Antimicrobial Resistance Disease Consultant

The Bacteriology Department is seeking an Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Disease consultant. For this role, we are looking for a veterinarian with postgraduate qualifications or evidence of substantial relevant experience. Based within the Bacteriology Department, this role provides scientific and technical expertise to support the surveillance, diagnosis, prevention and control of bacterial diseases affecting animal and public health. The postholder will lead scientific activities, provide evidence-based advice, work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, and contribute to research, policy development and disease control programmes.

Strong leadership, communication and stakeholder engagement skills, together with expertise in bacteriology and disease surveillance, are essential. The Lead will be an active part of the Bacterial Diseases and Food Safety (BDFS) Portfolio leadership team, contributing to set the direction of the portfolio, with particular emphasis on AMR.

• Provide joint leadership/consultancy for all AMR activities across the Bacteriology Department (as well as the wider agency), bringing AMR team together, driving strategic developments, and seeking/supporting relevant new funding opportunities.
• Provide joint consultancy and expertise to Defra/Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and other external bodies - notably World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Food Standards Agency (FSA)/Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), European Medicines Agency (EMA) on antimicrobial resistance.
  
  Responsibilities include provision of consultancy, outbreak investigations, advice and expertise to policy makers, risk managers, public health authorities, local authorities, veterinary surgeons and the farming industry on the occurrence, control, microbiology and epidemiology of AMR and relevant bacterial zoonotic diseases, as directed by APHA, VMD and Defra.
• Jointly lead and manage the UK National Reference Laboratory for AMR in the veterinary sector.
• Support APHA's WOAH reference laboratory status in antimicrobial resistance, contribute to the annual report and other support to WOAH in this area.
• Deliver and manage surveillance projects OM0190 and sub- projects and research project VM0533A within the core AMR project on time and within budget.
• Delegated responsibility from lead scientist to ensure that APHA science on antimicrobial resistance is delivered to appropriate quality standards and uses relevant and optimal scientific approaches. Review project proposals before submission and assist in their development.
• Delegated responsibility from Bacterial Diseases and Food Safety (BDFS) Lead Scientist for reviewing all published AMR outputs from APHA. Review papers, posters, presentations, and publications prior to submission according to AP004 to ensure scientific robustness.
• Provide advice and antimicrobial resistance surveillance summaries to the Defra Antimicrobial Resistance Co-ordination Group.
• Work collaboratively with public health institutes (e.g. UKHSA, PHW, PHS) to advance One Health AMR work
• Oversee the delivery of AMR summary data for publication/provide annual susceptibility reports on veterinary bacteria to Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Be responsible for the delivery of surveillance datasets and commentary to be delivered to VMD annually for the publication of the VARRS report.
• Horizon scan to identify and investigate AMR hazards detected through research and surveillance and suggest possible control options to policy lead organisations.
• Contribute to the Salmonella Steering Group (SSG) and provide antimicrobial resistance expertise for the annual Salmonella report "Salmonella in Livestock". Attend SSG meetings in person or by teleconference.
• Review the suitability of the test portfolio and proficiency tests for APHA purposes and rectify any omissions.
• Review and update VISI and VISION AMR surveillance documents for Veterinary Investigation Officers (VIOs)/APHA Regional Laboratories.
• Disseminate research results through scientific publications, reports, and presentations both nationally and internationally.
• Formulate new research project proposals, according to developing expertise and experience, and policy needs. These should be agreed with relevant parties, opportunities for leverage exploited and progressed…