Support Animal Technician

Job description

Job responsibilities

As an animal technician, you will be providing high quality animal care and environmental enrichment for the NHPs. You will be providing all aspects of animal care and husbandry of our animals, and supporting senior staff members in regulated work. Working with the wider colonies team, you will be maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare ensuring the NHPs and facilities are Home Office compliant. This role is primarily a physical role, ensuring the environment is clean and nutritional requirements for the NHPs are fulfilled. Weekend work is on a rota and will be introduced after a period of induction to the facility.

Your main responsibilities as the post holder will be to:

• Work with the Colonies team performing routine animal husbandry, continually striving to maintain the highest standards of care and welfare of all NHPs.
• To recognise, report and record ill health and welfare issues in the NHPs and support with vet duties. Document and communicate issues to relevant team members, e.g. line manager, NACWO or Named Vet.
• Support the development, implementation and maintenance of environmental enrichment to enhance the wellbeing of the NHPs.
• Record all information regarding duties performed in relevant documentation and within specific guidelines.
• Take part in rota system for weekend and public holiday working.

Essential criteria

Please be aware that we will assess on the 7 essential criteria stated on the advert rather than the full list on the job description document.

• Educated to NVQ 2 level in a relevant subject or equivalent level of qualification or significant equivalent previous proven experience - Lead criteria
• Can demonstrate reliability & the ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to keep detailed and accurate records
• An understanding of the requirement to continually review processes with the aim to improve animal welfare through refinement of husbandry and procedural techniques
• To be able to communicate effectively with peers, managers and scientists
• Ability and willingness to undergo full UK Security Clearance
• Understanding of why animals are used for research purposes

Desirable criteria

• National Certificate in Animal Technology
• Experience of working in a GLP environment

Selection Process Details:

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 7 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• CV/ Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• 1000 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The CV / Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• Educated to NVQ 2 level in a relevant subject or equivalent level of qualification or significant equivalent previous proven experience - Lead criteria

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.

Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a (single) face to face interview.

If face to face interviews are planned, in exceptional circumstances, we may be able to offer a remote interview.

Behaviours, technical skills, and experience will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Seeing the bigger picture
• Working together
• Delivering at pace

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location Information

This role is based at Porton Down, Salisbury. Please note hybrid working is not available for this role.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates for this role must pass an enhanced disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance.

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Person Specification

CV

Essential

• CV

Statement of Suitability

Essential

• Statement of Suitability

Behaviours

Essential

• Seeing the bigger picture
• Working together
• Delivering at pace

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

UKHSA Porton

Sailsbury

SP4 0JG

Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency (Opens in a new tab)