Agricultural Officer

The Scottish Government; Inverurie; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental department in Scotland seeks Agricultural Officers to support sustainable farming practices. Candidates will engage with the rural community, conduct inspections, and ensure compliance with regulations. The role requires a valid UK driving licence and offers a range of flexible working options. Ideal for those experienced in the agricultural sector, this position provides a rewarding opportunity to contribute to Scottish farming and environmental policies.

Benefits

Flexible working options

Supportive working environment

Diverse workforce commitment

Qualifications

• Experience working within the UK agricultural or rural sector.
• Knowledge about RPID schemes and support for the farming sector.

Responsibilities

• Conduct site verification of land use and area.
• Ensure accuracy of claims and inspect livestock traceability.
• Engage with customers about Scottish agriculture.

Skills

Delivery and decision making at pace

Education

Valid driving licence for UK

Job description

Are you looking for a varied and rewarding role where you can be an integral part of the team that helps to support Scottish farmers and land managers farm in a sustainable way?

RPID teams manage the implementation of agricultural, environmental and rural policies, process applications for funding and provide high quality customer service. An exciting opportunity has arisen for four Agricultural Officers to join the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (RPID) in the Inverurie area office.

Agricultural Officers perform a key role in the work of the Division and are often a key point of contact for farmers, crofters and the rural community. They undertake a wide variety of duties, many of an outdoor nature, including visits to farms and crofts to carry out inspections. The team also undertake desk‑based processing of claims and applications, and engage directly with customers as the primary point of contact for the rural community in the area.

Due to the nature of this role, a considerable amount of driving is involved therefore a valid driving licence that enables the candidate to drive in the UK is mandatory.

Responsibilities

• Conducting site verification of land use and area to meet regulatory requirements.
• Ensuring the accuracy of claims, including capital items purchased to meet regulatory requirements.
• Inspecting for livestock traceability, to meet regulatory requirements.
• Conducting plant health inspections to meet regulatory requirements.
• Engagement with customers to enable them to understand changes to support of Scottish agriculture.

Qualifications

Valid driving licence which enables you to drive in the UK. Please confirm in your CV or Personal Statement that you hold this qualification.

Success profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Technical / Professional Skills

• Delivery and decision making at pace – Working Level

You can find out more about the skills required here: Core ODP Skills - Operational Delivery Profession

Experience

• Previous practical experience of working within UK agricultural or rural sector and the ability to demonstrate an understanding of the wider farming practices in Scotland.
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the schemes and support that RPID have available to help the farming sector, including those which assist the Scottish Government meet its Net Zero target.

Behaviours

• Communicating and influencing – Level 2
• Working together – Level 2

You can find out more about Success Profiles here: Success profiles: candidate guide - gov.scot

How To Apply

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 1000 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples 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, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation.

Assessments are scheduled for w/c 16 February 2025 however this may be subject to change.

About Us

The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi‑leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid‑compatible roles should aim to work in‑person 40% of the time, either in an office or other agreed work location. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre‑employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

Equality statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.