Animal and Plant Health Agency
Information Rights Officer
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Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Carmarthen, Crewe, Exeter, Leicester, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Nottingham, Preston, Winchester, York
Job Summary
Can you thrive in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities while delivering high-quality outcomes?
Do you enjoy investigating information, solving problems and supporting good governance?
If so, we would love to hear from you!
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (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.
Job Description
The Role
As an Information Rights Officer, you will support APHA’s Information Rights service, helping to manage requests made under:
- The Freedom of Information Act (FOI)
- The Environmental Information Regulations (EIR)
- The Data Protection Act (data subject requests)
You will help ensure requests are handled efficiently, accurately, and in accordance with legislative requirements, while supporting a culture of openness, compliance, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
You will:
- Process and coordinate Information Rights requests, ensuring they are managed in accordance with statutory deadlines, organisational procedures and legislative requirements
- Manage Information Rights casework, including drafting responses, supporting internal reviews and ICO enquiries, and maintaining accurate records through effective use of the eCase system
- Provide advice, guidance and support to colleagues on Information Rights legislation, processes and good practice, seeking support from senior team members where required
- Promote awareness and understanding of Information Rights, records management and information governance across APHA, contributing to organisational compliance and best practice
- Contribute to the development, maintenance and continuous improvement of Information Rights guidance, procedures, processes and working practices, ensuring information remains accurate and up to date
- Support the management of APHA's publication scheme, helping to ensure information is published accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues across APHA, Defra Group and external stakeholders to support the delivery of Information Rights activities and objectives
- Support colleagues within the team through collaboration, knowledge sharing and a positive approach to team working, contributing to the effective delivery of APHA's Information Rights service
Person specification
Experience
You will be able to demonstrate the following:
- Knowledge of FOIA, EIR, and Data Protection legislation
- Practical experience handling information requests or working in a regulatory or compliance environment
- Experience working in a fast-paced setting with varied and shifting priorities
Skills and Ability
- Strong organisational and analytical skills, with excellent attention to detail
- Confident communicator with clear written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to build effective working relationships and support stakeholders
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team to proactively resolve issues
Technical / Other Knowledge
- Understanding of how public sector bodies operate, including the role of information governance
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Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
Working Together
Alongside your salary of £29,715, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £8,608 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).
Learning and Development
At APHA, we are committed to supporting you to develop your skills, knowledge, and professional capability throughout your career.
From day one, you will be welcomed through a structured induction programme, helping you understand the Civil Service, our work, and how we operate. You’ll work closely with your line manager to set clear priorities and develop a performance, learning, and development plan tailored to your role.
We will support you to build and maintain your expertise in information rights and related disciplines, including working towards relevant practitioner qualifications. You’ll also be encouraged to engage with the wider profession through networks, working groups, and professional bodies, helping you stay connected to emerging best practice across KIM and the Civil Service.
Alongside formal training, you will have opportunities to apply and develop your knowledge in a practical environment, contributing to continuous improvement and innovation in how we manage information.
Inclusion, support, and the wellbeing of our people are central to what we do, ensuring everyone at APHA can thrive both professionally and personally.
Benefits
- Civil Service Pension - Defra contributes an average of 28.97% of your salary towards your pension
- 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 from retailers such as Highstreet coffee shops, Cinema’s, supermarkets, Highstreet retailers and many, many more.
- Staff bonuses and recognition including appreciate vouchers of up to £200 and larger in year awards of up to £1000,
- Salary sacrifice benefit options and an employee discount scheme such as bike to work, Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme, every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year for each child.
- Discounted gym membership with Fitness First or Pure Gym.
- Special Leave with pay, per year, for volunteering.
- Making it work for you - With so many flexible working options, most people can find a work schedule to suit their circumstances.
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.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Application Process
As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a CV and complete 750- word Personal Statement detailing your suitability for the role based on the bullet points within the Person Specification section of the advertisement above.
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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 but will not be scored.
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.
You will also be asked to provide 250-word statements demonstrating how you meet the following Behaviour:
Working Together
Further details around what this will entail can be found on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, there will be an initial sift assessing the Personal Statement. Those who pass the initial sift will be progressed either to a full sift or straight to interview.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviour, Experience and Strength questions.
The Behaviours are as follows:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
During the interview, Experience will be assessed through questions.
It is intended that interviews will take place using Teams.
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.
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: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk using the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’
Location
Please be aware that this role(s) will be contractually based in a Defra group workplace/office. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location (excluding Northern Ireland) and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
For most candidates your hours of work will be a blend of working from an APHA workplace (specific to the team location) with working at home.
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 ‘
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