Laboratory Information Management Systems; LIMS Architect; CR

L Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) Architect (CR769)

Employer:

Government Recruitment Service

Location:

Cardiff

Pay:

£56,375 to £62,000 per year, National: £56,375 London: £62,000 Pro rata salary for job share

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hours:

Full time

Disability Confident:

Yes

Closing Date:

05/03/2026

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.

Surveillance and Laboratory Services Department (SLSD) is one of the departments that makes up the Science Directorate.

SLSD provides a range of diagnostic testing and surveillance services on behalf of Defra and the devolved governments.

The APHA Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is used across the APHA Science Directorate, primarily within SLSD, both as a conventional LIMS and as a key data asset.

It underpins Defra’s animal disease management capability by enabling efficient, timely, and accurate testing for animal diseases and pathogens.

This ensures outbreaks can be contained, UK agriculture remains protected, imports and exports of live animals are biosecure, and confidence in the UK’s disease - free status for food and farming is strengthened.

The Grade 7 APHA LIMS Architect will oversee the direction of and the scientific architecture within APHA’s extensive and complex LIMS system.

This role will work closely with APHA Science and technology leaders and with colleagues from Defra’s IT department

• Digital Data Technology Security (DDTS)
• to create an ambitious vision for APHA’s LIMS system as well as a realistic and deliverable roadmap that delivers on this vision.

This role will prioritise investing in APHA’s current LIMS system to ensure it is more resilient and secure, accelerating the digitisation and transformation of the way APHA carries out its Science and improving the scientific services we offer to internal and external customers.

LIMS Architecture Refine APHA’s scientific and business requirements and translate them into architectural patterns and solutions within the LIMS system.

Collaborate with APHA’s IT delivery teams to ensure these solutions are developed, ensuring resilience, performance, efficiency, and supportability.

Align work with other architects and technical professionals to maintain consistency across systems.

Establish and communicate architectural principles, patterns, and constraints to ensure technically sound implementation.

Roadmap and backlog management Align roadmap with strategy:
Ensure the LIMS roadmap supports organisational objectives, industry best practices, and long-term value.

Architectural oversight:
Assess impacts of roadmap and backlog changes, balancing priorities, risks, and opportunities to minimise downtime.

Integrated backlog management:
Govern feature and engineering backlogs holistically, linking near-term delivery with strategic roadmap goals.

Strategy for the “Future LIMS” Craft an ambitious vision for APHA’s future LIMS, incorporating new technologies, automation, and digitisation opportunities for enhanced efficiency and scientific service delivery.

Support strategy development that aligns with organisational goals, challenging assumptions, and identifying new opportunities.

Quality…