Bury St Edmunds, East of England, IP33 2RX Job Summary Do you want to apply your communication and problem-solving skills in a role that provides variety and flexibility? Do you have excellent communication skills? Do you thrive in a fast-paced, changing environment? If so, we would love to hear from you! 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. 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. The Science Directorate (SD) delivers high quality, high impact and highly relevant multidisciplinary science. Our People are diverse, talented, engaged and inspired to deliver innovative outcomes. We currently have an exciting and dynamic vacancy for a Post-mortem Room Assistant within the Veterinary Investigation Centre at Bury St. Edmunds. This role will provide the opportunity to develop your own skills and future career. Your responsibilities will include acting as a post-mortem room assistant to our veterinary investigation officers along with associated laboratory duties, maintenance of health & safety and quality standard and support to the admin team. Job Description Post-mortem Room & Laboratory Duties To be responsible for the receipt of carcasses/live animals and preparation of carcasses for veterinary inspection. To assist veterinary colleagues in taking samples at post-mortem for testing. Preparation and reading of smears. Storage and archiving of samples. Dispatching of samples for testing to other locations. Disposal and manual handling of carcass waste. Preparation of reagents. Cleaning/sterilising equipment and facilities. Laundry duties Staining smears for specific organisms such as Coxiella, Brucella and Chlamydophila Worm egg counting from faecal samples. Maintaining adequate levels of consumables, placing orders with procurement team as required Safety, Health and Wellbeing To comply with APHA Health, Safety and Welfare policies and procedures. To assist the VIOs with management of safety within the laboratory. To ensure that chemicals and disinfectants are managed and stored safely. Additional Duties Participation and planning of Health & Safety contingency exercises. Routine monitoring and maintenance of equipment. Participation in audits to maintain accreditation to ISO17025:2017 Administrative procedures Providing support with various administrative duties to the immediate and, when required, wider team including, but not limited to, booking in submissions, inputting data onto APHA data systems, preparation of reports and filing. Answering the TSE Helpline – checking details of fallen stock against the cattle tracing database. Customer Service To liaise with, and provide excellent customer service to Stakeholders, Delivery Partners and Customers, both internal and external, to understand and appreciate their needs and requirements. Some roles will involve arranging collection of dead or diseased animals for postmortem, liaising with farmers, haulage companies and local vet practices. Liaising with laboratories over test results and reports. Post-mortem Room & Laboratory Duties To be responsible for the receipt of carcasses/live animals and preparation of carcasses for veterinary inspection. To assist veterinary colleagues in taking samples at post-mortem for testing. Preparation and reading of smears. Storage and archiving of samples. Dispatching of samples for testing to other locations. Disposal and manual handling of carcass waste. Preparation of reagents. Cleaning/sterilising equipment and facilities. Laundry duties Staining smears for specific organisms such as Coxiella, Brucella and Chlamydophila Worm egg counting from faecal samples. Maintaining adequate levels of consumables, placing orders with procurement team as required Safety, Health and Wellbeing To comply with APHA Health, Safety and Welfare policies and procedures. To assist the VIOs with management of safety within the laboratory. To ensure that chemicals and disinfectants are managed and stored safely. Additional Duties Participation and planning of Health & Safety contingency exercises. Routine monitoring and maintenance of equipment. Participation in audits to maintain accreditation to ISO17025:2017 Administrative procedures Providing support with various administrative duties to the immediate and, when required, wider team including, but not limited to, booking in submissions, inputting data onto APHA data systems, preparation of reports and filing. Answering the TSE Helpline – checking details of fallen stock against the cattle tracing database. Customer Service To liaise with, and provide excellent customer service to Stakeholders, Delivery Partners and Customers, both internal and external, to understand and appreciate their needs and requirements. Some roles will involve arranging collection of dead or diseased animals for postmortem, liaising with farmers, haulage companies and local vet practices. Liaising with laboratories over test results and reports. Person specification We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate the following essential experience and skills: Well-organised and be able to respond to competing priorities, adapting skills and resources to changing circumstances. A team player, working well with others but can carry out individual tasks as required with the minimum of supervision. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing. Proactive in their approach to work. Accuracy inputting data and storing of records. Experience of using Microsoft packages Outlook, Excel, Word Customer service focused Qualifications If you wish to undertake a Level 6 Biological Degree Apprenticeship you will require: Science “A” levels or equivalent GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent) OR be willing to complete Functional Skills modules in working level Maths and English as part of the apprenticeship pathway. For Level 3, you will not require A Levels in Science or equivalent but will require GCSEs Maths and English (or equivalent) Government apprenticeship requirements state that the apprenticeship will provide “substantive new skills and learning” and that the apprenticeship programme it is “materially different to any other training undertaken or qualification held”. For this reason, applicants who already have a science degree cannot be accepted. 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. A valid full driving licence is necessary or access to an alternative means of transport. The post will also require Health clearance. