Location
City of Westminster, with posts available in South Central (Winchester, Itchen Abbas, including West Sussex) and Eastern Region South (New Spitalfields Market E10).

Hours
Plant Health offers a 7am to 7pm, 7 days a week level of service. Depending on location, shift patterns may include early mornings, late evenings, weekends, and public holidays. Flexible working is required to meet business needs, including occasional travel and overnight stays.

Salary
£42,616 per annum

About the Role
The Plant Health and Seed Inspectorate (PHSI) within Defra’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) works to maintain and promote high plant health status in England and Wales. This contributes to safeguarding animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment, and the economy. The role involves excluding, containing, or eradicating quarantine plant pests, regulating plant pests to ensure high quality planting material, and facilitating trade through plant health certification services. Inspections on fresh produce related to marketing standards are also conducted.

As a Higher Executive Officer (HEO), you will report to a Senior Executive Officer (SEO) and plan and undertake a programme of tasks independently or as part of a team. Duties vary by region, training, competence, and statutory requirements and may include:
- Managing a designated geographical area, prioritising and delegating work, and ensuring targets and quality standards are met.
- Line and functional management of Executive Officer inspectors.
- Acting as local incident commander during pest or disease outbreaks.
- Conducting statutory inspections and compliance checks on imported horticultural produce, plants, and planting material.
- Enforcing marketing standards and grading rules for fresh horticultural produce.
- Performing duties under the Plant Varieties and Seeds Act 1964, including crop inspections and seed sampling.
- Leading investigations and enforcement actions against traders, preparing court-ready case files.
- Certifying exports of horticultural produce and plants, issuing conformity and phytosanitary certificates.
- Carrying out crop surveys and soil sampling to prevent pest and disease spread.
- Collating and communicating intelligence on plant health issues and engaging stakeholders.

Candidates must have independent access to a car for client visits, sample collection, and equipment transport. Business mileage will be reimbursed.

Experience
- Experience working effectively in a people-facing environment.
- Experience communicating with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience prioritising and meeting multiple deadlines under pressure.
- Experience providing guidance and advice in accordance with operating procedures, guidance, and regulations.
- Ability to work confidently both independently and as part of a team to achieve goals.

About you
Disciplined, organised, able to analyse information with precision, confident under pressure, and a team player who takes ownership of their work.

Qualifications
- Essential: Minimum HND or equivalent qualification in Agriculture, Horticulture, Biological Science, or knowledge of plants and horticulture to an HND working level.
- Final year students with predicted grades and relevant course modules and field experience may also be considered.
- Full valid UK driving licence (evidence required at interview).