Description

At the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), we have a mission we’re very serious about: safeguarding animal and plant health for the benefit of people, the environment and the economy.

Created in 2014, following a merger of several other agencies, we are an Executive Agency of Defra, and our responsibilities are diverse and far-reaching. These include the identification and control of endemic and exotic diseases and pests in animals, plants and bees; the facilitation of international trade in animals, products of animal origin and plants; and the protection of endangered wildlife through licensing and registration. We also act as an international reference laboratory for many farm animal diseases and regulate the safe disposal of animal by-products to reduce the risk of potentially dangerous substances entering the food chain.

Acting as the bridge between our project managers and scientists, plus the organisations that we work with, you will be responsible for handling and creating business development opportunities across the veterinary (diagnostic and pharmaceutical) industry, and research and development sectors. Working on both a regional and international scale, you will:

• Be embedded in the APHA Scientific team, where you will identify and pursue business opportunities that will grow our commercial business. Assessing the viability of your leads, you will identify the scope for vaccine development and veterinary diagnostics.
• Actively pursue and build great relationships with both new and existing customers. As the focal point for their enquiries and requests, you will be tasked with everything from costing projects through to negotiating contracts with the support of our legal and financial teams.
• Manage key accounts, delivering a consistently exceptional level of customer care. As such, we will expect you to ensure customer services are being delivered on time and within budget, and you will see to it that all stakeholders are kept up-to-date on the progress of these initiatives.
• Gather and analyse information from a variety of sources in order to make informed business decisions.
• Work closely with the marketing team, travelling both nationally and internationally so that you can attend the relevant trade shows and marketing events.

As you will be working with a wide variety of clients and stakeholders including universities and research and development institutes, you will excel in this role if you have well-developed verbal and written communication skills. With a degree or equivalent knowledge in biology or life sciences, we will expect you to have considerable experience of sales management, underpinned by considerable commercial awareness. With a background in handling contract negotiations, presentations and one-to-one meetings, you will have a comprehensive understanding of research and development, ideally in a scientific setting. Crucially, you will be sales savvy with the capacity to meet sales targets, and you will have good analytical skills and the ability to deliver a high quality service, even when under pressure.

This is an exciting chance to develop your skills and capabilities in an ambitious organisation. We want you to succeed both in your immediate and long-term ambitions, so we will support you with ongoing training opportunities, and you will find a supportive and inclusive workplace where your development matters to us. You will also receive a generous benefits package that includes 25 days of leave, a desirable contributory pension scheme and the chance to embrace flexible working.

Closing date: 23 January 2022.

Post source:jobs.theguardian.com

Poster's Information:

Name:ANIMAL PLANT AND HEALTH AGENCY

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