Research Scientist Immunology (CR3350)

Do you want to be part of a team safeguarding standards of animal and plant health and welfare? If so, why not join us and make a difference.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and 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 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.

The Science Directorate (SD) delivers high quality, high impact and highly relevant multidisciplinary science. Our People are diverse, talented, engaged and inspired to deliver innovative outcomes.

The Virology department is a multi-disciplinary team with a statutory remit in named reportable, endemic, notifiable and exotic diseases for the delivery of research, diagnostic services and surveillance programmes. As a research scientist within the Mammalian Virology workgroup, you will be involved with planning, managing, and delivering research and development into the pathogenesis of and immunity against RNA (ribonucleic acid) viruses in the Emerging Virus Research unit (EVRU). You will generate expertise for both inside the agency as well as for national and international stakeholders. You will support National Reference Laboratories for swine and equine viral diseases and be part of the disease emergency responses in the Virology Department.

Main areas of work will include:

• Execute research to enhance the control of veterinary viruses, specifically through understanding their pathogenesis and immunity
• Manage research projects; design and execute approaches for scientific investigations, ensuring completion of project objectives and milestones to the customers satisfaction; delivery of science in accord with relevant Quality Assurance standard ISO9001 and within budget
• Communication of science through participation in internal and external meetings, and to ensure a high-quality programme of scientific approaches published in peer reviewed literature with high impact.
• Support the Workgroups senior scientist team, through deputising and delegated tasks, and contribute to strategic planning
• Develop and seek opportunities for the initiation of (collaborative) research proposals, both nationally and internationally and draft applications for funding bodies.
• Maintain and enhance links across the national and international stakeholder community through provision of expertise and influencing.
• Provide consultancy to stakeholders such as Defra, and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and also the industry.
• Liaise with APHA scientific and the Quality Assurance Unit e,g, as commentator for external quality assurance schemes
• Supervise and provide training for members of staff, students, and visitors in the workgroup.
• Manage technical knowledge relating to host-pathogen interaction mechanisms, feeding into the Virology department.
• Ensure that self and team maintain safe operation of the laboratory, including containment level 3 and 4 high containment laboratories, ensuring staff are aware of and adhere to appropriate safety procedures and emphasise a culture of continuous improvement in health and safety.
• Participate in the disease emergency response in the event of a disease outbreak and be part of the on-call rota

Experience and skills:

You will need to demonstrate the following:

• Knowledge of and practical experience with immunology, in the virology context relevant to the role
• Knowledge of characterising the immune response using approaches such as RNA Sequencing and/or using imaging technologies
• Experience of working in a research environment including experience with animal studies
• Good written and oral communication skills to deliver outputs such as manuscripts, presentations, funding applications and reports
• Bio-safety experience i.e. working in containment level 3

Specific requirements of ability:

• You will require manual dexterity in order to use pipettes on a daily basis
• Ability to work at a laboratory bench or in a microbiological safety cabinet for up to 6 hours a day.

Qualifications

• BSc (in veterinary/medical biosciences or similar) with post-graduate qualification or equivalent experience

Security clearance

The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Governments response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason all postholders based on the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post at APHA Weybridge to ensure they meet the residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have at least three years continuous UK residency as this is a requirement to work at the Weybridge site where the team and work is situated.

Workplace arrangements

The post holder must work from the location listed in the Location section of the advert.

This post requires you to be working in the Laboratory five days per week or less if part-time.

Periodic travel within the UK and Europe may be required to attend training courses, conferences and scientific meetings. If not based at the Weybridge site, regular visits to the site will be required e.g. minimum one visit per month (travel costs will be covered by the department).

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.

You will need to comply with a number of health protocols and wear protective clothing and Respiratory Personal Protective Equipment (RPPE) as required. The work involved in this post can be physically demanding, therefore a level of physical fitness is required. It involves long periods of time on your feet working in the laboratory as well as moving around site from one laboratory to another. It also involves repetitive actions, e.g. pipetting and lifting of waste containers that maybe heavy. A level of physical fitness is required to access biosecure areas due to the need to access the buildings and requirement to wear personal protective equipment which in some laboratories requires a full change of clothes.

The post will also require Health clearance. You will be expected to complete a questionnaire on your general health and have any necessary vaccinations or health surveillance, including skin sensitisers, and tetanus. This will be arranged by the Health Team, Weybridge. It may also be necessary to undergo a pre-employment medical assessment.