Veterinary Head of Field Delivery North of England and Veterinary Leader Wales in Newcastle upon Tyne

Do you want a strategic role safeguarding standards of animal health and welfare? Have you got knowledge and experience of working with the UK livestock industry across all sectors? If so, we would like to hear from you! APHA is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, because it helps us be more innovative and make better decisions. We are dedicated to being an inclusive employer, offering equitable opportunities for all individuals. Our goal is to build a diverse workforce, and we hope to attract applications from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups.

We are searching for three experienced veterinarians to drive the delivery and quality of our field operations in England and Wales. This presents an exciting opportunity for the right candidates. One post will be based in the Northern Delivery Area of England and two will be based in the Wales Delivery Area. Please note: This role will require on-call duties, during weekends, Bank Holidays and occasional evenings. There will be regular travel to other APHA locations. Out of hours and detached duty work will be required in the event of an outbreak or incident.

The Veterinary Head of Field Delivery England (VHofFD) and the Veterinary Lead Wales (VLW) is a senior, strategic delivery role requiring individuals who can successfully lead geographically dispersed, multi-disciplinary teams, both during and between animal disease outbreaks. We are looking for someone with a proven leadership track record who will quickly be able to establish their credibility with staff and multiple stakeholders. You will be expected to lead and provide the team with a clear set of goals and priorities, based on delivering Defra or Welsh Government's animal health and welfare policies.

Successful candidates will be expected to continue the work that has been started in building an exceptional, supportive and sustainable culture. You will provide strategic veterinary input on the implementation of APHA's veterinary and technical strategy; oversee clinical governance in multiple practical settings and act as a senior APHA veterinary representative on strategic boards, at national and on occasion international meetings. Successful candidates will have line management responsibilities commensurate with their position as a senior member of APHA and lead on several relationships both within APHA, across government and with key stakeholders.

You will be expected to role model and embed the necessary cultural changes required for the agency to thrive, through a matrix management system that supports increased flexibility, an agile response and digital ways of working. Your responsibilities will also include, but are not limited to:

• Ensuring that all veterinary and technical activities are prioritised and delivered to the highest standards, in accordance with desired policy outcomes, business plans and standard operating procedures.
• Working with the relevant Heads of Field Delivery (HoFD) to address performance and quality, using risk management and adhering to budgetary controls to ensure value for taxpayers' money.
• Leading on veterinary decisions that have the potential for high impact with high uncertainty.
• Deploying risk assessments that are based on the most accurate available evidence, making informed decisions that have included policy considerations.
• Building effective relationships with local senior stakeholders and partners to influence end user behaviour regarding compliance with animal health and welfare strategies and policies.
• Working with APHA colleagues to monitor and assure consistency of compliance with quality and safety standards of the Veterinary Development Partnership contractors in their area.
• Delivering the APHA vision to all staff and contributing to the corporate leadership of the Agency.
• Contributing to the design, development and implementation of national policy initiatives and reforms, undertaking important roles on programme boards, project teams and working groups.
• Contribute to and promote directly, or indirectly, training initiatives, staff development opportunities and ensure appropriate succession planning.
• Line management of a team of Veterinary Advisors.

Disability Confident: A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people.