Details
Reference number
427474
Salary
£29,770
pro rata for job share
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Administrative Officer
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
APHA – Science - Surveillance and Laboratory Service Department
Type of role
Science
Working pattern
Full-time, Job share
Number of jobs available
2
Contents
* Location
* About the job
* Benefits
* Things you need to know
* Apply and further information
Location
New Haw, South East England, KT15 3NB
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 3,000 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
As a Laboratory Assistant in the Surveillance and Laboratory Services Department you will support science at APHA, this will include performing diagnostic tests such as ELISA, PCR, CFT and SAT.
This role is particularly suitable for candidates with a keen interest in science, but no formal qualifications - full training will be given.
We have several different roles available to suit all levels and we welcome candidates from the local area.
Job description
Your responsibilities may include, but will not be limited to:
* Performing serological diagnostic tests
* Maintenance, cleaning, and calibration of equipment
* Cleaning and sterilising utensils
* Ensuring the laboratories are clean, tidy and free from clutter
* Stock taking and ordering of reagents
* Working in a high containment facility
* Undertaking some of your work in a microbiological safety cabinet
* Responding to animal disease outbreaks
* Undertaking all training necessary to perform your role
* Complying with health and safety policies
* Completing all logbooks and forms relevant to your task in accordance with our ISO17025 standard
Person specification
* Enthusiastic, self-motivated, and organised
* Flexible approach to work and ability to cope with change
* Good interpersonal and communication skills
* Excellent team working skills
Ways of Working
* This post is for two full positions, we may consider part time staff on a job share basis if continuity could be agreed
* You will be required to work in the Laboratory five days per week or less if part-time. Staff may be required to work rostered on-call duties, weekends, Bank Holidays and occasional evenings. APHA Management reserves the right to change overtime patterns to meet requirements. You may be eligible for overtime payments and where overtime is approved you will receive appropriate payment.
* 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. 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.
* You will need to comply with several health protocols and wear protective clothing and Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment (RPPE) as required. Depending on the areas of work involved you will be expected to have any necessary vaccinations or health surveillance.
* The work of the post can be physically demanding, and due to access requirements to biosecure areas, individuals must be physically able.
* Periodic travel within the UK or overseas will be required and this could visit to farms, abattoir or other postmortem facilities. You may have to ensure that no contact is made with farmed animals for a period of 1-2 days or more before visiting these premises and may therefore preclude anyone who lives on a livestock farm.
* Out of hours work may be required in the event of an incident
Security clearance
The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Government's 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:
* Changing and Improving
* Managing a Quality Service
* Making Effective Decisions
* Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
* Changing and Improving
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £29,770, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £8,624 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 days 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, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Application Process
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV, a 250-words Personal Statement, and 250-word Behaviour statements. Please use the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide evidence of each behaviour in both the application and at interview.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead Behaviour, Changing and Improving. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/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 the Behaviours listed on the JD and application form, and your skills and experience.
A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.
Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location and date if you are selected for interview.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in applications
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Location
Please be aware that this role will be contractually based in a Defra/APHA group workplace/office. 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.
As part of the pre-employment process, 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).
Where the location is 'National' the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra's 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. This post requires you to be working in the Laboratory five days per week or less if part-time.
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.
This post can be located at any of the listed APHA sites.
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.
Salary
New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the Pay Band.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Childcare Vouchers
Any move to DEFRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
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 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 you're 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.
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 may be 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- stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
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
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 applicant's 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.
Security clearance
The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Government's 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.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check .
See our vetting charter .
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)
* 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
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code 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 .
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 and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans 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 :
* Email :
Recruitment team
* Email :
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:
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here