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Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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About the job
Job summary
- As International Development Quality Manager, lead on quality management issues related to the Teams International capability and capacity building projects.
- Proactively resolve problems and provide advice, guidance, planning, support and ensure regular communication with management to maintain quality standards.
- Provide internal and external audit programmes in-country to assure APHAs delivery meet the required quality standards.
- Line / functional management duties, including responsibility for staff development for HEO/EO grades.
- Provide internal auditing and advice services.
- Coordinate maintenance of ISO900 where appropriate.
- To act in a consultancy capacity to raise quality standards throughout APHA and International collaborators.
- To ensure the services provided reflect business and customer requirements and are delivered in the most cost effective way taking into account risk and trend analysis.
- To be pro-active in raising awareness of the QMG by developing a range of external contacts.
This will be a Fixed Term Appointment with no intention to become a permanent post.
Job description
Key areas of work will include:
- Ensuring work meets relevant quality standards.
- Planning and execution of Quality Management workshops / training / audit visits to AHSS laboratories.
- Maintain / Develop expertise in ISO17025, ISO9001, ISO17043.
- Provide wider support to QMG as required in response to changing work requirements and priorities (when capacity permits).
- Line management of staff.
- Regular communication with management, taking action points forward to allow key decisions to be made.
- Provide advice and back to office summary reports on issues affecting the Quality Management systems as required.
- Provide auditing and advisory services on ISO17025, ISO9001, ISO17043. Plan and conduct auditing to monitor compliance with APHA procedures and relevant International Standards and to facilitate improvements in processes.
- Where appropriate audit sub-contracted facilities.
- Review and provide consultancy on the ISO17025 Group Quality Manuals for the international laboratories the agency is providing assistance to, through Animal Health System Strengthening (AHSS).
- Support and lead on quality management advice when delivering projects for the International Development Team UKAS accreditation to ISO17025 where appropriate.
- Act as APHAs representative, liaise with the project and programme managers and coordinate accreditation and surveillance inspection programmes. Coordinate and advise on the effective clearance of findings raised at audits. Coordinate effective clearance of Group findings, when capacity dictates.
- Coordinate quality activities through close liaison with Local Quality Managers, Technical Manager, QmG and lead quality managers at the international laboratories.
- Troubleshoot and resolve quality issues/ findings.
- Contribute to Group Quality System Review / Management Review.
- Attend the appropriate project meetings at APHA and Defra.
- To communicate key output from internal quality meetings, external audits and internal quality system controls via back to office reports. Provide content from International visits for Social Media to the project manager.
- Contribute to Quality First Newsletter.
- Responsible for coordinating quality systems and resolution of issues that affect the laboratories linked to AHSS as a whole.
- To identify opportunities for efficiency gains across the Group and the Agency.
- Contributing to the development and implementation of the strategy of the QMS.
- To identify opportunities for efficiency gains and continual improvement through appropriate harmonisation of methods and procedures across international laboratories.
- To fulfil responsibilities for Health and Safety as defined in the APHA Health and Safety Policy and appropriate standards, Codes of Practice, Risk assessments and SOPs. Ensure any Health and Safety issues identified during Quality audits are raised.
- To deliver other tasks and activities for the International Development Team, commensurate with the grade.
Person specification
Required skills and experience:
- Experience of managing ISO 17025 accreditation in a laboratory.
- Detailed knowledge of ISO 17025.
- Auditor experience.
Periodic travel within the UK or overseas will be required and this could include visits to farms, abattoir or other post mortem facilities and laboratories. You may have to ensure that no contact is made with farmed animals for a period of 1-2 days or more before visiting these premises, and may therefore preclude anyone who lives on a livestock farm.
Out of hours work may be required in the event of an incident.
You will need to comply with a number of health protocols and wear protective clothing and Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment (RPPE) as required. Depending on the areas of work involved you will be expected to have any necessary vaccinations or health surveillance.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Changing and Improving
Benefits
£10,069 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
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.
Our benefits include generous annual leave, flexible working, a contributory pension, staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme.
Should you be successful in your application, you can join the active community of scientists and engineers in government as part of the GSE Profession (GSEP). Becoming a member enables you to grow your understanding of profession activities within your own organisation and across the profession. GSEP encourages all members to develop professionally and personally with a variety of free opportunities to learn, develop and network across government. Visit the GSEP GOV.UK page and GSE blog for more details.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Application Process
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement and behaviour statement (250 word max per statement).
In your Personal statement please write up to 500 words demonstrating how you match the required skills and experience for this post.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the personal statement.
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Sift and interview dates as well as the interview location to be confirmed.
Interview
If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours and your experience.
A presentation or additional exercise may also be assessed.
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, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
This role can be based at any APHA science location subject to desk availability.
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 posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Salary
New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.
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.
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 defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk 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 youre 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.
Criminal Record Check
If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service/Disclosure Scotland 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-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
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 applicants 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 an International Development Quality Manager in the Business Development Unit. Your responsibilities will include leading on quality management issues related to the Teams International capability and capacity building projects.
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.
This post will therefore begin from around November 2023 and end on 31st March 2025.
Full Time Only
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. We may consider two part-time staff on a job-share basis if continuity can be arranged. Part-time hours will only be considered as part of a job share.
Higher Security Clearance
The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Governments response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason, all post holders 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 between 3 to 10 years continuous UK residency depending on the level of Security. However, residency qualification maybe reduced for certain roles and will be considered on a case by case basis. Should you be successful at interview you will be required to undertake this security check along with Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check. This includes: identity, employment status, nationality and immigration status, criminal records and any other essential pre-employment checks. You will be required to evidence this documentation. CTC will only be required if based at the Weybridge site.
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.
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. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Gemma Aliaj
- Email : gemma.aliaj@apha.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission.
