Non-Native Species Inspector - South West - Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire ID:4949

Job summary

We are seeking an Inspector to provide dedicated coverage across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

The GB Non-native Species Inspectorate (NNSI) works at the forefront of biosecurity, helping to prevent, detect and respond to the introduction and spread of invasive non-native species. Our work supports the protection of native wildlife, habitats, agriculture and public interests through inspection, surveillance, enforcement and rapid response activities across Great Britain.

As a Non-native Species Inspector, you will undertake a varied and rewarding role combining fieldwork, investigation, inspection and stakeholder engagement. You will work across a wide range of environments, from ports and commercial premises to lakes, rivers, nature reserves and the wider countryside, helping to reduce the risks posed by invasive species and supporting government biosecurity objectives.

This is an exciting opportunity for individuals with experience or interest in environmental protection, conservation, ecology, enforcement or wildlife management who want to make a tangible difference in safeguarding Great Britain's natural environment.

The role combines office and home-based working with significant field activity and offers opportunities to develop specialist skills in species identification, biosecurity, legislation, inspection and enforcement.

The Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) is a government agency that sits within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. APHA works on behalf of the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Our diverse teams of over 3,000 skilled and committed professionals come together to provide research, advice, and support to UK Government for safeguarding animal, public and plant health for benefit of the environment and economy.

APHA is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves.

We are looking for motivated, professional and resilient individuals who are passionate about protecting Great Britain's environment from the impacts of invasive non-native species. You will have high standards of integrity, a commitment to biosecurity, and the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

Are you conscientious, adaptable and committed to delivering high-quality outcomes in a challenging and rewarding field-based role?

If the answer is 'yes', we would love to hear from you.

Job description

As a Non-native Species Inspector, covering Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire you will:

• Organise and manage an inspection/visits programme in consultation with line management.
• Liaise with owners and operators of establishments subject to inspection/visits.
• Conduct inspections/visits at a variety of premises through pre-arranged visits, unannounced inspections, and, where authorised, the use of statutory powers of entry.
• Undertake control work that requires sustained outdoor activity in challenging weather and terrain conditions over extended periods.
• Where appropriate, undertake the removal and, where required, humane dispatch of invasive non-native species.
• Manage challenging situations professionally and resolve conflict effectively.
• Assist with contingency planning and rapid response operations.
• Investigate incidents involving escaped or deliberately released non-native species.
• Collect and record high-quality evidence and intelligence relating to pathways of introduction, compliance levels, and associated risks.
• Maintain detailed contemporaneous records in official notebooks and enforcement systems.
• Produce inspection reports, witness statements, and other evidential documentation.
• Attend court and provide evidence where required.
• Represent the Inspectorate professionally when engaging with businesses, landowners, partner organisations, and members of the public.
• Deliver advice, guidance, and presentations on invasive non-native species and biosecurity.
• Work with specialists and diagnostic services to support species identification and risk assessments.
• Comply with all relevant Standard Operating Procedures, health and safety requirements, and risk assessments.
• Undertake and successfully complete training relating to enforcement, species identification, legislation and operational delivery, including the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and any other relevant training required for the role.
• Have excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Please note – this is a physically demanding field work role involving remote locations; sometimes in adverse weather conditions, therefore a good level of physical fitness is required to undertake the demands of full-day, field-based activities.

Person specification

You must demonstrate the following skills:

• Good knowledge of invasive and non-native species, including plants, mammals, reptiles, aquatic species, and invertebrates, and the ability to identify key non-native species groups to at least family or genus level.
• Understanding of biosecurity principles, including prevention, surveillance, rapid response, containment, and eradication approaches.
• Knowledge of pathways for the introduction and spread of invasive non-native species, both at the border and post-border.
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team, while building and maintaining effective working relationships.
• Good interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage difficult situations.

A valid full driving licence is required to allow travel to remote sites.

Workplace arrangements
You will be based at an agreed APHA location; however, the role involves significant travel throughout Great Britain, including regular overnight stays.

Ways of working
A suitable vehicle will be provided for this work that will be kept at your home address but must strictly only be used for work purposes. Occasional visits to other APHA offices besides your official location will be necessary for training and enrolment, but further attendance is expected to be infrequent/minimal. Please note that journeys to/from your home/official location will be at your own expense and in your own time.

Out of hours work may be required. When overtime or out-of-hours work is required, APHA Management reserves the right to change overtime patterns to meet requirements. You may be eligible for overtime payments and where overtime is approved you will receive appropriate payment.

There will be no shift pattern or allowance. Overtime will be payable in the event of an incident when out of hours work may be required. When working further afield which necessitates overnight stays, travel and subsistence is payable for the periods spent away from home/office. If successful, you will be offered a permanent contract (on level transfer if appropriate).

