Head of Surveillance

Job summary

Are you an experienced science leader with expertise in agri-food sampling and surveillance? Can you build influential partnerships and lead national scientific capabilities to meet current and future food safety challenges? As Head of Surveillance, you will lead the Food Standards Agency’s surveillance teams within the Science, Evidence and Research Division, delivering high-impact surveillance, research and innovation that supports the UK’s food standards system

You will lead delivery of the National Food Surveillance Programme, covering sampling, testing methods, laboratory capacity and associated enabling infrastructure (such as data management and skills). Working across the FSA and with government, academia, industry and external experts, you will help ensure that scientific evidence and national capabilities support effective decision-making and reinforce the FSA’s role as a trusted regulator. The permanent Grade 6 role can be based in Belfast, Cardiff or York, or be home-based, with occasional UK travel and possible overnight stays.

Job description

You will manage three surveillance teams through three Grade 7 team leaders, setting direction, developing capability and creating an inclusive environment in which colleagues can deliver effectively. You will provide co-leadership across the Science and Research Unit, oversee objectives and projects, encourage innovation, and ensure surveillance research is coherent, well managed and focused on current and emerging priorities.

As a member of the Division’s Senior Leadership Team, you will contribute to strategy, business planning, resource allocation and organisational change. You will oversee programme and travel budgets, champion value for money, and work with finance and commercial colleagues to commission and contract projects with appropriate external experts. You will also act as a senior ambassador for the FSA, communicating technical matters clearly, strengthening strategic networks and supporting cross-organisational initiatives.

Working pattern guidance

If applying as a job share partnership you should both complete separate application forms on Civil Service Jobs but should make it clear that you are applying as job sharers. Further details on job sharing can be found here JSF – What is the recruitment process for job sharers? , Civil Service Careers (civil-service-careers.gov.uk)

Person specification

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Qualifications

A degree in a relevant science or equivalent knowledge of/expertise in the scientific issues associated with surveillance and national capabilities.

Technical skills

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

• Please provide evidence of how you meet the following Technical criteria. You do not need to follow the instruction to provide your answer in a STAR format

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £68,767, Food Standards Agency contributes £19,921 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Please take a look at the Working for the Food Standards Agency , Civil Service Careers to find out about the benefits the FSA has to offer

Please also refer to the Terms and Conditions statement attached to this advert.

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 Experience and Technical skills.

Full details of the selection process can be found in the attached candidate pack.

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.

Technical: You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role.

A degree in relevant science or equivalent knowledge of/expertise in the scientific issues associated with surveillance and national capabilities.

If you cannot answer yes to this question – you will not be able to proceed further with your application.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.

Essential criteria

Experience

· Lead criteria: Proven record of leadership in agri-food , including setting direction, thinking strategically in support of corporate objectives as part of team/unit management.

· Proven record of building capacity and capability in national capabilities to address current and future challenges, e.g. laboratories, skills, surge capacity, etc.

· Proven record of developing and fostering strategic relationships and partnerships across government, academia and industry to influence outcomes.

· Demonstrable experience of successfully delivering a quality technical/science-based service.

· Proven delivery of formal presentations to internal and external stakeholders and communicating technical issues to non-technical audiences.

Technical

· A degree in a relevant science or equivalent knowledge of/expertise in the scientific issues associated with surveillance and national capabilities.

Lead Criteria An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Experience / Technical requirements of the role:

Lead criteria: Proven record of leadership in agri-food sampling to enable effective surveillance, including setting direction, thinking strategically in support of corporate objectives as part of team/unit management.

· Proven record of building capacity and capability in national capabilities to address current and future challenges, e.g. laboratories, skills, surge capacity, etc.

· Proven record of developing and fostering strategic relationships and partnerships across government, academia and industry to influence outcomes.

· Demonstrable experience of successfully delivering a quality technical/science-based service.

· Proven delivery of formal presentations to internal and external stakeholders and communicating technical issues to non-technical audiences.

Technical

· A degree in a relevant science or equivalent knowledge of/expertise in the scientific issues associated with surveillance and national capabilities.

Assessment exercise

As part of the interview process, you will be asked to **prepare a seen presentation Further information will be provided to you on the invitation to interview email.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 22/11/26

Sift: Expected to take place w/c 23/11/26

Final panel interview: Expected to take place w/c 72/26

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application).

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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.

Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reserve List

A reserve list will be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not offer visa sponsorship and cannot provide advice on visa applications

Making a complaint

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

If you feel your application has not been treated fairly in accordance with the principles, and you wish to make a complaint, you should email the FSA’s Director of People at jo.bushnell@food.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

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

Security

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

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.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 : Rick Mumford
• Email : rick.mumford@food.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk

Further information

If you wish to raise a complaint then please email hr.recruitment.campaigns@food.gov.uk in the first instance.

Attachments

Candidate Pack - Head of Surveillance Opens in new window (pdf, 976kB)Terms and Conditions as at April 2020 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 42kB)