Senior Efficacy Assessor

Job summary

About the VMD

The VMD is the regulatory and policy lead responsible for issues concerning the authorisation, use, and manufacture of veterinary medicines in the UK.

Our aim is to protect public health, animal health, and the environment, and promote animal welfare by assuring the safety, quality and effectiveness of veterinary medicines.

Find out more at: About us - Veterinary Medicines Directorate - GOV.UK

About the Job

This exciting and interesting job puts you at the heart of authorising veterinary medicines in the UK. Your work will play a key role in assuring the safety and efficacy of animal medicines and will significantly contribute to the VMD meeting its published standards.

You will be a senior veterinary assessor within the Efficacy Team, one of our specialist teams within the Pharmaceutical Section, which in turn is part of the VMD’s Authorisations Division.

You will be responsible for assessing efficacy and target species safety data for applications for:

• New marketing authorisations for pharmaceutical veterinary medicines.
• Variations to existing marketing authorisations.
• Veterinary aspects of animal test certificates to conduct clinical field trials.
• Collaborating with members of the Authorisations Division to achieve the Division’s overall objectives.

Job description

Main duties of the role

• Scientifically assess target animal safety and efficacy data for marketing authorisations for pharmaceutical veterinary medicinal products in line with legislative timelines and relevant guidance documents.
• Conduct detailed scientific evaluations of data, collaborating with fellow assessors to identify benefits and risks, formulate regulatory recommendations, prepare and peer review assessment reports, and present findings to UK and international scientific committees.
• Lead and coordinate the efficacy team’s contribution to at least one work area relevant to the regulation of veterinary medicinal products.
• Deputise for the Head of the Efficacy Team.
• Contribute to the VMD’s Regulatory Science Strategy.
• Advise applicants on the technical aspects of potential and ongoing applications and lead the Efficacy Team at meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
• Support, and in some cases lead, the efficacy team’s contribution to VMD Scientific Advice.
• Contribute to the delivery of the VMD International Strategy (which may involve foreign travel).
• Advise Defra and outside organisations, including logistics to ensure the continued availability of pharmaceutical veterinary medicines.
• Develop junior assessors in the team and additionally you may line manage junior assessors.
• Collaborate with members of the Authorisations Division to achieve the Division’s overall objectives and contribute to wider VMD initiatives, such as training and development, publicity programmes, R&D programme.
• Complying with ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 27001 (information security) standards, and GDPR and Information Management requirements.
• Act corporately – meeting, role-modelling, embedding, and championing the corporate objectives set by the VMD.

Person specification

We’re looking for you to have :

• A good understanding of current animal health and topical veterinary issues and you must have experience – or an awareness – of clinical veterinary work.
• Experience – or be able to demonstrate a viable approach to – successfully managing a team of professionals.
• Relevant experience of pharmaceutical veterinary medicinal products, gained within the pharmaceutical industry and/or within a Regulatory Authority, specifically you have experience of:

- Regulatory authorisation systems for pharmaceutical veterinary medicinal products

- Preparing scientific reports relating to the evaluation of benefit/risk of these products

- Applying your analytical and problem-solving skills quickly to assimilate scientific and other information, identifying issues, drawing conclusions, and making recommendations

We’re looking for someone that:

• Can communicate complex veterinary issues, in writing and face-to-face, with clarity and conviction in the face of tough negotiation or challenge.
• Can prioritise continuous self-learning and development – identifying those areas that you need to develop to achieve your future objectives.
• Can provide scientific training.
• Is proficient in the use of Microsoft Office packages, particularly Word, Excel and Outlook, able to navigate the internet and learn the use of the VMD’s IT systems.

Qualifications

You must hold a degree in veterinary medicine.

Memberships

You must be a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, or be eligible to become a member.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £64,015, Veterinary Medicines Directorate contributes £18,545 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).

1. Learning and development tailored to your role
2. An environment with flexible working options
3. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
4. A Civil Service pension is one of the best workplace pension schemes in the UK public sector, with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
5. Free onsite parking
6. Free eyesight test
7. Onsite gym
8. Access to a prayer room

Awork-life balance is key for us all. We offer flexible working as well as health, well-being and discount schemes. The annual leave package starts at 25 days per year and increases to 30 days over five years. We offer generous maternity, paternity, shared, and adoption leave.

This gives you a flavour of what’s available, but there is so much more we could mention – see Civil Service Employee Benefits , Civil Service Careers for further information.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Further informa