Current vacant posts are in Carmathen and Llandrindod Wells. We welcome applications from those who wish to remain on a reserve list for 12 months during which time vacancies may arise across Wales including Cardiff and Caernarfon

Become part of the Wales team of vets and many other highly skilled staff protecting the welfare and disease status of our national herds and flocks as well as helping to protect human health. Working for APHA is your chance to practice veterinary medicine on a national scale and make a difference. Expect to work hard but with flexibility over working patterns. Expect to have to think on your feet and have difficult situations to resolve but to be trained and supported in these activities. Expect a wide variety of challenges with opportunities to develop specialist areas of interest.

Including
• Decreasing the spread of zoonotic disease
• Reducing the risk from new diseases
• Enhancing food security
• Rapidly controlling disease outbreaks
• Enhancing national biosecurity
• Improving animal welfare
• Reducing the incidence of TB
• Informing policy making
• Improving International trade and the agricultural economy

The purpose of a Senior Veterinary Inspector is to provide veterinary operational services to safeguard animal health and welfare and public health, protect the economy and enhance food security through inspection, surveillance, regulation, enforcement and where applicable research, through the application of state veterinary medicine in the delivery of GB Governments’ policies.

You will have well-honed interpersonal skills with the ability to provide authoritative advice, sometimes under difficult circumstances to a wide range of stakeholders. You will often be required to work and make decisions alone, and therefore need logical and methodological thought processes. You will need to have the ability to absorb rapidly changing policy decisions, often under pressure and be aware of the implications of decisions that can have far reaching consequences. Your fact-finding ability and analytical skills will assist you in your role and in addition you will need to show initiative, originality and creativity especially when faced with various challenging situations.

Senior Veterinary Inspectors have a range of duties and are asked to work both independently and as part of a team.

There are a range of veterinary activities you may undertake as part of duties, depending on the location and business need:
• Responding to incidents and outbreaks of notifiable animal disease including (with reasonable notice) undertaking periods of detached duty and delivering other veterinary roles and tasks as required by the business. Standard Travel & Subsistence rules apply.
• Providing veterinary advice and making effective decisions at individual / premises level in a disease emergency, using sound veterinary judgement and adhering to standard guidance and operating procedures
• Investigating animal diseases in farm livestock by undertaking on-farm and field investigations by examining and inspecting farmed animals, to support differential diagnosis of disease, conducting in field post mortem examinations, and/or collecting and submitting appropriate samples for laboratory testing;
• Investigating individual animals and herds for the presence of notifiable disease, new and re-emerging threats and other food safety incidents and zoonotic disease
• Carrying out physical examinations of animals, records, premises, equipment and vehicles when a veterinary investigation, opinion, decision and or witness statement is required
• Ensuring personal decisions, advice and actions are based on evidence, taking account of the policy and legal frameworks and Operations Manual Instructions and are clearly and appropriately communicated
• Representing the Agency, engaging with animal keepers, wider industry and operational partners to gather intelligence, and educate and influence to improve the level of understanding, compliance and safe behaviour
• Being part of a veterinary duty and out-of-hours rota

Responsibilities

• Practical experience of veterinary work; including the handling of farmed animals (e.g. cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry), horses and small animals (e.g. cats, dogs), knowledge of farmed animal husbandry systems and proficiency in routine techniques (such as blood sampling; clinical and physical examination), and evidence of first-hand relevant experience, skills and competencies which will enable them to develop as State Veterinarians
• Professional credibility with a high standard of interpersonal skills to communicate veterinary knowledge within and external to APHA in a way that promotes understanding by the target audience(s), including production of succinct and accurate reports to meet specified requirements, including drafting witness statements where needed
• Ability to demonstrate leadership skills by displaying inspiring behaviours that align with organisational values*and championing inclusivity
• Ability to work within an auditable system of procedures and processes maintaining appropriate levels of quality assurance and control, including excellent standards of record keeping
• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you are to work in an agile way
• Ability to communicate complex and technical issues in plain and clear English to a non technical based clientele.

Full Driving licence driving license (manual or automatic) evidence to be provided at interview

Minimum of Bachelor of Veterinary Science or equivalent.

A Member or Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• In tray exercise
• Technical knowledge of links between veterinary practice and public health
• An opportunity to demonstrate how your existing veterinary skills could enhance the APHA provision of service

 

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension
• Plus 25 days per annum holiday (rising to 30 with length of service) 8 bank holidays plus 1 privilege day Pro rata for part time