Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Weybridge, York About the job Job summary The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and works on behalf of the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Our diverse teams of over 2,000 skilled and committed professionals come together to provide research, advice, and support to UK Government for safeguarding animal, public and plant health for benefit of the environment and economy. The role of the Scientific Project Manager (SPM) is to provide scientific project management: To aid with the delivery of projects and alleviate the project leader from the day-to-day management tasks within a project. To ensure, as far as reasonably possible, that a project is delivered on schedule, on budget and to customer specification. To support the lead scientist to ensure successful management of the portfolio, support customer engagement activities and aid strategy development. Both posts will be permanent running from an individually agreed start date from January 2025. Job description 1. Scientific project management of research and surveillance projects Use of recognised project management methodologies and techniques to support and manage the day to day running of projects, allowing the scientific lead to devote their time to scientific research and to ensure project delivery and control. Key contacts include: Project leaders, task leaders, project team members (including project support), heads of department, work group leaders, lead scientists, CAPS, network procurement, sub-contractors/collaborators, customers (e.g. policy leads, devolved administrations, funding sponsors). Duties can include: Prepare and maintain project proposals and plans. Monitor progress of deliverables and tasks. Point of contact for managerial aspects of projects (e.g. for project team, collaborators and customer). Liaise with project team/collaborators/customers on project progress/management activities to ensure effective communication on the project. Meeting arrangement and minute taking. Identification of risks, issues and actions from within meetings and during project progress, ensuring they are recorded, reviewed and updated appropriately. Over the financial year - monitoring of budget spend and forecasting; keeping the project leader updated on the situation. Supporting the project leader in budget planning for subsequent financial years. Responsibility for the management, review and justification of sub-contracts, including the organisation of contractual responsibilities and costings in association with procurement. Co-ordinate preparation and contribute to reports submitted to the customer (e.g. annual and final reports). Prepare and deliver regular reports and other quarterly highlight reports to provide updates on scientific project management to the customer (including budget summary, deliverable progress, any risks/issues). Set up, review and maintain project documentation and the shared network/ SharePoint Online area to ISO9001:2008 standards. Prepare and present projects for internal and external audit alongside the project leader, addressing any non-conformities or recommendations. Contribute to all aspects of successful project delivery as required. Produce and maintain action, risk and issue logs to monitor project and review regularly to ensure potential risks are identified, managed and escalated to the appropriate level. Responsibility for ad hoc issues, address quickly, troubleshooting in a pro-active manner to seek resolution and investigate potential solutions or improvements. Take action points forward to senior level (where necessary) to allow key project decisions to be made in the absence of the project leader. Incorporate lessons learned from projects into future work and share knowledge with the team. Develop and maintain contacts within the Agency and other Government Agencies. Prepare and plan tenders and proposals (Defra and external funding) with the project leader, ensuring that the Agency project management process is followed. Develop scientific knowledge in subject area to aid full participation in project (e.g., attending workshops and presentations on project/disease related topics). 2. Scientific project management to science portfolio Provide scientific project management support to the lead scientist(s) for their portfolios. Key contacts include: Lead scientists and approved deputies, heads of department, work group leaders, science delivery leads (for different areas within the portfolio), admin team leaders, CAPS, portfolio support, relationship managers, customers (e.g. policy leads, devolved administrations, funding sponsors), partners. Duties can include: Maintaining the portfolio governance structure, key contacts, and roles and responsibilities documentation. Setting up and management of portfolio SharePoint site, and other agreed knowledge sharing sites. Supporting the lead scientist as required in the development and review of the portfolio strategy. Supporting the lead scientist as required in the development and management of the strategy implementation plan. For strategic areas of work - supporting project leaders in preparing proposals, ensuring that the project management process is followed. Organisation and minuting of internal portfolio management meetings and external customer meetings (e.g. Defra Science Day, contract meetings). Identification of actions from within meetings and other portfolio activities, ensuring they are recorded, reviewed and updated appropriately. Setting up and management of portfolio risk and issue register, to ensure risks/issues are identified, managed and escalated as appropriate. Lead on incident investigations as required. Capturing of lessons learned and sharing good practice within and across the portfolios (continuous improvement). Collation of science highlights information for lead scientist to then select suitable returns. Partnership working support in organising science meetings with partners. 3. Scientific project management to the NEEG Key contacts: the NEEG; including head of NEEG, NEEG business manager, analytical team leader, analytical epidemiologists, head of field epidemiology, field epidemiology team leader, field epidemiologist, risk analysts, data scientists, SPMs. To provide scientific project management support to the NEEG during a disease outbreak (as required). To perform BAU tasks (as required) to ensure preparedness and capability for such an event. Therefore, being ready and prepared to step into the SPM role in an outbreak. 4. SSP departmental and work group tasks Key contacts: Head of department, workgroup leader, SPM and admin team members. Duties to include: Attendance at Departmental team brief (monthly), and in person team meetings (usually quarterly at Weybridge). Attendance at Scientific Project Manager meetings (monthly), including chairing meetings on a rota basis. Presentations at Department/Workgroup meetings to share knowledge and expertise. Functional management of staff and mentoring/coaching of staff as required. Monitoring of shared team mailboxes as required. 