Deputy Director, Capital Works (Enabling & Infrastructure),National Biosecurity Centre Programme
| Posting date: | 04 November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £81,000 to £100,000 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 10 November 2025 |
| Location: | London, UK |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 430728 |
Summary
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the development of a world class science facility delivering infrastructure critical to animal health and farming in the UK. The NBC programme is designed to deliver the new facilities over a ten-year programme of work, with a cost in excess of £1B.
Defra group is responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Its mission is to protect and enhance the environment – with policies and actions that are also key to sustainable national growth.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) works to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy. APHA is responsible for veterinary research and surveillance; itis at the forefront of research into diseases such as TB, TSEs, Blue Tongue and Avian Influenza; it is critical in protecting the UK farming and food industries from the impact of animal disease and for ensuring that outbreaks of animal disease are successfully contained.
The NBC Programme involves the re-development of APHA’s science laboratories based at Weybridge. The site has a wide range of specialist and complex scientific facilities, laboratories and a range of other buildings, and is one of only a small number of such sites across the world. The Weybridge site is the largest facility in terms of size and complexity across the Defra network.
This Programme will oversee the re-development of this large site over a 10-year period. It is critical to the continued successful running of APHA’s science business to enhance the capability and upgrade the research facilities. The programme includes the clearing of part of the site, by temporarily relocating a substantial part of the APHA team and facilities to allow the construction of a new consolidated Science Hub. This major redevelopment has the added challenge of maintaining science operations on the site during the development of the new facilities. The vision of the NBC Programme is to bring all facilities, laboratories and associated functions together into new fit for purpose facilities, together with the required infrastructure and public realm improvements.
Role Purpose
As Deputy Director, Capital Works (Enabling and Infrastructure) within the NBC programme, the key immediate challenge will be to act as lead sponsor for enabling and infrastructure works to clear and prepare the site for the main construction to begin in 2027, as well as ensure the infrastructure is in place for live operations. The urgency of the re-development at Weybridge means this must be achieved to meet the Defra strategy for the site. This will be a critical role given the complex interdependencies on a site which must remain operational throughout the works. The post-holder will work closely with the NBC Programme Delivery Partner, responsible for delivery of capital works, and the programme Technical Partner as well as other key stakeholders on the site, including APHA and Defra Group Property, to ensure works are aligned with overall site wide strategies and requirements.
This is a specialist Deputy Director role that will operate within the Defra Group Project Delivery Profession. Reporting to the NBC Programme Director with specific responsibility for sponsorship of the delivery of defined capital works, they will be a key part of the NBC Senior Leadership team, working closely with the NBC Programme Executive, the main Internal Governance Board for the Programme.
Defra group is responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Its mission is to protect and enhance the environment – with policies and actions that are also key to sustainable national growth.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) works to safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy. APHA is responsible for veterinary research and surveillance; itis at the forefront of research into diseases such as TB, TSEs, Blue Tongue and Avian Influenza; it is critical in protecting the UK farming and food industries from the impact of animal disease and for ensuring that outbreaks of animal disease are successfully contained.
The NBC Programme involves the re-development of APHA’s science laboratories based at Weybridge. The site has a wide range of specialist and complex scientific facilities, laboratories and a range of other buildings, and is one of only a small number of such sites across the world. The Weybridge site is the largest facility in terms of size and complexity across the Defra network.
This Programme will oversee the re-development of this large site over a 10-year period. It is critical to the continued successful running of APHA’s science business to enhance the capability and upgrade the research facilities. The programme includes the clearing of part of the site, by temporarily relocating a substantial part of the APHA team and facilities to allow the construction of a new consolidated Science Hub. This major redevelopment has the added challenge of maintaining science operations on the site during the development of the new facilities. The vision of the NBC Programme is to bring all facilities, laboratories and associated functions together into new fit for purpose facilities, together with the required infrastructure and public realm improvements.
Role Purpose
As Deputy Director, Capital Works (Enabling and Infrastructure) within the NBC programme, the key immediate challenge will be to act as lead sponsor for enabling and infrastructure works to clear and prepare the site for the main construction to begin in 2027, as well as ensure the infrastructure is in place for live operations. The urgency of the re-development at Weybridge means this must be achieved to meet the Defra strategy for the site. This will be a critical role given the complex interdependencies on a site which must remain operational throughout the works. The post-holder will work closely with the NBC Programme Delivery Partner, responsible for delivery of capital works, and the programme Technical Partner as well as other key stakeholders on the site, including APHA and Defra Group Property, to ensure works are aligned with overall site wide strategies and requirements.
This is a specialist Deputy Director role that will operate within the Defra Group Project Delivery Profession. Reporting to the NBC Programme Director with specific responsibility for sponsorship of the delivery of defined capital works, they will be a key part of the NBC Senior Leadership team, working closely with the NBC Programme Executive, the main Internal Governance Board for the Programme.
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