Molecular Biologist-Bioinformatician

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. The AMR & Virulence Characterisation team within the Department of Bacteriology is seeking a molecular microbiologist to deliver science outputs for their core research grants on Antimicrobial Resistance. They will work with others within the Team and across APHA to meet the milestones and deliverables for work proposed in VMD/DEFRA funded core projects, so APHA can deliver the UK’s National Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The post-holder will also deliver other One Health projects as appropriate. This is a laboratory-based post working at our site in Surrey that will require and develop broad skills in bacteriology, molecular biology and genomics. We are seeking enthusiastic applicants with strong communication skills who will work closely with colleagues internally and external partners to help deliver science objectives. Knowledge/experience of sequencing technologies in processing metagenomic sequencing datasets within a UNIX environment is required as the post holder will be expected to contribute their expertise to expand the capability of molecular identification and bioinformatic characterisation of enteric bacteria. Applicants should have a background of driving delivery of research projects from design of day-to-day experiments through to preparing manuscripts for publication. Applicants with a strong science background, extensive relevant experience and a broad knowledge of bacteriology are required. Applicants should have a PhD in Microbiology/Molecular Biology or a similar area. An MSc in Microbiology/Molecular Biology with a proven track record may be considered. A full job specification and role requirements can be found attached to this vacancy. Inclusion, support and the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA. Our benefits include generous annual leave, a contributory pension, staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme. We also offer flexible working. Other information The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Government’s response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason, all postholders based at the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post at APHA Weybridge to ensure they meet the CTC residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have a minimum of 3 years continuous UK residency. If you cannot meet this criteria CTC clearance will not be possible as this is part of pre-employment checks before taking up the post. Closing date: Apply before 11:55 pm on Friday 9 February 2024.