Plant Variety and Seeds Certification Delivery Manager

Job summary

The PVS Certification HEO plays a key operational leadership role within the APHA Plant Variety and Seeds (PVS) team, leading the delivery and assurance of statutory plant certification and marketing schemes across England and Wales.

The postholder will work closely with colleagues across APHA, Defra, the Devolved Authorities and industry stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of certification legislation and standards covering seed, potato, vegetable, cereals and fruit for England and Wales, while supporting UK‑wide consistency through the PVS Common Framework. Acting as Deputy to the SEO Certification Manager, the role focuses on maintaining delivery performance, overseeing resources, supporting staff wellbeing and driving operational improvements that facilitate trade while maintaining confidence in certification systems and regulatory compliance.

The postholder will provide leadership across a range of certification activities including certification inspections, licensing of authorised persons and businesses, technical auditing, stakeholder engagement, contractor management, performance reporting and the development of certification processes and guidance.

The role also supports UK engagement with international certification frameworks and organisations, helping to ensure alignment with international standards 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 provide operational leadership within the APHA Plant Variety and Seeds (PVS) team, ensuring the effective delivery of statutory plant certification and marketing schemes across England and Wales.

As Deputy to the SEO Certification Manager, they will lead delivery planning, team performance, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement activities, working closely with APHA, Defra, Devolved Authorities, industry stakeholders and international partners to maintain high standards of regulatory compliance and service delivery.

Responsibilities

The postholder will:

• Lead and develop a team delivering statutory certification and marketing schemes.
• Manage resources, workloads, performance and KPIs to meet statutory and business requirements.
• Oversee certification, inspection, audit and licensing activities, working with APHA PHSI and delivery partners.
• Develop and maintain operational guidance, procedures and communications.
• Support staff training, competence development and wellbeing.
• Lead or contribute to projects that improve certification processes, systems and service delivery.
• Manage stakeholder relationships across government, industry and international organisations.
• Support contract management, performance reporting, customer enquiries and complaints.
• Contribute to policy implementation, fee reviews and legislative changes affecting certification schemes.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the grade

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

The successful candidate will be expected to develop and maintain expertise in statutory certification and marketing schemes relevant to their area of responsibility. Training and support will be provided.

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

Experience and Ability

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Experience working within agriculture, horticulture, plant health, seeds, biology, regulatory services, or a similar operational environment.
• Experience leading teams, projects or operational delivery activities, including managing performance, resources and competing priorities.
• Strong organisational and analytical skills, with the ability to make sound decisions and deliver against targets, KPIs and statutory deadlines.
• Experience building effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver complex services and achieve shared outcomes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including producing reports, guidance, briefings and stakeholder communications.
• Confidence using Microsoft 365 applications and adapting to new systems, processes, legislation and delivery models.
• Knowledge of, or the ability to quickly develop, expertise in certification, assurance, compliance or inspection-based schemes, with awareness of plant, seed or agricultural certification frameworks viewed favourably.

• 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 (opens in a new window).

• 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.

Further information

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” pag