Senior Veterinary Inspector and Mobile Senior Veterinary Inspector
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
Grade: Senior Executive Officer

If you are a professional in the field of animal health, APHA can offer you a meaningful career full of rich experiences and real impact.

Operating at the centre of the complex and vital area, we were created to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of our environment, the UK economy and for all of us who live here. The scope of our work touches the widest range of important subjects. We protect endangered wildlife, conduct research into bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases and vaccines, facilitate the international trade in animals, identify and control endemic and exotic diseases, and manage a programme of bee inspections, diagnostics, research and training and so much more.

In joining us, you will be part of a diverse team of over 2,000 skilled, experienced and committed professionals. Here you will enjoy an inclusive, supportive environment built on high-quality training, opportunities for progression and professional mentoring and coaching.

Providing state veterinary services to farmed animals with the overall remit of safeguarding animal health and public health, and protecting the economy and enhancing food security, you will: 

• Respond to incidents and outbreaks of notifiable animal diseases, taking the lead during emergency situations and making appropriate recommendations to control such situations. You will therefore be willing to travel across the UK depending on where an outbreak has occurred. 
• Examine and inspect animals to support disease diagnoses, taking samples for laboratory testing and interpreting the relevant data.  
• Conduct in-field post mortem examinations, determining likely causes of death and the potential consequences. 
• Investigate records, premises, equipment and vehicles connected to animal diseases. 
• Perform or supervise the euthanasia of animals, ensuring animal welfare is consistently observed. 
• Conduct import controls, including investigations into suspected illegal activity.  

To deliver a high-quality service, you will be a qualified Member or Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, with experience of handling farmed animals. As this is a role that enjoys a great deal of autonomy, you will be a motivated self-starter, with the capacity to make decisions in pressurised environments. Maintaining a good knowledge of changing policy decisions, you will be adept at unearthing important details and analysing information quickly.

As your work will take you into difficult or challenging scenarios, you will need excellent communication and partnership skills, with the ability to explain your decisions clearly and fairly. You will also act as a mentor to other veterinary, technical and administrative colleagues and undergraduate students, so you will have good teaching and leadership skills. It would be preferable if you also have experience of state veterinary medicine, with a knowledge of relevant legislation, animal husbandry systems and welfare, TB policy and controls and exotic notifiable disease response. 

Location:
Chelmsford, Exeter, Lincoln, Aston Down, Wallingford, Worcester, Weymouth, Bridgewater, Welwyn Garden City, Shrewsbury

Closing date for applications: 29th October 2018.

To submit your application, click the apply button.