JOB SUMMARY

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.
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 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 purpose of the job is to be a member of a team carrying out sample testing to establish the diagnosis of animal disease, monitoring animal health, screening for incursion of exotic disease, and performing statutory testing. A wide variety of tests are undertaken utilising parasitology, serology, microbiology. Training initially in Parasitology.

JOB DESCRIPTION

To carry out any duties commensurate within the grade and purpose of the post including, but not limited to the following:

PERSON SPECIFICATION

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate the following essential experience and skills.

• Well-organised and be able to respond to competing priorities, adapting skills and resources to changing circumstances.
• A team player, working well with others but can carry out individual tasks as required with the minimum of supervision.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Proactive in their approach to work.
• Accuracy inputting data and storing of records.
• Experience of using Microsoft packages Outlook, Excel, Word.
• Customer service focused.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• 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)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

PARASITOLOGY DUTIES:

• Carrying out parasitological techniques for the identification and enumeration of various ecto and endoparasites. These include:
• Speciation of coccidial Oocysts.
• Detection of eggs of Haemonchus spp using FITC labelled peanut agglutinin.
• Giardia Cysts.
• Fluke egg demonstration by faecal sedementation.
• Identifying Faecal nematode eggs and coccidial oocysts.
• Isolation of Lungworm larva from faeces by the Baermann technique.
• Worm counting of the ruminent alimentary tract.
• Diagnosis of Dirofiliaria immitis, microfillariae, Canine and Feline heartworm, by filtration technique.
• Preparation of reagents, sterile/clean equipment.
• Staining for specific organisms, such as Cryptosporidia.

GAMMA INTERFERON DUTIES:

• Ensure all samples received for gamma testing are processed as efficiently as possible.
• Ensure reagents and consumables records are maintained.
• Register submissions on to the LIMS system.
• Stimulation of high volumes of whole blood samples.
• Carry out ELISA testing.
• Data entry of sample information.

POST MORTEM ROOM DUTIES:

• To assist Veterinary colleagues in taking samples for testing.
• Preparation and reading of smears.
• Storage and archiving and retention of samples.
• Dispatching of samples for processing to other locations.
• Disposal and manual handling of carcass waste.