The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is seeking a new chief executive officer and the annual salary for the position is £125,000.

APHA works to safeguard animal and plant health and is an executive agency, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the Welsh government and the Scottish government.

The deadline to apply for the role of APHA chief executive is 5:00p.m on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.

APHA said the chosen candidate will need to bring vision, inspirational leadership and a track record of successful operational delivery in a complex environment to make sure the agency continues to deliver its role to the UK's biosecurity.

They should be comfortable leading in a crisis and should be able to carry the confidence of a broad variety of stakeholders when it comes to wider government.

"You don't need to be a scientist or a vet, but you do need to share our commitment to the critical role APHA plays in delivering world-class services for the benefit of society, the environment and the economy," APHA said.

'Critical leader'

As chief executive, the chosen candidate will be accountable for the leadership of APHA and delivery of its objectives, but will also be a critical leader within Defra.

The APHA chief executive will work alongside other senior leaders and chief executives to deliver collectively across the entirety of the department.

In the role of APHA chief executive, the chosen candidate will:

Work with Defra and the APHA Steering Board to define and deliver the organisation’s strategy, aims and objectives;
Ensure that the organisation has the resources, skills and capability to enable it to deliver its aims and objectives;
Lead, manage and motivate the executive team in their delivery of performance outcomes;
Be an inspirational and inclusive role model to staff, exhibiting the behaviours APHA expect of all its people;
Provide visible and credible leadership in a science and veterinary environment and in technical meetings, connecting with and inspire different professions.

More information about the role of APHA chief executive, as well as information on applying, can be found on the UK government website.