Summer Plant Health Inspector - Scottish Government, Inverness
Company: Scottish Government
Salary: £120 per day
Location: Inverness
Date posted: 6 March 2026
Apply before: 22 March 2026
The Job:
The Scottish Government is seeking enthusiastic individuals to join the Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) teams in North and South Highland as temporary Plant Health Inspectors for summer 2026 to support the vital summer potato inspection programme across Scotland’s key growing regions. These inspections play a vital role in protecting crop health, supporting farmers, and safeguarding Scotland’s agricultural reputation.
- Location: Scotland, Scottish Highlands
- Industry: Agriculture, Food, Horticulture
- Job type: Full-time, Fixed term
Summer Plant Health Inspector - Scottish Government, Inverness
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The Company:
The Scottish Government is the devolved government for Scotland. We have responsibility for a wide range of key policy areas including: education, health, the economy, justice, housing and transport. We offer rewarding careers and employ people across Scotland in a wide range of professions and roles.
Responsibilities:
- Inspect seed potato crops throughout the growing season to ensure that they meet requirements for disease and purity.
- Attend the annual seed potato inspector training course held at Gogarbank, Edinburgh and reach the required standard necessary to conduct inspections.
- Work as part of a small team inspecting seed potato crops, liaising with growers and recording the results of inspection in an accurate manner.
The Candidate:
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.
Behaviours:
- Making effective decisions - Level 1
- Communicating and influencing - Level 1
- Working together - Level 1
- Developing self and others - Level 1.
Find out more about Success Profiles.
The Package:
This six-week temporary appointment includes a fully paid two-week practical training course (which you must pass) in June 2026, with travel, accommodation and subsistence costs covered. This is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience outdoors while contributing directly to Scotland’s agricultural resilience and biosecurity. Daily rate of pay is £120 per day.
The course will start on 15 June 2026, with the exam taking place on 24 June 2026.
Find out more about what we offer.
We will be holding an online information session for these roles, which will include tips and hints for the application process.
Please follow the link here to sign up: Plant Inspector Information Session Tickets, Thursday, Mar 12 from 10 am to 11 am GMT | Eventbrite
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