5. Training and development Everyone in APHA is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role. In return for your dedication, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training. Inclusion, support and the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA. Our benefits include generous annual leave of 25 days (rising one day per year up to 30 days after 5 years), flexible working, a contributory pension, staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme. Person specification Skills and experience Experience of working within scientific research and within a project management role. Highly organised and have proven ability to work flexibly to deliver a range of different areas of work simultaneously to required standards and timescales. Experience of producing timely, concise scientific minutes. Understanding and experience of project management techniques and tools. Awareness and experience of working within quality standards. Experience of line management and functional management of staff. Skilled communicator with good interpersonal, excellent written and presentation skills to enable effective interaction with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders. Microsoft Office skills including Excel, Outlook, Word, and SharePoint Online. It is desirable to also have experience with MS project and MS Visio, although training can be provided. Security clearance - Only required if based at Weybridge The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Governments response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason all postholders based on the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post at APHA Weybridge to ensure they meet the residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have at least three years continuous UK residency as this is a requirement to work at the Weybridge. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Managing a Quality Service Delivering at Pace Working Together Making Effective Decisions We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Managing a Quality Service Benefits Alongside your salary of £33,590, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £9,731 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. In return for your dedication and hard work, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training as inclusion, support and the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA. Our benefits include generous annual leave, a generous employer contributory pension, staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme, reward vouchers and in-year bonuses. We also offer additional days off if accrued extra hours (flexi-time if accumulated), three paid volunteering day per year. We also have a social committee who run team building and fun events at the Weybridge site. Further details can be found in the Candidate Information Pack. Everyone in APHA is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role. Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. Application Process As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and a behaviour example (250 words) on 'Managing a Quality Service' using the STAR Technique (Situation, Task, Action and Result). Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Candidates are to give details within their personal statement, in no more than 750 words, of how they are suitable for the post by demonstrating the skills and experience they have from the information listed in the Job Description. Sift Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Behaviour ' Managing a Quality Service '. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview. Sift and interview dates as well as the interview location to be confirmed. Interview If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the remaining behaviours. A presentation will also be used to assess experience and skills - you will need to prepare a 3-minute presentation on What experience and technical skills do you bring to the job (slides are optional). Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview. Please use the STAR technique (Situation Task, Action, Result) to provide evidence of each of the criteria in your application form and at the interview. 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) The role can be based at Weybridge or York. Other APHA science locations may also be considered, subject to desk availability. 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. Staff maybe required to work weekends, Bank Holidays and occasional evenings in the event of an incident or disease outbreak. In the event of this you may be eligible for overtime payments and where overtime is approved you will receive appropriate payment. APHA Management reserves the right to change overtime patterns to meet requirements. Periodic travel within the UK and Europe will be required to attend training courses, conferences, and scientific meetings. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot work from an overseas location for any prolonged period. 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. 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 Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match. Merit Lists 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. Salary is pro-rata for part-time and job share. 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 circumstances 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-EmploymentChecks.grscabinetoffice.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. NSV For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting Higher Security Clearance Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter. The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Governments response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason, all postholders based on the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post at APHA Weybridge to ensure they meet the CTC residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK and have a minimum of 3 years continuous UK residency. If you cannot meet these criteria, CTC clearance will not be possible as this is part of pre-employment checks before taking up the post. 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 The post will also require Health clearance. 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 : Hannah Marriott Email : Hannah.Marriottapha.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 HSO SPM Job description Nov24 Opens in new window (docx, 56kB) APHA Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1847kB) Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail