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Job summary

APHA is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, because it helps us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We are dedicated to being an inclusive employer, offering equitable opportunities for all individuals. Our goal is to build a diverse workforce, and we hope to attract applications from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups.

Can you help us protect the bio-security of Great Britain, safeguarding plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy?

We have a number of exciting opportunities to join our team of Plant & Bee Health Inspectors delivering physical inspections of plants, associated products and produce at Heathrow.

Working as a part of a team on a shift pattern you will carry out documentary and ID checks on import applications and accompanying certification, as well as inspecting fresh produce in relation to marketing standards. These import controls are crucial in excluding harmful organisms from entering GB and becoming established.

If you have a passion for plants / the environment, an eye for detail, with excellent communication and organisational skills, we want to hear from you. We’ll support you throughout your career development and provide extensive training so you’ll also need an enthusiasm to learn.

Job description

Supported by your line manager / shift leader, your main duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Physical inspection of plants, planting material and produce, looking for quarantine plant pests and diseases. This work is carried out at border control points (BCP) and will involve travel around the airport, including supporting other regions

• Complete administrative duties accurately and in accordance with standard operating procedures, agency guidelines and within established timescales

• Manage customer expectations, in line with policies, targets and legislation. Be prepared to undertake difficult conversations with customers, stakeholders and/or delivery partners

• Liaise closely with various regulatory bodies such as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, UK Border Agency, Animal Health authorities & Border Control Point operations management

• Working with external stakeholders, agents and importers, including work with BCP Traffic Marshals to prevent unnecessary delays to inspections and the transit of goods

Person specification

You will have these essential criteria:

• Be fully IT literate to examine online applications, delivery plans and record findings via a paperless system. You will be comfortable using MS Word, Outlook, Teams and Excel

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and effectively to diverse audiences

• Good planning and organisational skills

• Respond positively to change

• Ability to meet targets and re-prioritise work

Successful candidates will be required to:

• Have a full, valid UK driving licence (evidence to be provided at interview) with independent access to own transport. Candidates will need to use their own vehicle to carry out their duties, for which business mileage will be reimbursed

• Be committed to training and continued development in service delivery

• Be able to take part in a shift rota to cover 24 / 7 operations for 365 days a year, therefore you must be 18 years old or over. A shift disturbance allowance is payable

• Communicate complex issues clearly to customers, both internally & externally in clear and concise English

• Work collaboratively in a high-pressure, time sensitive environment with delivery partners

• Work safely by adhering to all APHA and BCP health and safety policies

• Receive training in Police And Criminal Evidence (PACE) procedures to enable you to act as an expert witness and develop your professional skills

We will offer you:

• Full training and support to become an inspector and carry out your duties

• Ongoing career development, which may include insight, technical and professional development. This may be at diagnostic laboratories, other ports or agencies, as well as in-house and with access to Civil Service wide learning and development opportunities

• Opportunities to be involved in wider projects, contributing to our culture of continuous improvement

• Shift disturbance allowance is payable. The shift disturbance allowance is 12.5%

• An additional pay supplement of up to £3,000 (pro rata), which may be offered following an annual capability assessment. The supplement will be paid per annum and divided into monthly payments

Licences

A full UK driving licence is required

Qualifications

Minimum of a ND or equivalent qualification in Agriculture/Horticulture/ Biological Science or Knowledge of plants and horticulture to a working level equivalent to that of an ND.
(If you are a final year student at College or university - we will accept a predicted grade and use your completed course modules and in field experience that you outline in your CV and personal statement to judge your suitability).
or
Knowledge of plants and horticulture to a working level equivalent to that of an ND

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Plant Health Knowledge Test

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,350, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes £9,661 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).

• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an average employer contribution of 28.7%

• 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.

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.

Online tests

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 03 August 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 03 August 2026 .

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.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 4pm-7pm on 19th July and 3pm-Midnight on 2nd August. 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.

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

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

• a CV detailing your job history and qualifications

• A 500 word Personal Statement showing how you meet the criteria as outlined in the Personal Specification and Essential Skills

Further details about what to include are stated on the application form.

Sift

Your CV and Personal Statement will be assessed separately during the sift.

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

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Interview

If successful at application stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Behaviours, Experience, Strengths & Technical Skills 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.

All interviews will be conducted virtually via MS Teams.

Location

These roles will be based at Heathrow this will be expected to be your permanent workplace as within this role it is not possible to offer Hybrid working.

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.

Reserve List

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

Near Miss

Candidate who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in APHA which may be an apprenticeship with us at a lower salary level but with the expectation of then becoming an Inspector.

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.

Salary

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

This post offers the successful candidate an additional pay supplement of up to £3,000 (pro rata), which may be offered following an annual capability assessment. The supplement will be paid per annum and divided into monthly payments.

Contract types

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as the Plant Health Imports Inspector based at Heathrow - Working as a part of a team on a shift pattern you will carry out documentary and ID checks on import applications and accompanying certification, as well as inspecting fresh produce in relation to marketing standards. These import controls are crucial in excluding harmful organisms from entering GB and becoming established.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

The post is not permanent. It is time limited due to a fixed funding period or as part of a specific project. The fixed term will end when the funding or the project expires. This post will therefore begin from the candidate's start date and end on 31.03.2028.

Postings will be based on merit order. All appointments will be made in merit order and in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.

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.

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 circumstance 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-Employment.Checks@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.

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.

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 Jul2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 1959kB)