Bacteriology Departmental Quality Manager (ID3461)

Posting date:	30 May 2025
Salary:	£37,480 per year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	26 June 2025
Location:	KT15 3NB
Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	407583/1

Summary

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. 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 benefit of the environment and economy.

The Science Directorate (SD) delivers high quality, impactful and highly relevant multidisciplinary science. Our people are diverse, talented, engaged and inspired to deliver innovative outcomes.

Lead in all aspects of Quality for a large wet science focussed Department (c. 120 staff) delivering a mix of front-line diagnostic testing, surveillance, research and national/international Reference Laboratory functions.

Responsible for ensuring that the Department meets, maintains, and seeks to continually improve, compliance with internal and external quality standards.

The post-holder will be expected to be a proactive and visible ambassador for Quality within the Department ensuring that staff are engaged and understand the significance of compliance with quality standards to business delivery.

• To perform the role of Bacteriology Quality Manager to enable the Department to meet the requirements of ISO9001, ISO17025, GMP & GLP standards.
• Ensure all quality system processes comprising ISO:9001, ISO:17025, GxP standards and the Defra COPs for Research are followed.
• To assist the Head of Department/Workgroup Leaders to maintain an effective and efficient local management system.
• To functionally manage a team of local quality advisors within the Department.
• Manage all aspects of compliance with internal and external quality standards within the Department. Take day to day responsibility for the effective management of the quality system and act independently to make decisions on quality related matters. Assist staff to promote compliance with all relevant quality standards. Troubleshoot and resolve quality issues/findings.
• To produce, manage and oversee delivery of an annual audit plan in liaison with local managers and central Quality Management Group. To ensure scheduled audits are completed on time and in an efficient and effective manner. Drive quality issues arising from audits and assist the laboratory staff in resolving these in a timely fashion.
• Lead in planning and participation in all third-party quality audits of the Department in compliance with external quality accreditations (e.g. ISO:17025, ISO:9001) contributing to ensuring that certification is retained. Progress quality issues arising from these inspections.
• Contribute and /or support Departmental colleagues as required (as auditee) to wider audits of APHA/Defra/UK government that encompass activities delivered by Department (e.g. trade audits).
• Participate in (as auditor)/support staff in delivery of external audits and inspections as required (e.g. of official laboratories delivering testing on behalf of APHA/Defra, UK Trade Office missions).
• Chair monthly Bacteriology Quality Management Team meetings and follow up actions.
• Represent Bacteriology on the Science Directorate Quality Management Committee.
• Perform the annual quality system review with the Bacteriology Management Team.
• To document and understand the needs of interested parties (such as customers and suppliers) and to maintain a system to ensure this information is useful and is kept up to date.
• Support quality training & resource management, including training of staff in equipment performance management procedures.
• Monitor Bacteriology test delivery via turn-around times and participation in EQA/ring trial exercises.
• Interpret quality guidelines and regulations and notify any changes to the relevant staff via electronic communications, meetings or presentations.
• Liaise with Contracts management team and attend customer review meetings as required.
• Act as Primary Contact for the Bacteriology Department SOPs on Content Cloud + ensuring documents are fit for purpose and reviewed as scheduled.
• Act as one of the site owners for the Bacteriology Sharepoint online (SPOL) site and specifically maintain quality folders in support of the local Quality management system.
• Act as site administrator for building management systems where required.
• Manage the asset management system on behalf of Department and where appropriate, flag equipment that needs replacement.
• To fulfil responsibilities for Health and Safety as defined in the APHA Health and Safety Policy and appropriate standards, Codes of Practice, risk assessments and SOPs. Ensure any Health and Safety issues identified during Quality audits are raised.

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