Senior Scientific Officer International Disease Monitoring and Risk Identification

This is a critical role where you'll be working at the forefront of animal disease control, developing and delivering evidence-based risk assessments that inform UK policies on animal health and welfare. You will be integral to APHA's Advice Services team, collaborating with policy makers across Defra, Devolved Administrations, and international partners to identify and respond to disease risks.

As part of this role you will be working at the forefront of animal disease control, leading on and enhancing our horizon scanning capabilities to inform the development and delivery of evidence-based risk assessments that inform UK policies on animal health and welfare. You will be integral to APHA's Animal Health and Welfare Advice team, collaborating with policy makers across Defra, Devolved Administrations, and international partners to identify and respond to disease risks.

Responsibilities will include (not be limited to):

Undertake daily horizon scanning for exotic animal diseases, produce outbreak assessments to be published on gov.uk and lead on reporting to Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs), Policy leads in Defra and DAs, and including the UK Office for SPS and Trade Assurance (a suite of routine reports as well as ad hoc reporting when required).
Provide expert advice on the change in risk of animal disease incursion through changing trade patterns and legislation.
Provision of written and verbal evidence-based advice to Ministers, CVOs, EU Exit and other policy teams, Devolved Administration colleagues, external stakeholders and similar on risk assessment and risk management.
Development of technical risk identification and co-ordination across new partners in third countries and with international organisations beyond our EU partners.
Develop contacts with other agencies such as FAO and WOAH, and working with risk identification groups in the USA, NZ, Canada, Australia and others.
Work with Defra, APHA, FSA and UKHSA on understanding the risk of changing trade rules.
Development of technical risk identification and co-ordination within APHA and with key national and international organisations.
Establish links between APHA Animal Health and Welfare Advice team and other relevant departments/teams to facilitate knowledge exchange.
Ensure effective knowledge exchange between business units and teams so that data, information and intelligence is effectively shared for decision-making, continuous improvement and reporting.
Support the design, development and maintenance of the GB Risk Assessment Hub.
Support the development of animal health policies and provide rapid risk assessments for trade and disease control during international outbreaks.
As required act as Veterinary Risk Group risk lead or deputy for IDM and Risk Team Leader, ensuring a seamless flow of information and leadership during outbreaks.
Provide leadership and provision of the National Expert Group Secretariat function; both in preparedness for, and during, outbreaks of exotic notifiable disease.
Undertake the production of rapid risk assessments to support trade (imports and regionalisation) and the development of animal health exotic disease control policies in response to an animal disease outbreak in a trading partner or other country, working closely with other risk assessors in APHA.
Build and maintain strong networks with key national and international organizations, including the FAO, WOAH, and risk identification groups in countries such as the USA, Canada, and New Zealand.
With a good understanding of risk assessment principles and methodologies, in an outbreak:

Develop and coordinate Veterinary Risk Assessments (VRAs) during outbreaks of exotic notifiable diseases to support disease control and trade policies.
Provide liaison between APHA teams and policy teams.
Lead on the provision of other risk assessments to support policy options for disease control.