Plant Varieties & Seeds Delivery Manager

Job summary

The PVS HEO Delivery Manager plays a key operational leadership role within the APHA Plant Varieties and Seeds (PVS) team, supporting the delivery and assurance of statutory plant varieties and seeds services across the UK.

The postholder will lead and manage a specialist delivery team, working closely with colleagues across APHA, Defra, the Devolved Authorities and industry stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of PVS legislation. This includes oversight of Variety Listing (VL), Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR); and seed, potato, vegetable, cereals and fruit marketing regulations for England and Wales, while supporting UK‑wide consistency through the PVS Common Framework.

Acting as Deputy to the SEO Manager, the role focuses on managing delivery performance, resources and staff wellbeing, contributing operational insight to service improvement and maintaining confidence in PVS operations.

The postholder will also support the UK’s engagement with international stakeholders and organisations, including UPOV and other international partners, helping to ensure alignment with international standards, obligations and best practice.

This role is suited to an experienced delivery manager with strong leadership, communication and organisational skills, capable of managing complex regulatory services and working effectively with domestic and international partners.

Job description

The postholder will play a critical operational leadership role within the APHA Plant Varieties and Seeds (PVS) team, ensuring the effective delivery and assurance of statutory obligations under UK PVS legislation. This includes oversight of Variety Listing (VL), Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR), and seed, potato, vegetable, cereals and fruit marketing regulations.

Working closely with APHA, Defra, the Devolved Authorities and external stakeholders, the postholder will support the delivery of a consistent and high‑quality service across the UK, ensuring alignment with the PVS Common Framework and contributing to the UK’s engagement with international organisations.

The postholder will:

• Act as Deputy to the SEO Manager, providing operational leadership and contributing delivery insight to planning, implementation and service improvement for PVS work.

• Lead, manage and motivate a team of technical delivery specialists and administrative support staff within a defined area of VL/PBR or Certification.

• Proactively monitor team performance, workload, KPIs and resource use, taking action where required to maintain effective delivery.

• Ensure high standards of health & safety, staff wellbeing and productivity.

• Oversee and assure the delivery of:
  
  
  • Variety Listing and Plant Breeders’ Rights for the United Kingdom
    
    
  • Seed, Potato, Vegetable and Cereals Marketing Regulations for England and Wales

• Support the coordination of activities across APHA, Defra, Devolved Authorities, industry and other stakeholders to meet PVS Common Framework requirements.

• Maintain accurate project documentation and provide regular updates to Plant Varieties and Seeds SEO managers.

• Develop clear communications and guidance to support stakeholder engagement and confidence in delivery.

• Support the UK’s interaction with international organisations, including UPOV.

On appointment, all postholders will be required to work towards relevant UPOV technical qualifications appropriate to their role, including:

• DL205 – Introduction to the UPOV System of Plant Variety Protection

• DL305A – Administration of Plant Breeders’ Rights

• DL305B – DUS Examination

Travel Requirements

The role involves occasional travel to attend meetings, training, and stakeholder engagement activities across England, Wales and the UK.

A full UK driving licence is desirable, or the ability to travel using suitable alternative means.

Person specification

For this post you will be assessed on the areas set out below. In addition to the below listed criteria we are looking for candidates who are disciplined, organised, able to analyse information with precision. Candidates must be confident even when under pressure and be team players, whilst taking ownership over their own work.

The following experience criteria is essential for this post:

• Experience working within agriculture, horticulture, seeds, plant health, biology or a regulatory environment

• Experience of working in an operational delivery environment

• Experience of leading or managing staff, workloads, or projects

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including report writing and briefing

• Confidence using Microsoft 365 applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint)

• Be able to Manage competing priorities across multiple workstreams

• Able to analyse information and make sound delivery decisions

• Plan resources and monitor performance against KPIs

• Adapt quickly to new legislation, systems or delivery models

• Work collaboratively across organisational and geographic boundaries

Key Skills

• Experience working in a regulatory, assurance or compliance-based role

• Experience engaging with external stakeholders or industry representatives

• Awareness of UK plant variety, seed certification or plant health frameworks

Licences

Full UK Driving Licence

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,765, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £10,071 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 28.97%
• 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 where staff will spend a norm of 60% of their time in the office (minimum 60%)

Office attendance

Successful candidates are expected to work from one of the office locations listed in this advert. Our current office attendance approach requires 60% attendance in Defra group workplaces or off site meetings with partners and customers. This balance provides thriving workplaces to connect with colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs balanced with personal flexibility and choice.

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 and Experience.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV submitted through an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite; there is no requirement to upload your personal CV.
• A 500-word Personal Statement.
• 250- word Behaviour statement for Working Together

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 500-word allowance of the Personal Statement but not to exceed.

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

Sift

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

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Working Together Behaviour statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift and/or progressed straight to interview.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a blended panel interview via video.

We will test you against Behaviours, Experience and Strengths during the interview.

Appointments will be made on merit order.

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

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.

Merit Lists

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

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)

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.

Salary

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

Reserve List

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)