Head of Plant Health Science

Details
Reference number

437203

Salary

£56,375 - £69,105

National £56,375 - £62,830 London £62,000 - £69,105

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Grade 7

Contract type

Fixed term

Loan

Secondment

Length of employment

18 month FTA with the possibility for a 12 month extension

Business area

APHA – Operational Delivery - Plant & Bee Health

Type of role

Operational Delivery

Science

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Location

Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Carmarthen, Crewe, Exeter, Leicester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Preston, Weybridge, Winchester (Itchen Abbas), York.

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.

About the job
Job summary

This Defra-funded new role will be based in the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and be part of the UK's Plant Health Service. The Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an arm's length body, government agency that sits within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

We have one mission, which is to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of everyone in society, the environment, and the economy. Every one of our employees is passionate about achieving this mission.

Responding to the government's mission for kickstarting economic growth, this role has been created to capitalise on the UK's excellence in plant science and translate this into commercial success for the environmental horticulture sector. This sector is facing a number of interrelated challenges including increasing pest and disease risks, reductions in pesticide use and the use of alternative growing media.

The successful applicant will need to be able to think strategically about how to harness the power of research and innovation to address these collective challenges and drive increases in biosecurity, domestic productivity and trade.

The role will scope out, pilot and deliver new science models which aim to build research and diagnostic capability at a national level, and translate research findings into practice through technical training and public engagement. To deliver this ambition, they will need to work in close collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), as well as build successful relationships with the trade, research and harness the technical capabilities of other organisations across government, academia and the ornamental and amenity horticulture sector.

There will be an expectation for frequent travel to RHS Wisley, Weybridge and other locations for regular meetings.

Job description

The role covers six main areas, components of which are described below:

Leadership and Management:

• Provide strategic leadership, governance and direction for delivery, working with partners including the RHS and APHA to implement operational plans and management frameworks.
• Manage and develop budget to ensure financial resourcing is transparent and allocated effectively.

Governance and Reporting:

• Report to Defra and other bodies on progress, challenges, and achievements.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and standards.

Research and Innovation:

• Oversee development and execution of research programmes, including internships, MSc and PhD projects.
• Foster innovation and collaboration in diagnostics and biosecurity with and between academic, industry and government partners.
• Investigate and manage public and private grants, including strategising and writing funding proposals and reports.

Public Engagement and Collaboration:

• Work with partners to enhance public awareness and build collaboration with stakeholders, including gardeners, industry professionals and regulatory bodies.
• Represent and raise awareness of objectives and outputs associated with the post at industry, government, and sector events.

Training and Skills Development:

• Establish and deliver with partners training to develop current and future practitioners and best practice for UK biosecurity, plant health and horticulture.

Diagnostics and Monitoring:

• Identify and help facilitate improvements to the UK's Plant health diagnostic capabilities by identifying and helping to mitigate known and future threats.
• Implement monitoring and evaluation processes to assess the effectiveness and impact of work undertaken linked to the role

Person specification

We are looking for candidates with the following:

Essential:

• Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in plant health, horticulture, or a related field, or equivalent practical and work experience in plant health.
• Proven experience in a leadership role within a research, academic institution, or an industry research team.
• Track record in successful project management including managing budgets and bring projects on time and within budget.
• Be able to demonstrate knowledge of commercial horticulture, environmental horticulture and / or landscaping.
• Have evidence of delivering excellent written and oral communication for public engagement.
• Strong administrative, organisational, and time management skills.
• Be IT literate using multiple platforms for example Google Workspace, MS Office Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Teams.

Key Skill

• Strong background in plant health research, diagnostics and biosecurity.

Qualifications

Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in plant health, horticulture, or a related field, or equivalent practical and work experience in plant health.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,375, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £16,331 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• • Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 27%
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities tailored to your role
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 60% of their time in the office (minimum 60%)

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 submitted through an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite; there is no requirement to upload your personal CV.
• A 500-word Personal Statement.
• 2 x Behaviour statements of 250-words for Leadership and Communicating & Influencing following the Behaviour criteria outlined in the Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK framework for G7 positions.

CV Guidance

Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements and your main responsibilities in each role and be no longer than 2 pages. Your CV will be used to provide further context on your Personal Statement and scored against the essential criteria.

Personal Statement Guidance

When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Person Specification thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Please ensure you evidence the key personal qualities and experiences that align with the criteria. Consider the Job Description and look to demonstrate how your previous experience may align with the expectations and be applicable to the role. The written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc.

We encourage you to use the full 500-word allowance of the Personal Statement but not to exceed.

You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several essential criteria.

For further guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit the Civil Service Careers website. How to write your CV , Civil Service Careers

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Leadership Behaviour

Candidates who pass an initial sift may be passed to a full sift or go straight to interview stage.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

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.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on the Behaviours listed in the advert and Experience under the Success Profile Framework.

You will be asked to give a presentation details of which will be given should you be invited to interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via: using the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – 'Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]'

Further Information

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

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.

Salary

New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

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 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- stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

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.

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.

Loan and Fixed Term Appointments

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as Head of Plant Science with Plant & Bee Health because:

The post is not permanent. It is time limited due to a fixed funding period or as part of a specific project. The fixed-term will end when the funding or the project expires.

Your responsibilities will include those shown on the Responsibilities section of the advert. This post will therefore begin from the agreed start date and end 18 months after that start date.

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.

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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

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)
• 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 : PBH Recruitment Team
• 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

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