Senior Scientist – Wild Bird Diagnostic Testing Lead

Senior Scientist – Wild Bird Diagnostic Testing Lead (OB23.24)

Salary: £42,577 - £47,039. Pro-rata salary for job share. A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.

Working pattern: Full-time, Job share, Part-time

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.

This post is based in the Virology department, which is a multi-disciplinary department with internationally recognised expertise on a wide range of viruses. Our programmes of diagnostic and research work on avian influenza (AIV), swine influenza (SwIV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) at APHA have a strong national and international dimension and focus, seeking to rapidly define infection, apply better solutions for threat mitigation and control, to protect UK and global food security.

We are seeking enthusiastic applicants who will be able to manage diagnostic delivery for disease emergence in Wild Birds within the influenza and avian virology workgroup. The successful candidate will lead the delivery of diagnostic assessment of Wild Bird and mammalian samples submitted as part of outbreak response. This will include leading the delivery of Wild Bird testing and liaising with stakeholders over submission pathways for all samples required for testing of wild species. Management and delivery of laboratory based diagnostic activities are critical to this post. The logistical and budgetary responsibilities of the post are significant and as such a highly organised and assured individual is required to undertake this challenging post. You will be supporting the frontline outbreak response, utilising key organisational skills to drive forward resource allocation and diagnostic delivery across a team of higly skilled diagnosticians. You will be critical to the delivery of Wild Bird and mammal diagnostic sample assessment from sample collection through to reporting out results and downstream analysis of samples. You will be required to ensure that the team maintain accurate and traceable laboratory records by adherence to appropriate quality standards (ISO9001, ISO17025) and have management oversight of the frontline report case team with strong linkages to the research teams as necessary. You will also assist senior staff in developing and managing staff in their roles and help supervise visiting scientists and students.

The successful candidate will be required to: maintain expertise and knowledge of avian virology with an emphasis on notifiable avian disease agents; publish work in peer-reviewed journals; have very strong organisational skills and be able to handle complex data sets; represent APHA at national and international meetings as necessary; develop and maintain national and international collaborations and diagnostic activities with scientists from other APHA internal departments and external partners; and assist in project budget management, interacting with senior virology staff and across the workgroup/department as necessary. Linkages to epidemiological scientists will be invaluable in driving cross-discipline relationships relevant to the role.

The ideal candidate will have leadership qualities and a strong background in diagnostic virology or the veterinary virology environment along with experience in Molecular biology – PCR, serological assays, sequencing, phylogenetics and bioinformatics. Excellent written and oral presentations skills and quality management system awareness (ISO17025 & ISO9001) is also required.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate a commitment and personal compliance in all health and safety requirements by training and becoming competent in working with hazard group level 3 pathogens at biological containment level 3 (CL-3) (ACDP3/SAPO4), including Codes of practice, biological and genetically modified organism risk assessments and SOPs.

You will be expected to have gained a BSc. and or MSc. plus a PhD in a relevant subject or have equivalent experience in a relevant diagnostic field.

In return for your dedication, we will support your ongoing scientific and personal development through appropriate training. 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.

A full job specification and role requirements can be found on the Civil Service job site.

Closing date: Apply before 11:55 pm on Tuesday 27 February 2024.