Agriculture Inspector – Omagh

Our client, a large public sector organisation, is looking for Agriculture Inspectors throughout Northern Ireland to join their team.

Duration: 6 Months with possible extension

Rate of pay: £15.43

Location: Omagh

Hours: The normal conditioned hours of work are 37 hours net per week, Monday-Friday. Some posts will also require early morning starts, for example, those working in Field Operations in wildlife intervention duties. In addition, staff may be required to participate in weekly on-call rotas during weekdays, weekends, and evenings.

Main Duties:

• Epizootics/Trade: Providing advice on and ensuring compliance with import and export regulations of livestock, and completing checks to detect and prevent illegal movements.
• Carrying out inspections and verification checks in support of certifying veterinarians to facilitate trade.
• Auditing Scrapie Monitored flocks annually to ensure compliance with the scheme rules regarding animal identification, record keeping, and that the premises meet the required standard.
• Ensuring knowledge to assist in the event of an Epizootic disease outbreak, potentially taking a lead role.

• Inspections/Compliance: Providing the initial response to on-farm welfare complaints as directed by line management and completing the inspection report form.
• Inspecting applications for animal group numbers, confirming identity of applicants, and checking suitability of boundary fences, housing, isolation facilities, and testing facilities.
• Inspecting cleansing and disinfection of premises and equipment during disease outbreaks.
• Enforcing legislation relating to the welfare of animals during transport and issuing notices for any non-compliances found.
• Investigating reports of livestock carcasses dumped or not disposed of, issuing disposal notices, and completing follow-up inspections.
• Completing Biosecurity Surveys, Dairy Herd Questionnaires, and Medicine Record Inspections.
• Completing inspections at rendering plants.
• Ensuring that they have the equipment required for a task and ensuring it is fit for purpose.

• Public Health: Collecting blood samples from all species of farmed animals for disease detection and survey work.
• Collecting samples for salmonella testing from different categories of poultry flocks, requiring high biosecurity standards and communication with poultry processing representatives.

• Enforcement: Providing a witness statement and attending court to present evidence when a prosecution case is being taken.

• Enzootics: Involvement in badger sett surveying and future wildlife intervention work related to the Bovine Tuberculosis (Tb) Eradication Transformation Programme.
• Gathering data by completing Tb Disease Investigation forms, mapping farms, and recommending to veterinary and group staff managers which neighbouring herds are at risk.

Eligibility Criteria:

• 2 GCSEs / GCE O level at Grade C or above in Maths and English or equivalent.
• A Level 3 Diploma in Work-based Agriculture OR a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture OR a Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma in Agriculture OR equivalent.
• At least 3 months' relevant post qualification work experience gained within the last two years.
• Have a full valid driving licence allowing the driving of manual vehicles in NI and access to a form of transport to meet the requirements of the post.

You will be required to provide documentary evidence of your qualifications. The successful candidates must also have access to a form of transport to enable them to fulfil the responsibilities of the post and be prepared to travel throughout Northern Ireland and elsewhere, as required. This may include overnight stays.