Job summary
APHA plays a crucial role in protecting the UK�s biosecurity. It delivers functions that are critical to animal and plant health, and which in turn secure human health and confidence in the food supply chain. The regulatory underpinning provided by the Agency, is also integral to our ability to be a successful food trading nation.�
You will find APHA staff at the border, on farms, and in world-leading laboratories. All of them are delivering on our mission to safeguard animal and plant�health for the benefit of everyone in society, the environment�and the economy.�
APHA is a world-leading Agency, respected around the�world and at the farm gate. It is on a transformation�journey,�modernising�and�digitising�its operations to�continue to rise to the challenges of biosecurity risks in a�global world, and the opportunities of developments in�science and technology.���
To lead APHA you will need to bring vision, inspirational leadership�and a track record�of successful operational delivery in a�complex environment to make sure the�Agency continues to deliver its pivotal role�to the UK�s biosecurity. You will be comfortable leading in a crisis.�
Across Government and externally too,�you will�need to be able to carry the�confidence of a broad variety of�stakeholders.
You don't need to be a scientist or a vet, but you do need to share our commitment to the critical role APHA plays in delivering world-class services for the benefit of society, the environment and the economy.�
Job description
As the CEO, you are accountable for the leadership of APHA and delivery of its objectives. You� are also a critical leader within Defra, working alongside other senior leaders and chief executives to deliver collectively across the entirety of the Department. ��
Leadership and management
1. Work with Defra and the APHA Steering Board to define and deliver the organisation�s strategy, aims and objectives.�
2. Ensure that the organisation has the resources, skills and capability to enable it to deliver its aims and objectives.
3. Lead, manage and motivate the Executive Team in their delivery of performance outcomes.
4. Be an inspirational and inclusive role model to staff, exhibiting the behaviours we expect of all our people.
5. Provide visible and credible leadership in a science and veterinary environment and in technical meetings, connecting with and inspire different professions
Delivery
6. Ensure the effective delivery of APHA's key goals, across England, Scotland and Wales, including delivering on statutory and legal obligations
7. Plan, lead and manage APHA�s response to disease outbreaks, ensuring visible leadership and organisational resilience
8. Act as the Senior User in the multi-year development of the National Science Centre for Animal Health including overall leadership of associated transformation
9. Maintain and develop best practice, value for money and continued business improvement to the highest ethical and professional standards
10. Drive�organisation-wide commitment to customer service excellence, transparency and value for money.
11. Finance and Governance:
12. Take personal responsibility as the Accounting Officer for financial probity and regularity and value for money on�APHA expenditure and internal governance.
13. Stakeholder Engagement and Relationships:
14. Work collaboratively across the Defra Group and with the devolved administrations of Scotland and Wales, including with the Chief Vet of the UK, and also the Chief Vets of Scotland and Wales.
Represent the organisation to a complex and varied stakeholder group and promote a wide understanding of the�work that APHA does and the role that it plays
Person specification
Essential Criteria
15. Demonstrable track record of experience in an operational leadership role in a large, complex, multidisciplinary body with evidence of success in: inspiring a diverse workforce through a period of transformational change;delivering agreed targets with excellent management of business performance and judgement of risk; andleading through�emergencies with visibility and resilience.�
16. Demonstrable ability to set the strategic direction for an organisation.
17. Highly effective communication and influencing skills, with the personal credibility to gain the trust of a diverse range of senior stakeholders across multiple sectors.
18. A track record of working in genuine partnership across organisational boundaries and the ability to work effectively with a range of global partners to deliver mutual objectives.
19. Significant experience of managing and delivering against a substantial and complex budget and the personal resilience to operate in a high profile and highly scrutinised environment to enable you to fulfil the role of Accounting Officer
20. A successful record of building and leading high performing, collaborative teams within a geographically dispersed organisation with effective delegation and empowerment of colleagues
Benefits
Alongside your salary of �125,000, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes �33,750 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
21. Learning and development tailored to your role
22. An environment with flexible working options
23. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
24. A with an average employer contribution of 27%