Bee Health Operational Delivery Lead

Job summary

As the Bee Health Operational Delivery Lead - Outbreak, you will play a critical role in safeguarding the health of pollinators and supporting the resilience of the apiculture sector.

You will be responsible for leading specific operational outbreak responses for notifiable bee pests and diseases and reportable invasive non-native species, ensuring rapid, coordinated action that protects the environment, biodiversity, and the wider agricultural sector.

This role requires specialist knowledge of apiculture and bee health, combined with strong organisational capability, sound judgement, and excellent people leadership skills. You will work in a dynamic, fast paced environment where flexibility, adaptability and calm, effective decision making are essential.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead the planning, coordination, and delivery of operational responses to specified pest and disease outbreaks affecting apiculture.

• Ensure recorded, evidence-based decision making, drawing on scientific, veterinary and field intelligence to steer response strategies.

• Oversee the implementation of statutory and contingency procedures in line with relevant legislation and best practice.

Team & People Leadership

• Manage and motivate geographically dispersed multifunctional teams, including inspectors, field operatives and administrative staff.

• Provide clear direction and maintain high morale during periods of operational pressure.

• Work collaboratively with management peers, sharing responsibility for planning, prioritisation and delivery across the wider team, ensuring consistent standards, joined‑up working and collective ownership of outcomes.

• Ensure the team maintains strong technical capability by supporting ongoing training, developing expertise in apiculture and bee health, and promoting the consistent application of statutory procedures and best‑practice operational standards.

• Champion a culture of safety, wellbeing, professionalism, and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a key liaison with beekeepers, industry bodies, local authorities, and scientific partners.

• Provide clear advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders during outbreak situations.

• Represent the organisation at cross government meetings, working groups, and sector forums.

Planning & Preparedness

• Contribute to the development and updating of contingency plans, training materials, and operational procedures.

• Lead exercises, workshops, and capability building activities to maintain readiness for pest and disease incidents.

• Monitor emerging apiculture risks and support horizon scanning activities.

Data, Reporting & Assurance

• Oversee data collection, reporting processes, and operational analysis during and after outbreak events.

• Produce high quality briefings, situation reports, and performance updates for senior leaders.

• Ensure compliance with regulatory, audit and quality assurance requirements.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrable knowledge and experience in apiculture, including honey bee biology, husbandry, pests, and diseases.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in time critical environments.
• Proven people management experience, with the ability to lead, motivate, and support diverse teams.
• Clearand confident communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to explain technical issues to varied audiences.
• Flexible and adaptable approach, with resilience and the confidence to make decisions in uncertain or fast changing situations.
• Ability to build effective relationships with internal and external partners.
• Strong analytical, problem solving and planning skills.

Key Skills and Experience

• Experience working in an operational or emergency response environment.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation relating to bee health or plant/animal health.
• Experience within the Civil Service or other regulated public sector environments.

Working Arrangements

• Regular travel across England and Wales will be required. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle will be required as the role requires field visits to areas lacking other transport arrangements.
• Participation in an on call or out of hours rota may be required during outbreak events.
• The work of the post can involve physical demands when working in the field (on uneven or slippery ground).

Licences

Full UK Driving Licence

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• 250 Word Statement describing your experience working with bees or apiculture and how you have applied this knowledge in practice.
• Your technical knowledge and presentation abilities will be assessed through the delivery of a presentation."How you stay informed about emerging apiculture risks and what do you consider to be the current biggest threats to Bee Health in the UK"?

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• 250 Word Statement describing your experience working with bees or apiculture and how you have applied this knowledge in practice.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,665, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £12,360 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities tailored to your role Access to a range of retail, travel, and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A hybrid office/home based working model.

Please refer to the Candidate Information Pack for more detail around offered benefits.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 13th April 2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Do not leave completing the tests until the last minute in case you experience any access or technical issues. There may not be technical support available after business hours and after 2pm on the closing date of 13th April 2026.

Online test maintenance

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between mid-day - 1pm and 4pm - midnight on 29th March 2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

While the tests should work on most operating systems and modern browsers with a good internet connection, we cannot guarantee that every combination will work. At the beginning, the test will check which browser you are using, and alert you if it is likely to be incompatible.

It is highly recommended that you complete the online tests on a desktop computer, not a mobile phone or tablet.

Please note that online tests associated with this vacancy are not subject to time limits; for further information visit the Reasonable adjustments for online tests - a candidate guide

Application Process

As part of the selection process you will be asked to provide:

• A CV submitted through an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite; there is no requirement to upload your personal CV.
• a 250 word personal statement.
• a 250 word Technical skill statement - Describe your experience working with bees or apiculture. How have you applied this knowledge in practice?

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

CV Guidance

Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements and your main responsibilities in each role and be no longer than 2 pages. Your CV will be used to provide further context on your Personal Statement and scored against the essential criteria.

Personal Statement Guidance

When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Person Specification thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Please ensure you evidence the key personal qualities and experiences that align with the criteria. Consider the Job Description and look to demonstrate how your previous experience may align with the expectations and be applicable to the role. The written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc.

We encourage you to use the full 250-word allowance of the Personal Statement but not to exceed.

You may choose to address each criteria separately, however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several essential criteria.

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

For further guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit the Civil Service Careers website. How to write your CV , Civil Service Careers

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on your Presentation skills and Technical Knowledge, Behaviours, & Strengths under the Success Profile Framework.

When giving your Behaviour answers you should focus on very specific examples and frame your answer using the STAR method.

Your technical knowledge and presentation abilities will be assessed through the delivery of a presentation -

"How you stay informed about emerging apiculture risks and what do you consider the current biggest threats to Bee Health in the UK"?

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Location

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.

The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.

Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.

The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.

Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.

As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Near Miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in APHA which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match

Salary

New entrants are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

Visa Sponsorship Statement

Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License sponsor and are unable to sponsor any individuals for Skilled Worker Sponsorship.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All of these posts require the successful candidate to hold basic security clearance. Candidates posted to Weybridge may be subject to a higher level of clearance because of the security requirements for that location. Job offers to these posts are made on the basis of merit. Security vetting will only take place after the receipt of a job offer.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Please be aware the levels of national security clearance are changing which may impact on the level needed for this role by the time of appointment. All efforts will be made to keep candidates informed of any changes and what that will mean in terms of vetting criteria. For more information please See our vetting charter

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : PBH Recruitment Team
• Email : phsijobs@apha.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: defrarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: here

Attachments

APHA Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1870kB)NBU Regions Opens in new window (docx, 363kB)