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 provide support to Veterinary staff within the Veterinary Investigation Centre’s Post mortem Room, and to support the Parasitology, Salmonella and Gamma Interferon departments, though the role is primarily based in the post mortem room.

JOB DESCRIPTION

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

• General support.
• Responsibility for the receipt of carcasses/live animals and preparation of carcasses for veterinary inspection, including weighing, skinning, opening body cavities, removal of viscera as required.
• Ensuring appropriate disposal of carcass and other clinical, laboratory and animal waste.
• Assisting veterinary staff with euthanasia where necessary.
• Assisting veterinary staff with carcass sampling and recordings of findings, including collection of instruments/trays for sampling.
• Prepare and process smears on to suitable media, including smear reading as required.
• Bench side tests relating to Post-mortems to include microscopy, ZN and MZN smears.
• Responsibility for the storage, archiving and retention of samples.
• Ensuring samples are collected, collated, appropriately packed and dispatched to other processing centres as required.
• To carry out statutory sampling such as BSE, Scrapie, and poultry sampling.
• To complete necessary paperwork accurately, maintain laboratory records.
• Monitor and maintain relevant stocks and sundries, ordering of media and other consumables as needed.
• To carry out cleaning and disinfection routines, including sterilisation and fumigation of the equipment used within the laboratory and PM room.
• Monitor and maintain cold stores, safety cabinets, balances, fridges, and other equipment used within the laboratory and PM room, including arranging servicing of equipment as required, carrying out calibration and reporting malfunctions or other discrepancies to line manager, ensuring the safety of equipment.

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 minimum 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.
• Be physically fit.
• Experience of using Microsoft packages Outlook, Excel, Word.
• Customer service focused.
• Previous experience of working with Carcasses or livestock.

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

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

• General support.
• Responsibility for the receipt of carcasses/live animals and preparation of carcasses for veterinary inspection, including weighing, skinning, opening body cavities, removal of viscera as required.
• Ensuring appropriate disposal of carcass and other clinical, laboratory and animal waste.
• Assisting veterinary staff with euthanasia where necessary.
• Assisting veterinary staff with carcass sampling and recordings of findings, including collection of instruments/trays for sampling.
• Prepare and process smears on to suitable media, including smear reading as required.
• Bench side tests relating to Post-mortems to include microscopy, ZN and MZN smears.
• Responsibility for the storage, archiving and retention of samples.
• Ensuring samples are collected, collated, appropriately packed and dispatched to other processing centres as required.
• To carry out statutory sampling such as BSE, Scrapie, and poultry sampling.
• To complete necessary paperwork accurately, maintain laboratory records.
• Monitor and maintain relevant stocks and sundries, ordering of media and other consumables as needed.
• To carry out cleaning and disinfection routines, including sterilisation and fumigation of the equipment used within the laboratory and PM room.
• Monitor and maintain cold stores, safety cabinets, balances, fridges, and other equipment used within the laboratory and PM room, including arranging servicing of equipment as required, carrying out calibration and reporting malfunctions or other discrepancies to line manager, ensuring the safety of equipment