Farming & Countryside Development and Delivery Manager

Job summary

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for farmers and working collaboratively across government to deliver meaningful change?

Are you an organised and proactive project professional who thrives on building relationships and driving continuous improvement?

If so, we would love to hear from you!

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (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.

Job description

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), is seeking a Development and Delivery Manager to join its Regulatory Affairs, Compliance and Enforcement (RACE) department.

RACE supports APHA's role as a national regulator, helping to safeguard animal, plant, bee and public health through effective regulation, compliance and enforcement, while maintaining the UK's biosecurity.

We have an interesting opportunity within the RACE department as a Development and Delivery Manager to provide support, development and management to a wide variety of projects across the Defra’s Farming Directorate.

This role supports the delivery of a diverse portfolio of projects across Defra's Farming Directorate and APHA transformation programmes. Working closely with Defra's Farming, Innovation and Regulatory Services team, the postholder will help improve farmer engagement, strengthen collaboration across Defra Arm's-Length Bodies (ALBs), and identify opportunities to improve regulatory services and reduce burdens on farmers and land managers.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Supporting projects to improve engagement and communication with farmers through written, digital and face-to-face channels
• Producing and analysing management information to support reporting, business planning and performance management
• Supporting the Delivering Sustainable Future transformation programme through customer insight and service improvement activities
• Coordinating joint training, continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities and collaborative initiatives across Defra ALBs
• Promoting and supporting data-sharing initiatives, including the Eyes and Ears app and other tools that improve operational effectiveness
• Contributing to the development and implementation of Defra's Joint Service Improvement Plan
• Representing APHA at regional Field Officer Forums, building relationships and identifying opportunities for improvement and collaboration
• Providing flexible support to wider APHA transformation projects as required

Person specification

We are looking for a candidate who can demonstrate the below skills and experience:

• Experience of working within the farming sector, farmer engagement, or regulatory environments, with an understanding of the challenges facing farmers and land managers.
• Knowledge of regulatory compliance and enforcement, including awareness of changes and developments within the regulatory landscape.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise workloads, manage competing demands and maintain accuracy.
• Experience of working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders and building effective professional relationships.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present information clearly and adapt approaches to different audiences.
• Strong IT and analytical skills, including the ability to gather, interpret and use information to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
• A proactive and adaptable approach, with the ability to identify risks, solve problems and work effectively in a changing environment.
• A full UK driving licence and flexibility to travel occasionally to attend field locations, meetings and regional Forums.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

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

• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,895, Animal and Plant Health Agency contributes

£10,398 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).

Learning and Development

At APHA, we are committed to supporting you to develop your skills, knowledge, and professional capability throughout your career.

From day one, you will be welcomed through a structured induction programme , helping you understand the Civil Service, our work, and how we operate. You’ll work closely with your line manager to set clear priorities and develop a performance, learning, and development plan tailored to your role.

Alongside formal training, you will have opportunities to apply and develop your knowledge in a practical environment , contributing to continuous improvement and innovation.

Inclusion, support, and the wellbeing of our people are central to what we do , ensuring everyone at APHA can thrive both professionally and personally.

Benefits

• Civil Service Pension - Defra contributes an average of 28.97% of your salary towards your pension
• 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 from retailers such as High street coffee shops, Cinema’s, supermarkets, High street retailers and many, many more.
• Staff bonuses and recognition including appreciate vouchers of up to £200 and larger in year awards of up to £1000,
• Salary sacrifice benefit options and an employee discount scheme such as bike to work, Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme, every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year for each child.
• Discounted gym membership with Fitness First or Pure Gym.
• Special Leave with pay, per year, for volunteering.
• Making it work for you - With so many flexible working options, most people can find a work schedule to suit their circumstances.

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, Ability and Experience.

Application Process

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Judgement 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 5th October. 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 5th October 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.

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

Please note that online tests associated with this vacancy are not subject to time limits; for further information visit the Reasonable adjustments for online tests - a candidate guide

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 4pm and Midnight on Sunday 27th September 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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a CV and complete a 750- word Personal Statement detailing your suitability for the role based on the bullet points within the Person Specification section of the advertisement above.

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 but will not be scored.

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.

You will also be asked to provide 250 -word statements demonstrating how you meet the following Behaviour:

Seeing the Big Picture

Further details around what this will entail can be found on the application form.

Sift

Should a large number of applications be received, there will be an initial sift assessing the Personal Statement. Those who pass the initial sift will be progressed either to a full sift or 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 Behaviour, Experience and Strength questions.

The Behaviours are as follows:.

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

During the interview, Experience will be assessed through a question.

It is intended that the interview will take place via Teams.

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.

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

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 appl