The successful candidate will need to comply with a number of health protocols and wear protective clothing and Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment (RPPE) as required. The work of the post can be physically demanding. Due to access requirements to biosecure areas, a level of physical fitness is required.

Health clearance

The post will also require Health clearance. You will be expected to complete a questionnaire on your general health. This will be arranged by the Health Team, Weybridge. It may also be necessary to undergo a pre-employment medical assessment.

Licences

A full valid Driving Licence is required.

Technical skills

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

• The ability to identify key non-native taxa, including plants and/or animals, to at least family or genus level.
• Good knowledge of non-native species and biosecurity, particularly prevention, surveillance, rapid response, and eradication.
• Good knowledge of pathways of introduction for invasive non-native species at both border and post-border stages.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,681, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £8,888 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).

Further benefits offered also include:

• 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.
• Staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme.
• Three days special leave with pay, per year, for volunteering (pro-rata for part-time employees).
• Making it work for you - With so many flexible options, most people can find a work schedule to suit their circumstances.

These are just a few of our benefits we offer. To find out the full range of what we offer refer to the Information Pack attached for more detail.

Learning and Development
Everyone in APHA is supported to develop their skills and capabilities. When you join the Directorate, you will be welcomed into your new team through an induction programme that will provide you with helpful information on the civil service, our work and our policies. Your line manager will also work with you to establish your priorities for the year, developing a performance, learning and development plan tailored to you and your role. This can include a variety of courses, Apprenticeships, paid Masters and PhD and on-the-job training specific to your role.

In return for your dedication, we will support your ongoing personal development through appropriate training. Inclusion, support and the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA.

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.

Application Process

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Casework Skills 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 8th November 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.

Online Test Maintenance

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between midday to 1.00pm on 25th October 2026 and 4.00pm to midnight on 1st November 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.

You will be required to complete the following as part of your application:

• A CV-style application submitted through an online tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobs website. There is no requirement to upload your personal CV.
• A 500 word Personal Statement detailing how you match the details in the Personal Specification – the written evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. We encourage you to use the full word allowance of the Personal Statement but not to exceed it.

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.

Scoring for all criteria of the application is from 1 to 7 – A score of 4 and above in each area will progress to interview unless there is a large number of applications. In this instance, an initial sift will be conducted using the Personal Statement. The panel may agree a benchmark score higher than 4 with a rationale for the decision. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

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

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake, please contact us via DefraRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk with the vacancy reference number, your applicant reference number, and the closing date.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on

Your previous experiences relevant to the role requirements outlined in the advert following the Success Profiles: Experience - GOV.UK

Technical skills, as outlined below, following theSuccess Profiles: Technical - GOV.UK These will be evaluated during the interview through a structured set of questions.

• The ability to identify key non-native taxa, including plants and/or animals, to at least family or genus level.
• Good knowledge of non-native species and biosecurity, particularly prevention, surveillance, rapid response, and eradication.
• Good knowledge of pathways of introduction for invasive non-native species at both border and post-border stages.

If you are selected for interview, you will receive an electronic notification to your Civil Service Jobs account.

Upon receiving the interview invitation, please log into the system to schedule your interview slot in advance.

Your interview will be conducted on-line or in-person. You will be notified of the location when you are invited for interview.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

The interview will follow a blended approach and will last approximately 45 minutes.

A blended interview aims to be more of a conversation at interview, offering a more inclusive approach.

Technical questions assess the specific professional skills, knowledge or qualifications required for the role.

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

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 Defra which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

After the interview

Once all the interviews have been conducted, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. If you are successful at the interview stage, we will be in touch to offer you a role. Offers will be made in merit order.

Location

Where multiple locations are listed, 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. Please note that all listed locations are subject to desk availability.

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.

You will be responsible for carrying out inspections and undertaking other duties across the Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire areas.

The main base for the NNSI is located in Sand Hutton, York. However, the team is geographically dispersed, with responsibilities covering the whole of England.

The role will involve regular travel across the allocated region, with occasional travel elsewhere in Great Britain to support operational priorities, training, and national response activities, therefore you must be willing to travel.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service 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.

Working Hours

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Criminal Record Check

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check may be 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.

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.

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.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Defra from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. 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 basic (or equivalent) 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 : Wildlife Jobs - Alissa Tonkinson
• Email : wildlifejobs@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

Job Description NNSI - Wiltshire Oxfordshire Berkshire Opens in new window (doc, 178kB)APHA Information Pack 2026 Wildlife Opens in new window (pdf, 1947kB)