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Delivering at Pace Working Together Making Effective Decisions We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Delivering at Pace Alongside your salary of £26,025, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £7,539 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. This is a permanent post, and we will provide you with an extensive training and development programme to support you in your role and achieving your career ambitions. Part of this training and development programme will be to provide you with the opportunity to undertake a fully funded Level 6 Laboratory Scientist Apprenticeship. You will join other staff attending College or University one day a week and will carry out specific assessments, projects and put all your learning into practice whilst working. The funding for this course will be paid for by APHA. This will give you the opportunity to increase your knowledge and experience which will assist in your development and possibly promotion. Alternatively, there is also the opportunity to undertake a Level 3 Laboratory Technician apprenticeship. Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Recruitment 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. Application Process After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Numerical Test and Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application. Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 13th November 2025. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website. Do not leave completing the tests until the last minute in case you experience any access or technical issues. There may not be technical support available after business hours and after 2pm on the closing date of 13th November 2025. While the tests should work on most operating systems and modern browsers with a good internet connection, we cannot guarantee that every combination will work. At the beginning, the test will check which browser you are using, and alert you if it is likely to be incompatible. It is highly recommended that you complete the online tests on a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or tablet. Please note that online tests associated with this vacancy are not subject to time limits; for further information visit the Reasonable adjustments for online tests - a candidate guide Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 4:00pm and 7:00pm on 1st November and 16th November. There will be up to 1 hour during this time where candidates will not be able to access tests. All online tests will be affected. Impact for candidates Candidates who are taking a test when the downtime starts will have their test paused. They will be able to pick up where they left off after the downtime. They can do this by accessing the test again from their application centre. Candidates will not be able to launch new tests during the downtime. Candidates reporting issues should be advised to return to take the test after 7:00pm on 1st or 16th November 2025. As part of the application process, you will be asked to: complete a CV style application, which should include Job history and qualifications, submitted through an online tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobs website Give a Behaviour statement against one behaviour (Delivering at Pace) in 250 words. Please use the STAR technique (Situation Task, Action, Result) to provide evidence of the Behaviours in your application. provide a personal statement in 500 words of how you match the details in the Personal Specification – the written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. We encourage you to use the full word allowance of the Personal Statement but not to exceed it. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Scoring for all criteria of the application is from 1 to 7 – A score of 4 and above will progress to interview unless there is a large number of applications. In this instance, an initial sift will be conducted using the lead Behaviour, Delivering at Pace. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. The panel may agree a benchmark score higher than 4 with a rationale for the decision. Any candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme who scores 4 or above on all of the criteria will be offered an interview. For further guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV style application, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit the Civil Service Careers website. How to write your CV, Civil Service Careers Interview If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Experience as detailed in the Person Specification section - Success Profiles: Experience - GOV.UK Behaviours (Delivering at Pace, Working Together and Making Effective Decisions). The Behaviour criteria outlined in the Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK framework for AO positions. Please use the STAR technique (Situation Task, Action, Result) to provide evidence of the Behaviours in your interview. 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. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Reserves In the event of more than one candidate meeting the criteria we may maintain a reserve list should a similar role become available in the subsequent 12 months following interview. After the interview Once all the interviews have been conducted, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. If you are successful at the interview stage, we will be in touch to offer you a role. Offers will be made in merit order. Location 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. Periodic travel within the UK and Europe may 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 of 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. Full Time The post is full-time, we may consider two part-time staff on a job share basis if continuity can be arranged. Salary New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the Pay Band. 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. 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 defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.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 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. 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-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 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. Feedback Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Ability and Experience. 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. 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. 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). 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 : Science.DirectorateHR Email : Science.DirectorateHR@apha.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk