Plant Health & Seeds Inspector
| Dyddiad hysbysebu: | 29 Gorffennaf 2024 |
|---|---|
| Cyflog: | £32,136 bob blwyddyn |
| Oriau: | Llawn Amser |
| Dyddiad cau: | 19 Awst 2024 |
| Lleoliad: | National |
| Cwmni: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Math o swydd: | Parhaol |
| Cyfeirnod swydd: | 361930/2 |
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The aims are achieved by excluding, containing or eradicating quarantine plant pests, regulating other plant pests to secure high quality planting material, and facilitating trade through the provision of plant health certification services. PHSI works to Defra’s strategy to “provide a better place for living” through the exclusion, eradication and containment of quarantine pest and disease and informing / training the general public, stakeholders, government and non- government bodies in plant biosecurity. Inspections on fresh produce in relation to marketing standards will also be conducted in addition to the Plant Health controls.
Inland vacancies available in following office locations:
- Eastern Region North - Spalding
- South East - Canterbury - role will deliver predominantly Horticultural Marketing Inspection (HMI) work
- South West & Wales - Trowbridge
- South Central - Winchester (Itchen Abbas) will be the contractual Defra office but the work area will predominantly be West Sussex.
There are no current vacancies at our other offices, but we encourage you to apply as future vacancies will be filled using the reserve list from this campaign. Please select National at the application stage. All posts will be offered in merit order by vacancy location.
As a Higher Executive Officer (HEO) you will be reporting to a Senior Executive Officer (SEO), you will plan and undertake a programme of tasks, working independently and/or as part of a team.
The range of duties will be dependent on the working region, training, competence and statutory requirements, but may include:
- Being accountable for a designated geographical area which will require you to plan, prioritise, delegate and ensure completion of work so that targets and quality standards are achieved.
- Line and functional management of Executive Officer (EO) inspectors with responsibility for the competent delivery of their work.
- Organising emergency measures to control outbreaks of quarantine and non-indigenous pests and diseases acting as the local incident commander as required.
- Statutory inspection of imported fresh horticultural produce, plants, planting material and plant produce to ensure compliance with import regulations.
- Enforcing the marketing standards and grading rules for fresh horticultural produce in England and Wales to ensure Traders meet their statutory responsibilities.
- Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate (HMI) conduct investigations and instigate heightened enforcement action against relevant traders and leading on criminal investigations where necessary.
- Statutory inspections to ensure Single Market plant health requirements are met.
- Crop surveys and soil sampling in connection with regulations made to prevent the spread of dangerous plant pests and diseases.
- Undertake scientific license audits and follow up actions.
- Certify for export of fresh horticultural produce, plants and planting material after examination in accordance with the importing country’s requirements, including issue of HMI produce conformity certificates, phytosanitary certificates and advice to exporters on the requirements.
- Inspection of certain agricultural and horticultural crops in connection with statutory and domestic plant health certification/classification schemes.
- Perform the statutory duties relating to regulations made under the Plant Varieties and Seeds Act 1964 including the field inspection of certain crops and the sampling of certain classes of seed and enforcement checks on the activities of seed firms and seed samplers.
- Investigation of any breech of statutory requirements and for HMI to collect and collate criminal evidence where required to deliver a court ready case file direct to Crown Prosecution Service.
- Collation, analysis and communication to the relevant Technical Advice Panel (TAP) of intelligence emerging in your geographic area on significant changes and matters relevant to Plant Health.
- Stakeholder engagement to ensure clients have sufficient knowledge and awareness of Plant Health controls and requirements and or businesses responsible for the marketing of fresh horticultural produce.
- HMI also collect samples and enforce olive oil standards, collect official market pricing data and seize samples for Government pesticide residue testing.
- Stakeholder engagement to ensure clients have sufficient knowledge and awareness of Plant Health controls and requirements.
- Undertake additional specialised duties including delivering work directly to and on behalf of the TAP's.
Plant Health offers a 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week level of service to the trade for import & export certification & biosecurity checks.
Depending on location you may be required to work in a shift pattern. This pattern can be early morning or a late evening shift and can span over weekends and public holidays.
Candidates should expect to work flexibly to meet the varied work patterns defined by business need. You may be required to work at other locations, so candidates must be prepared to occasionally work and stay away from home.
Candidates will need independent access to a car to visit clients / collect samples / carry equipment. Some client locations and working hours preclude the use of public transport. Business mileage will be reimbursed.