Animal Technologist (ID4970)

Government Recruitment Service; Lewes; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service is seeking an Animal Technologist to join APHA facilities in the UK. You will perform daily animal care, welfare and handling of a range of species, ensuring high welfare standards and compliance with licensed procedures.

Full training will be provided, including SOP writing, GLP/GMP practices and quality audits. This permanent, full-time role offers a salary of £34,434 to £35,468 per year and is based at KT15 3NB.

Qualifications

• GLP and GMP compliance
• Write and review SOPs
• Participate in quality audits

Responsibilities

• Daily animal care, health checks and husbandry of stock and experimental animals; liaising with Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer and Named Veterinary Surgeons.
• Observations and monitoring of experimental animals; recording clinical signs and data.
• Video surveillance monitoring of animals and recording data.
• Unloading, collection, transport and storage of bedding, feed, consumables and equipment.
• Assist with veterinary and technical procedures: identification, weighing, restraint, sample collection, feed preparations and experimental work.
• Operation of heavy duty and agricultural machinery (tractors, forklifts, telehandlers, quadbikes, skidsteer loaders).
• Use of specialist equipment (autoclaves, animal weigh scales, hot air ovens, bottle washers, pressure washers).
• Undertake experimental Home Office procedures (under licence), including Schedule 1 Techniques; full training provided.
• Contribute to refinement of animal procedures or studies.
• Maintaining disease security; cleaning and decontamination of accommodation and equipment.
• Comply with APHA Health and Safety policy.
• Write and review SOPs and participate in quality audits.
• You are required to achieve appropriate competence and communicate effectively with a wide range of staff.

Job description

Animal Technologist (ID4970)

Company: Government Recruitment Service

Salary: £34,434 to £35,468 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: KT15 3NB

Job type: Permanent

Posting date: 14 Oct 2026

Closing date: 28 Oct 2026

Summary

Do you want to be part of a team protecting Great Britain from exotic notifiable diseases?

Do you want a role safeguarding standards of animal and plant health and welfare?

If so, why not join us and make a difference.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, and works on behalf of the Scottish Government and Welsh Government. Our diverse teams of over 3,000 skilled and committed professionals come together to provide research, advice and support to UK Government for safeguarding animal, public and plant health for benefit of the environment and economy.

APHA is a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, because it helps us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We are dedicated to being an inclusive employer, offering equitable opportunities for all individuals. Our goal is to build a diverse workforce, and we hope to attract applications from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups.

The Science Directorate (SD) delivers high quality, high impact and highly relevant multidisciplinary science. Our People are diverse, talented, engaged and inspired to deliver innovative outcomes.

In the Animal Technologist role, your daily responsibilities primarily consist of the daily husbandry, care and welfare of a wide range of species ensuring the highest welfare standards and conducting regulated procedures under license for which full training & accreditation is provided.

The routine use of both laboratory and agricultural machinery as part of the role and you may be involved in the collection and delivery of livestock.

You will be expected to cover the following duties. Training and supervision will be provided.

• Daily animal care, health checks and husbandry (including rearing from birth), of both stock and experimental livestock, poultry species and small laboratory animals. Liaising with the Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer and Named Veterinary Surgeons regarding the welfare of animals under your care.
• Observations and monitoring of experimental animals, recording of clinical signs and other data and ensuring information is passed to the relevant people.
• Video surveillance monitoring of animals and recording data associated with observation and ensuring information is passed onto the relevant people.
• Unloading, collection, transport and storage of animal bedding, feed, consumables and equipment.
• Assist with veterinary and technical procedures associated with animal identification, weighing, restraint, sample collection, feed preparations and experimental work.
• Operation of heavy duty and agricultural machinery, including but not limited to tractors, forklifts, telehandlers, Quadbikes, and Skidsteer loaders
• The use of specialist equipment as required, including but not limited to autoclaves, animal weigh scales, hot air ovens, bottle washers and water pressure washers.
• Undertake experimental Home Office procedures (under licence), including Schedule 1 Techniques, and the management of associated records. Full training will be provided.
• Contribute to refinement of animal procedures or studies.
• Maintaining disease security in animal facilities, cleaning and decontamination of animal accommodation, equipment, storage and support accommodation.
• To comply with APHA Health and Safety policy.
• You are required to achieve appropriate competence, write and review Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and take part in quality audits.

Communication

• You will demonstrate very good interpersonal and communication skills and be well organised.
• Requirement to communicate effectively with a wide range of staff including study leaders, vets, welfare officers, and your own team.
• You will be expected to use electronic communication tools (email, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Word, Exceland PowerPoint, SharePoint etc) and respond to queries or discussions in a timely manner.
• To organise, delegate, and prioritise duties to your team.

Quality

• You will be required to work according to the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, write and review SOP's and ensure quality compliance. APHA is certified to BS ISO 9001 by Bureau Veritas UK Ltd for the provision of a range of specialist veterinary scientific services and products to the Government and other interested parties worldwide.

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About Disability Confident

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