Plant Pathologist

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

- 432945

**Salary**:

- £29,013 - £31,177
- A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

**Job grade**:

- Administrative Officer
- A4

**Contract type**:

- Permanent

**Type of role**:

- Science

**Working pattern**:

- Full-time

**Number of jobs available**:

- 1

**Contents**:

- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know

**Location**:

- Edinburgh

**About the job**:
**Job summary**:
Are you looking for a role where you can utilise your diagnostic and analytical skills to contribute to the protection of the Scottish rural economy and the environment?

The Bacteriology Unit, along with the UK Potato Quarantine Unit, Plant Pathology Unit and the PSTVd and other Viroids Laboratory, make up the Plant Health Sciences Branch which is part of SASA’s Plant Health and Rural Engagement group.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Plant Pathologist to join the Bacteriology team and help us to provide an official diagnostic testing service which is critical to Scotland’s food supply and security and protection of the environment, in compliance with national and international phytosanitary regulation. The delivery of this service is also essential to support routine business, trade and to effectively minimise the impacts from plant health threats.

Your primary role will be to support delivery of this diagnostic testing service for plant pathogens of regulatory concern.

**Job description**:

- Support delivery of a diagnostic service for pathogens of regulatory concern in plant material associated with imports/exports, certification, plant-passporting inspections, multi annual surveillance and “unknown” bacterial pests.
- Support delivery of Scotland’s annual surveillance, monitoring and testing programmes for seed and ware potato production, for the presence of bacterial pathogens of quarantine significance.
- Responsible for resources to ensure the day to day running of the laboratory, including provision of consumables and chemicals, equipment, glasshouses and the Reference Culture Collections.
- Provide support with the Unit’s Quality Assurance Systems 9001 and ISO 17025.

**Person specification**:
**Technical / Professional Skills**:

- ** Communicating science and engineering for government** - Generates, collates and provides succinct scientific, technical or engineering evidence to fulfil requirements.
- ** Developing science and engineering capability** - Seeks opportunities to broaden their knowledge.
- ** Technical oversight and management** - Ability to self-manage their time as well as part of a team to meet targets.

**Experience**:

- Experience in plant pathology and practical experience using a range of methodologies for detection and identification of plant pathogens, including molecular methods and aseptic techniques.
- Experience of conducting science within a quality framework.

**Technical skills**:
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

- Communicating science and engineering for government - Generates, collates and provides succinct scientific, technical or engineering evidence to fulfil requirements.
- Developing science and engineering capability - Seeks opportunities to broaden their knowledge.
- Technical oversight and management - Ability to self-manage their time as well as part of a team to meet targets.

**Benefits**:

- Alongside your salary of £29,013, Scottish Government contributes £8,405 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 employer contribution of 28.97%

**Things you need to know**:
**Selection process details**:

- This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an **interview** and **presentation**.

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)
- 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 expe