Candidates will need to use their own vehicle to carry out their duties, for which business mileage will be reimbursed Successful candidates will be required to: Be committed to training and continued development in service delivery Be able to take part in a shift rota to cover 24 / 7 operations for 365 days a year, therefore you must be 18 years old or over. A shift disturbance allowance is payable Communicate complex issues clearly to customers, both internally & externally in clear and concise English Work collaboratively in a high-pressure, time sensitive environment with delivery partners Work safely by adhering to all APHA and BCP health and safety policies Receive training in Police And Criminal Evidence (PACE) procedures to enable you to act as an expert witness and develop your professional skills We will offer you: Full training and support to become an inspector and carry out your duties Ongoing career development, which may include insight, technical and professional development. This may be at diagnostic laboratories, other ports or agencies, as well as in-house and with access to Civil Service wide learning and development opportunities Opportunities to be involved in wider projects, contributing to our culture of continuous improvement Shift disturbance allowance is payable. The shift disturbance allowance is 12.5% An additional pay supplement of up to £3,000 (pro rata), which may be offered following an annual capability assessment. The supplement will be paid per annum and divided into monthly payments Qualifications Minimum of a ND or equivalent qualification in Agriculture/Horticulture/ Biological Science or Knowledge of plants and horticulture to a working level equivalent to that of an ND (If you are a final year student at College or university we will accept a predicted grade and use your completed course modules and in field experience that you outline in your CV and personal statement to judge your suitability) or Knowledge of plants and horticulture to a working level equivalent to that of an ND or Experience working within APHA plant health Licences Full UK Driving Licence. Qualifications Minimum of a ND or equivalent qualification in Agriculture/Horticulture/ Biological Science or Knowledge of plants and horticulture to a working level equivalent to that of an ND. (If you are a final year student at College or university we will accept a predicted grade and use your completed course modules and in field experience that you outline in your CV and personal statement to judge your suitability). Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Delivering at Pace Communicating and Influencing Making Effective Decisions Technical skills We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process: The Knowledge test is based on 15 questions, and includes both pictures and text questions. Candidates will need to score at least 50% in order to pass. Benefits Alongside your salary of £32,220, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £9,334 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Pension and Financial Benefits Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package and there are various options including Alpha and Partnership pension schemes in which Defra can invest in providing a contribution to the cost of your pension. Life Assurance: if you become too ill or die before retirement valuable benefits will be provided to you and your family. Time off 25 days annual leave (rising up to 30 days over 5 years) for new entrants to the Civil Service and retaining existing arrangements for current Civil Servants. Special Leave Additional paid leave for other situations including family-related leave is available for employees volunteering and taking part in public duties, trade union activities, special/trained forces and for health & safety representatives. Rewards We have a Staff Recognition Scheme with our in-year awards rewarding exemplary work. Learning and Development Access to five days learning and development each year to support professional development through Civil Service Learning. Corporate induction and three days special leave for volunteering. Performance Management Individual performance plans, learning and development matched to your agreed career objectives and progression plans. Examination Leave Paid leave for exams and revision for approved studies. Staff Wellbeing Access to Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7, providing advice and guidance on both personal and employment issues such as personal wellbeing, career development, legal matters such as landlord / tenant disputes. Access to the Employee Assistance Programme, Occupational Health Service and the Civil Service Sports Council. Headspace Free access to Headspace which is a mindfulness, meditation and sleep app. Work/ Life Balance: Travel & Transport Benefits A range of travel and transport benefits. Access to the cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme that enables you to buy a bike up to the value of £6k. Shopping and Leisure Benefits A variety of discounts at online stores and leisure experiences available via Mylifestyle. Interest Free Loans For season tickets and/or bicycles and safety equipment as well as tenancy deposit scheme. Other Benefits: Sick Pay We have various measures in place to assist with your physical and emotional health. Our focus is on early intervention and proactivity in addressing health issues. However, should you not be well enough to attend work, occupational sick pay, increasing by length of service, is available. Enhanced Parental Leave We offer generous maternity leave, paternity leave and shared parental leave. Making it work for you You will be part of a wider Plant & Bee Health team of over 600 Inspectors across the country, which will provide you with support and the opportunity to develop through out your Civil Service Career. 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 selection process you will be asked to provide: a CV detailing your job history, relevant experience and qualifications A 500 word Personal Statement showing how you meet the criteria as outlined in the Personal Specification and Essential Skills Further details about what to include are stated on the application form. Sift Your CV and Personal Statement will be assessed separately during the sift. Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to 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 Behaviours, Strengths & Technical Skills under the Success Profile Framework. When giving your Behaviour answers you should focus on very specific examples and frame your answer using the STAR method. All interviews will be conducted virtually via MS Teams. A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed. Location As part of the pre-employment process for this post, 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). These roles will be based at Heathrow - this will be expected to be your permanent workplace as within this role it is not possible to offer Hybrid working. 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. Near Miss Candidate who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in APHA which may be an apprenticeship with us at a lower salary level but with the expectation of then becoming an Inspector. 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 (pro rata), which may be offered following an annual capability assessment. The supplement will be paid per annum and divided into monthly payments. Contract types We are advertising this role on a Permanent basis. Existing civil servants offered a permanent role will permanently transfer into the Department. External candidates will be offered a new permanent contract with the Department. The terms and conditions on which you will join can be discussed with the Vacancy Manager at the point you are matched to a role. Postings will be based on merit order. Candidates will not be considered for locations they have not chosen as a preference. All appointments will be made in merit order and in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. 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. 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 circumstance 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-Employment.Checkscabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 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.grscabinetoffice.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 youre 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. 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 applicants 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. Full Time Only This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying. Candidate Pack Please see the candidate pack attached to this advert. 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 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. Medical Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical. 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. 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. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : PBH Recruitment Team Email : phsijobsapha.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : defrarecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk Further information If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact: Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/contact-us/ to visit Civil Service Commission. Attachments APHA Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1832kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail