3x Fish Health Inspectors

Job Summary

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) makes an important contribution to securing healthy and sustainable marine and freshwater environments. Cefas' vision is to make a real difference for society, as recognised leaders in marine and aquatic science, helping to shape and implement policy through internationally renowned science and collaborative relationships that span UK and International governments, non-governmental organisations, research centres and industry.

The Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) at Cefas is the regulatory body responsible for the official control of serious diseases affecting aquatic animals in England and Wales and for maintaining the nation's high aquatic animal health status.

This is a statutory inspector role within the FHI, operating on behalf of Defra and Welsh Government. The role is responsible for delivering and enforcing the Aquatic Animal Health Regulations and associated legislation to protect aquatic animals from serious diseases, support national biosecurity and facilitate a healthy and sustainable aquaculture sector. This is achieved through a programme of inspections, disease surveillance, sampling and enforcement activities delivered in the field by Fish Health Inspectors.

Considerable regular travel across England and Wales is an essential feature of this position, with some nights away from home through the week and occasionally at weekends, as well as working on an on-call rota. Candidates will be required to regularly operate as a lone worker. A lease car scheme is in place for Fish Health Inspectors.

Job Description

Main duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Working to a formal quality management system, delivering a programme of inspections of fish and shellfish farms, and other aquaculture production businesses (APBs) to assess compliance with legislative requirements, including inspection of records, assessment of biosecurity measures and collection of data. Providing advice to APBs to facilitate good regulatory compliance and effective biosecurity measures, and implementing enforcement actions on APBs as required.
• Examination of fish and shellfish stocks for serious diseases; investigating abnormal mortality events in aquatic animals; conducting post-mortem examinations of fish and shellfish; collecting samples for diagnostic testing; controlling disease outbreaks through the application of statutory controls on sites.
• Application of controls on non-native aquatic animals on farms and in trade, as well as work conducted on behalf of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate on veterinary residues surveillance and medicines mixing licence inspections.
• Undertaking checks on imported live aquatic animals at ports, airports and at destination, and health checks on exports of live aquatic animals.
• Providing support to the Enforcement Lead in investigations and enforcement activities.
• Providing advice and guidance to APB operators; liaison with other government agencies; representational activities with stakeholder groups.
• Occasional opportunity for international work and representation of FHI and Cefas to industry, government and other agencies.
• Participation on rota for on-call cover (evenings and weekends), inspectorate office duty and ad hoc fieldwork rota.

While this position is a site-based role, it requires considerable regular travel across England and Wales, including some nights away from home through the week and occasionally at weekends, as well as working on an on-call rota. This is an essential requirement for the position.

Person Specification – Essential Criteria

• A good knowledge of UK aquaculture and diseases affecting fish, molluscs and crustaceans, together with experience working in aquaculture or another science-based regulatory, inspection or animal health role involving disease prevention, biosecurity, compliance, enforcement or environmental protection.
• Highly motivated, with good organisational skills, attention to detail along with a desire to carry out work to a high standard in a regulatory capacity.
• Ability to assess compliance against legislative requirements, interpret technical and scientific evidence and apply proportionate enforcement when necessary.
• A strong understanding of biosecurity principles and their practical application in aquaculture settings.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with strong interpersonal skills and experience in dealing with people under challenging circumstances.
• Ability to use specialist IT systems and databases to record information on inspections, samples and regulatory actions; confidence in working with mobile digital platforms.
• Willingness and ability to undertake extensive fieldwork, including inspections of aquaculture facilities, often involving lone working and regular travel.

Licences

Candidates must demonstrate having a full driving licence valid for driving in the UK.

Behaviours Assessed

Communicating and Influencing (lead behaviour); Making Effective Decisions; Delivering at Pace.

Salary and Benefits

Alongside a salary of £34,783, Cefas contributes £10,076 towards Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme membership.

• Generous annual leave entitlement – 25 days' annual leave on entry (rising to 30 days over first 5 years) for full-time new entrants, plus 8 public holidays a year, plus an additional day to mark the King's birthday.
• Access to learning and development tailored to the role.
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options.
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• Eligibility to join the Civil Service Pension scheme.
• Skills and Personal Effectiveness Allowances (SPEA), non-consolidated.
• Biannual Personal Performance Payments (non-consolidated) linked to individual performance.
• Spot Performance Payments (non-consolidated) linked to outstanding work delivered, results achieved or contribution.

Selection Process

This vacancy uses Success Profiles, assessing Behaviours and Experience. As part of the application process, candidates must provide a CV, a maximum 750-word personal statement on how they meet the essential criteria, and a maximum 250-word response to the advertised question on the lead behaviour: "What techniques do you use to build rapport and influence others effectively?"

If successful at application stage, candidates will be invited to interview and assessed on Communicating and Influencing, Making Effective Decisions, and Delivering at Pace. Interviews will take place in person at the Cefas Weymouth Laboratory.

Location

This role will be contractually based at Weymouth. The successful candidate is required to carry out all duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. The successful candidates will be expected to undertake considerable regular travel across England and Wales, with some nights away from home and occasional weekend work, as well as on-call rota participation, and will be required to regularly operate as a lone worker. A lease car scheme is in place for Fish Health Inspectors.

Reserve List

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

Visa Sponsorship

Defra and Cefas do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker sponsor licence and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Nationality Requirements

This job is broadly open to: 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), or who have made a valid application for such status; individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020; and Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. Recruitment is 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, running a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Contact Point for Applicants

Job Contact: Amanda Miles or Alec Wilson, Email: resourcing@cefas.gov.uk

Recruitment team: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

How to Apply

More information and application: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4444884704/