Potato Pathologist

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 343296**Salary**:

- £31,140 - £34,177- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%**Job grade**:

- Executive Officer- B1**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Type of role**:

- Other**Working pattern**:

- Full-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Hermiston, Scotland, EH12 9FJAbout the job

**Job summary**:

- Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA), a Division of the Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate headed by the Chief Plant Health Officer for Scotland, is a community of 185 scientists, inspectors, policy professionals and support staff with responsibility for providing a range of services in support of arable agriculture, horticulture, food, the environment, and the wider rural economy.
- SASA is the certifying authority for seed potatoes in Scotland and, working in conjunction with Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID), is responsible for the management and administration of the Seed Potato Classification Scheme. The Scottish seed potato industry is an important part of the rural economy, generating a direct income of over £80 million and SASA produce and maintain the starting material for all seed potato crops grown in Scotland.
- The post holder will be responsible for the day to day running of the Potato Pathology laboratory and the diagnostic services provided. This will include pathogen isolation and identification using a range of techniques and reporting results to stakeholders. They will also be responsible for method development through optimisation and validation of existing and novel microbiological and molecular assays for use in routine testing. The post holder reports to the Potato Pathology Manager (B2).**Job description**:

- Be responsible for the routine testing and diagnosis of potato material for pathogens (primarily fungal), including management of the annual Pre Basic Tissue Culture production surveillance programme.
- Manage day-to-day running of the Potato Pathology laboratory, prioritising work objectives and ordering reagents and consumables.
- Plan and carry out the optimisation and validation of microbiological and molecular assays for use in routine testing.
- Act as deputy Quality Manager for Potato Pathology, ensuring accurate records are kept, assay controls perform as expected and assisting the Potato Pathology Manager with review of SOPs Standard Operating Procedures and Control of Substances Hazardous to Health and Risk Assessments.
- Support the delivery of training courses to Plant Health inspectors and external stakeholders in disease identification and inspection procedures.
- Engage with stakeholders to report results and ongoing research work associated with Pre-Basic Tissue Culture mini tuber production.

**Person specification**:
No specific qualifications required for this post.

**Essential Criteria**
1. Knowledge of plant pathogens, preferably those affecting potato, and practical experience using molecular and microbiological techniques for pathogen identification and maintenance.
2. Experience working within a quality management system.
3. Excellent organisational skills with the ability to balance competing demands and prioritise responsibilities whilst responding to tight deadlines.
4. Proven ability to communicate clearly within a team and ability to engage and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.

**Benefits**:

- Alongside your salary of £31,140, Scottish Government contributes £8,407 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

**Selection process details**:

- Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.**Security**:
- People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.**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)
- 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 m