Microbiology Scientist

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 safeguard animal and plant health for the benefit of our environment, and the economy.

The Department of Bacteriology is looking for an experienced scientist to provide microbiology support in the department. They will work on research, working on endemic and exotic bacteria collected from field studies, disease surveillance and outbreak investigations. The post is based in a team of enthusiastic and experienced scientists and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to receive training in a diverse range of scientific techniques and activities.

We are looking for applicants with a degree in Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology or a related discipline. Ideally, they should have experience working within a microbiological/molecular diagnostic environment & working to ISO9001 or ISO17025 quality standards.

A full job specification and role requirements can be found attached to this vacancy.

Inclusion, support and the development of our people matter to us. We aim to support the career and personal wellbeing of everyone in APHA. Our benefits include generous annual leave, a contributory pension, staff bonuses and recognition, salary sacrifice benefit options, and an employee discount scheme. We also offer flexible working.

Other Information

The Weybridge site is a strategically important national asset due to its role as a reference laboratory supporting the Government’s response to national emergencies including disease outbreaks. For this reason all post holders based on the APHA Weybridge site must hold a valid Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance or above. It is up to each person applying for a post at APHA Weybridge to ensure they meet the CTC residency criteria. Applicants must be currently resident in the UK & have a minimum of 3 years continuous UK residency.

Closing date: 9 February 2026.

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