Animal and Plant Health Agency
Administrative Officer (ID4754)
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Weybridge
Job Summary
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 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.
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.
The role of administrative officer is to support the scientific staff in the Surveillance and Laboratory Services Department (SLSD) at Weybridge.
Job Description
The SLSD admin team’s focus is on delivering an efficient and high-quality service to customers. SLSD provides an animal disease testing service to a national and international customer base. This testing can be for diagnostic, international trade, surveillance or project purposes.
Your responsibilities may include, but won’t be limited to:
- Answering telephone enquiries from customers politely, accurately and concisely using computer-based telephony system.
- Answering email enquiries from customers politely, accurately and concisely using Microsoft Outlook.
- Producing test reports using computer-based systems.
- Accurate filing of test submission paperwork.
- Supporting Sample Reception team with registration of sample submissions on adhoc occasions.
- Monitoring stationary stocks and reordering if necessary.
- General use of Microsoft Word and Excel for supporting tasks.
- Compliance with all relevant safety procedures and reporting incidents and near misses.
- Responding to animal disease outbreaks which may involve working weekends and shifts.
- Participating in all the necessary training to allow you to perform your role correctly and safely.
Person specification
You will need to demonstrate the following in your personal statement:
- Good written communication
- Experience of administrative work
- Excellent phone manner
- Proven experience of Microsoft applications
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 site where the team and work is situated.
Ways of Working
This post requires you to be working in the office 100% of your working week.
Periodic travel within the UK and Europe may be required to attend training courses, conferences and scientific meetings.
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Out of hours work may be required. When overtime or out-of-hours work is required, 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 of time. 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.
The successful candidate will need to comply with a number of health protocols and wear protective clothing and Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment (RPPE) as required.
Restrictions on outside/domestic contact with small animals, mainly rodents and rabbits, may apply.
A valid full driving licence is necessary or access to an alternative means of transport.
The post will also require Health clearance. Depending on the areas of work involved you will be expected to have any necessary health surveillance including Skin sensitizers. This will be arranged by the Health Team, Weybridge. It may also be necessary to undergo a pre-employment medical assessment.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
- Changing and Improving
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
Delivering at Pace
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 (opens in a new window).
Further Benefits Offered Also Include
- 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.
- Staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme.
- Three days special leave with pay, per year, for volunteering (pro-rata for part time employees).
- Making it work for you - With so many flexible options, most people can find a work schedule to suit their circumstances.
- We also have a social committee who run team building and fun events at the Weybridge site
To find out the full range of what we offer refer to the Information Pack attached for more detail.
Learning and Development
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 can include a variety of courses, Apprenticeships, paid Masters and PhD and on-the-job training specific to your role.
In return for your dedication, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training. Inclusion, support and the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA.
Artificial intelligence
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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
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Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Application Process
You will be required to complete the following as part of your application:
- A CV-style application submitted through an online tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobs website
- A 500 word Personal Statement 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.
- A 250-word Behaviour Statement for Delivering at Pace, following the Behaviour criteria outlined in the Success Profiles: Civil Service behaviours - GOV.UK framework for the grade of the role. Please use the STAR technique (Situation Task, Action, Result) to provide evidence of the Behaviours in your application.
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.
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 Personal Statement. 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
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 Science.DirectorateHR@apha.gov.uk with the vacancy
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