3x Fish Health Inspectors

Job summary

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

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. Cefas helps 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. You will be required to regularly operate as a lone worker. A lease car scheme is in place for Fish Health Inspectors.

Welcome to Cefas (youtube.com)

Cefas Careers- Fish Health Inspector

Job description

Your 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 (APB’s) to assess compliance with legislative requirements, including inspection of records, assessment of biosecurity measures and collection of data. The provision of advice to APB’s to facilitate good regulatory compliance and effective biosecurity measures, and the implementation of enforcement actions on APB’s as required.
• The examination of fish and shellfish stocks for serious diseases; investigating abnormal mortality events in aquatic animals; conducting post-mortem examinations of fish and shellfish; the collection of samples for diagnostic testing; the control of disease outbreaks through the application of statutory controls on sites.
• The 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.
• The provision of support to the Enforcement Lead in investigations and enforcement activities.
• The provision of 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.
• You will be required to regularly operate as a lone worker.

While this position is a site-based role, it requires considerable regular travel across England and Wales. This will include 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. Time spent working away from the home location will primarily be to field-based operational sites, although travel to other organisational locations, supplier, customer, and partner premises may be required. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

A lease car scheme is in place for Fish Health Inspectors.

In addition, Cefas reserves the right to ask staff to take on additional duties and responsibilities which are commensurate with their grade. Management will have a discussion with staff to explain the changes that are to be made. A new job description will be issued if required.

Person specification

Person Specification and Essential Criteria section

The following are essential criteria required for this role and you must be able to demonstrate your skills and experience in the following areas:

• 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 as stated in the person specification and essential criteria section. If successful for this vacancy, candidates will be expected to provide evidence ahead of starting in post.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,783, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science contributes £10,076 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Generous annual leave entitlement – Cefas offers 25 days' annual leave on entry (rising to 30 days over first 5yrs) for full-time new ent