Team Manager - Virology / Molecular

Fera has two opportunities to cover maternity leave as a Team Manager, the vacancies are in our Molecular and Virology teams within the Plant, Animal and Environmental Health Business Unit. Each team manages heavy workloads delivering to strict KPIs in plant health diagnostic testing and supporting research projects.  This is an exciting opportunity to join growing teams, working in a vibrant and highly multidisciplinary environment.

Both roles will be 12 Month Fixed Term. 

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead and manage a team of apprentices, assistant scientists & scientists, providing visible leadership and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Provide effective support to staff by facilitating access to resources and offering guidance to enable the successful management of deliverables.
• Promote innovation within the team by encouraging collaboration among members with diverse expertise and across other business units.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues both within and outside of your team to shape Fera’s strategy and business plan.
• Translate Fera's overarching goals into actionable plans and performance objectives, ensuring alignment with team efforts.
• Conduct mid-year and annual performance reviews and hold monthly one-to-one meetings with each team member to drive continuous improvement and personal development. Provide constructive feedback and coaching to proactively address performance issues.
• Champion effective communication channels to facilitate smooth operations and cultivate strong working relationships within the team and across other business units.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks (e.g., ISO 17025, ISO 9001, H&S, licensing) and promote best practices across the business.

What we’re looking for:

You are a dynamic, responsible, and highly organised individual. You are either a manager with experience in a scientific environment and a passion for science, or a scientist with excellent communication skills, project management experience and a strong interest in developing people management expertise.

Desired skills and experience:

• BSc/MSc or equivalent level qualification in Science or other relevant subject, along with at least 1 year of relevant experience working with collaborative teams and functional management of scientists and/or project managers. A molecular biology background would be ideal.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to inspire and motivate others.
• Strong understanding of service delivery and project management requirements, with demonstrated leadership in driving others to achieve significant milestones.
• Proven ability to support and encourage innovation in developing new services and in improving existing ones to increase both profitability and quality.
• Strong understanding of quality standards (e.g., ISO 17025 and ISO 9001) and regulatory requirements in scientific operations.
• Practical IT skills in software packages such as Microsoft Word and Excel.

What’s in it for you?

• 25 days’ holiday (rising to 29) with the opportunity to buy & sell extra leave.
• Flexible working hours, on-site gym, restaurant, free parking and a discounted on-site nursery.
• The opportunity to take a paid day out of the office, volunteering for our charity partners or a cause of your choice
• Company matched pension, life assurance, a cycle2work scheme, 15 weeks’ fully paid maternity, adoption and shared parental leave, paternity pay of two weeks…and plenty more.
• Voluntary benefits designed to suit your lifestyle – from discounts on retail and socialising, to health & wellbeing, travel and technology
• Fera operates a LTIP ( Long Term Incentive Plan) under which all employees are awarded points towards shares in the Employee Benefits Trust on an annual basis. The Employee Benefits Trust holds shares on behalf of our employee, at the point of an equity event the shares will realise a cash value.

What we hope you’ll do next:

Choose ‘Apply now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you. If you have any questions you’d like to ask before applying, you can contact recruitment@fera.co.uk

We’re an equal opportunity employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We’re committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format or if you’d like to discuss other changes or support you might need going forward, please email at recruitment@fera.co.uk and we’ll get back to you.