Project Manager: Private Laboratory Engagement

Project Manager: Private Laboratory Engagement

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), and core Defra are involved in the Cabinet Office’s National Biosurveillance Network (NBN), which is a major initiative to pilot and improve cross-government surveillance for biological threats.

We have a vacancy for a Project Manager: Private Laboratory Engagement in the Antimicrobial Resistance Team.

The NBN is a key component of the UK’s newly refreshed Biological Security Strategy (BSS), which outlines the UK’s cross government mission to achieve resilience to a spectrum of biological threats. The NBN aims to improve the UK’s ability to characterise and report biological risks across the One Health spectrum, reliably and rapidly. This includes improving ways of working to better record, share and utilise surveillance outputs, and bringing data together to generate a holistic picture of risks including AMR.

A key focus of the NBN is facilitating the sharing of privately-held data with government, which we are piloting for data on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals. AMR is a truly One Health issue, with resistant organisms able to transfer between animals and people, and resistance genes being transmissible between commensal and pathogenic bacteria. In the UK, we have well-established programmes of AMR surveillance in healthy food-producing animals at slaughter. We also have extensive surveillance of AMR in bacteria causing disease in people. However, the majority of testing for AMR in veterinary diagnostic submissions is performed by private veterinary laboratories and does not feed into governmental surveillance. This means our understanding of AMR in animals is limited, which affects our wider ability to assess AMR risks, and detect and respond to emerging threats.

In this pilot, we will be exploring the sharing of veterinary AMR data held by private veterinary laboratories with government. This work will build on an existing VMD/APHA proof-of-concept with a limited number of labs. This critical role will support the project lead for Private Laboratory Engagement, who will be leading on engagement with private laboratories and the wider veterinary sector, in ensuring successful delivery of this pilot. You will interface with the AMR team at APHA, and the Surveillance Intelligence Unit (SIU), as they manage collation, verification, and analysis of external AMR data. You will also liaise with external partners to manage timely reporting and delivery in their areas of responsibility.

Qualifications required:

• A formal project management qualification such as APM PMQ, Prince2 or Agile, is required as this role will involve managing a complex and fast paced body of work.
• A scientific background (degree-level qualification in a relevant scientific discipline, or equivalent experience).

Experience required:

You must have:

• Demonstrable experience in successfully managing and delivering projects and the use of project management tools and techniques
• Experience effectively managing a complex workload, and working with multiple stakeholders
• Sound record of embracing innovative approaches to respond quickly and decisively to variable and challenging priorities
• You must be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office 365 packages, particularly Word, Excel and Outlook, can navigate the internet and can learn to use the VMD’s bespoke IT systems

The closing date for applications is 5 March 2024.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate is an Equal Opportunity employer

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