Veterinary Lead for Parasitology in the Surveillance Intelligence Unit (SIU) (CR232- 2412)
| Dyddiad hysbysebu: | 10 Gorffennaf 2024 |
|---|---|
| Cyflog: | £52,120 i £64,380 bob blwyddyn |
| Gwybodaeth ychwanegol am y cyflog: | Salary is pro-rata for job share. £52,120 - £58,540 is the National Scale (all other locations) and £57,316 - £64,380 is London scale (Weybridge) |
| Oriau: | Llawn Amser |
| Dyddiad cau: | 31 Gorffennaf 2024 |
| Lleoliad: | Weybridge |
| Cwmni: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Math o swydd: | Parhaol |
| Cyfeirnod swydd: | 358762/9 |
Crynodeb
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and 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 the benefit of the environment and the economy.
The Science Directorate delivers high quality, high impact relevant multidisciplinary science. Our people are diverse, talented, engaged and inspired to deliver innovative outcomes.
The Surveillance Intelligence Unit is a multi-disciplinary team within the APHA Science Directorate. The SIU team is responsible for collecting, collating, presenting and analysing scanning surveillance data. This is exciting work which includes evaluation of potential threats to animal health and welfare, public health and environmental health, working within the principles of One Health. A significant component of the data that inform potential threats are generated through the APHA’s network of Veterinary Investigation Centres (VICs) and diagnostic laboratories, alongside horizon scanning activities. A full description of the scanning surveillance network is available at: http://apha.defra.gov.uk/vet-gateway/surveillance/index.htm
Aa the Veterinary Lead for Parasitology you will be working closely with other specialist groups in APHA including the Species Expert Groups (each having their own Veterinary Lead in SIU) and colleagues involved with parasitology testing, external parasitology groups, and Government policy teams.
Leading on delivery of the Government-funded project for parasitology in England and Wales, focusing mostly on livestock and wild animal species, advice on parasites affecting other animals is occasionally also required. The primary aims of the parasitology project are detection, investigation, and characterisation of new and re-emerging parasitology-related threats; provision of parasitic disease expertise to APHA and Government policy customers; maintenance and development of parasitology expertise within APHA; and development of parasitology knowledge exchange networks. Responsible for leading on parasitology surveillance and horizon scanning reports, engagement activities related to parasitology, and contributing to the parasitology component of various other communications, as well as contributing to the continuous improvement of these outputs. Examples of some of these reports can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-disease-surveillance-reports.
You will be responsible for building capability, expertise, and networks in key areas of our science. You must possess expertise in this subject area; and ensure continuing development of this expertise in yourself and others, so that APHA can maintain capability and resilience, and adapt to our customers’ requirements.
As the Veterinary Lead for Parasitology you will be:
- Interacting and working cooperatively with work groups in Weybridge, Sand Hutton (York), Veterinary Investigation Centres, and the Surveillance Intelligence Unit (SIU) including Species Expert Groups (SEGs), to ensure approaches to parasitology are coordinated across APHA and with key partners.
- Have a collaborative approach to maintain and develop networks with external parasitological specialists and organisations in the UK, Europe and worldwide.
- Leading on communicating and engaging with stakeholders (both Government and external) to ensure awareness of evidence-based parasite related threats and best practice for detection and control.
- Working with resource managers to ensure capability is developed and maintained for parasitology testing, investigation, and consultancy in APHA.
- Joining up activities in parasitology across APHA championing best practice and professional development for colleagues working in this area.
- Acting as disease consultant within APHA for various parasitic diseases and leading National Reference Laboratories where appropriate.
- Ensuring that APHA is utilising new approaches and tests where relevant and scientific staff are briefed on potential applications. Overseeing development of new diagnostic tools to continuously improve testing capability in APHA.
- Undertaking regular horizon scanning and data analysis (for example using the APHA VIDA database) for potential parasite threats to the UK and developing new approaches to threat detection when appropriate. Further information about VIDA is available here: VIDA - APHA Scientific (defra.gov.uk).
- Evaluating and investigating potential new and re-emerging parasite related threats and making decisions on further actions including characterisation, mitigation, communication and escalation to Government Risk Assessment groups (including the Veterinary Risk Group and the Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group) as appropriate. This includes consideration of differential diagnosis for other diseases that might cause similar clinical presentations.
- Providing support during, and in preparation for, notifiable or reportable disease outbreaks, in line with APHA’s commitment to controlling these diseases.