Chief Scientific Adviser

Department for Education; London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000; Full time

Job description

All DfE offices (Nationally and London)

Job Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Department for Education (DfE) as Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA), be the lead CSA to the Government’s’ Opportunity Mission, and to be part of the Government CSA network, contributing to and being a member of the community. The CSA will provide independent advice to the Secretary of State, Ministers, the Permanent Secretary, and other senior officials, ensuring the department’s strategic direction, policy making, and operational decisions are informed by the best available science and engineering evidence.

The CSA will work to ensure that science and evidence are at the heart of the education system, underpinning its work. To help achieve this, they will be part of the DfE leadership team. They will advise on emerging research and innovation and will support horizon scanning, bringing together insights from across scientific disciplines to advise the sector on strategic opportunities and risks.

They will be expected to work closely with the DfE Science Advisory Council and provide linkage to, and insight from, world-leading research groups in academia and industry, and to continue to build an external network of scientific and research expertise. The CSA will provide leadership and oversight on the department’s approach to research and development investment.

They will work very closely with the department’s Chief Analyst, building on work already underway to ensure a strategic approach to developing the scientific evidence base in respect of children (and their parents), young people, and educational settings.

Job Description

This is a challenging but rewarding Senior Civil Service role. You will:

1. Provide high quality, expert scientific advice to Ministers and senior officials on the scientific evidence underpinning policy decisions and ensuring a scientific approach is taken in policy development, including the potential application of AI.
2. Bring to bear your own expertise, which should be in a child-related scientific discipline, with those from quantitative disciplines particularly welcome.
3. As part of the Leadership team, contribute to the strategic direction of the Department, building the scientific and engineering capability to support that strategy, playing a role in strategy development and advising on strategic risks and opportunities for Departmental policies and emerging research and innovation.
4. Participate in the oversight and quality assurance of the Department’s investment decisions.
5. Communicate with the public, DfE stakeholders and the scientific community on the scientific evidence underpinning DfE policies and operations, acting in an independent manner while paying heed to the Civil Service Code.
6. Engage with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and Chief Scientific Adviser Network (a cross-Government working group crucial in ensuring that scientific advice in Government is appropriately communicated and actioned). This involves regular meetings and networking, in which you will be required to represent DfE science and research, and lead DfE input into cross-government science and engineering issues.
7. Contribute to the leadership of wider cross-Civil Service issues, including the role of science and evidence in policy making.
8. Provide links to, and insight from, world leading research groups, building an external network of scientific expertise, including the most relevant experts from academia and industry.
9. Act as Head of Profession for Government Science and Engineering in DfE, providing a leadership role, encouraging innovative working practices and ensuring that the scientists and engineers within the department have access to a range of professional development opportunities.
10. Raise the visibility of science and engineering at DfE and facilitate access to specialist skills, knowledge, and expertise to ensure that evidence-based advice is used to support operational delivery and inform policy decisions made by Ministers and Senior Officials.
11. Regular one-to-one meetings with the Permanent Secretary.

Person specification

Applicants will be assessed against the following essential criteria.

If applicant numbers are excessive, preliminary sifting will be done using only the first two criteria bullets.

It is important that, through your CV and Statement of Suitability, you provide evidence and examples of proven experience for each of the essential criteria detailed.

Essential Criteria

1. Recognised both nationally and internationally as a leader in science (including medicine) within academia, industry, or other research environments, with expertise in children, families, and education.
2. Excellent at communicating complex scientific and evidence issues clearly and succinctly to decision makers, the public, and the media; skilled in influencing a diverse range of audiences, and in being an effective advocate and ambassador of science.
3. Experienced at working effectively in a multi-disciplinary way to achieve goals, including identifying and drawing on the advice and experience of experts across a wide range of fields to reach successful conclusions.
4. Capable of assimilating, evaluating, and interpreting scientific findings and advice across a broad spectrum of disciplines, advising on and challenging key risks, all at short notice and under pressure.
5. Effective in a sensitive political environment open to public scrutiny.

Desirable Criteria

1. Experience of the policy-making process and a solid understanding of how the UK government departments operate.
2. Used to operating at a senior level in a medium to large organisation, with the ability to think and act strategically and develop creative solutions to complex problems.

Alongside your salary of £120,000, Department for Education contributes £34,764 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 28.97%, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

Most DfE employees will be working a hybrid pattern, spending at least 60% of their time in an office or work setting. Changes to these working arrangements are available in exceptional circumstances but must be agreed with the line manager and in line with the requirements of the role.

Travel to your primary office location will not be paid for by DfE, but costs for travel to an office which is not your main location will be covered.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

Selection process details

Saxton Bampfylde has been appointed as an employment agency adviser to assist with this appointment.

To apply for this post, you will need to submit the following documentation through Saxton Bampfylde’s website www.saxbam.com/appointments using code OBFT by no later than noon on Friday 9 May 2025.

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A Statement of Suitability up to 1,000 words, detailing how you meet the essential criteria outlined on the previous slide. Should we receive a high volume of applications, then we shall sift on the first two essential criteria.

Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only has limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

There is likely to be an opportunity for shortlisted candidates to have an informal telephone discussion with the recruiting line manager, Ian Knowles, to discuss the role in more depth prior to the final interview.

Should you encounter any issues with your online application please contact [e-mail]

Please Note The Following

1. We cannot accept applications submitted after the closing date;
2. Applications will be assessed solely on the documentation provided;
3. Please refer to the advert and checklist above to ensure you have provided everything requested;
4. Applications will be acknowledged upon receipt;
5. Feedback will only be provided to candidates who were shortlisted but unsuccessful after the interview.

Selection Process

1. The recruitment agency, Saxton Bampfylde, will advise the panel on longlist candidates based on the essential criteria. They will then interview the longlisted candidates to advise the Panel on a shortlist, where both the essential and desirable criteria will be used to inform the next stages of recruitment.

Shortlisted Candidates Will

1. Take part in a Staff Engagement Panel (which typically takes up to 1 hour to complete), to be held the week commencing 23 June.
2. Undertake an Individual Leadership Assessment with an Occupational Psychologist, to be held the week commencing 16 or 23 June.
3. Be invited to a formal panel interview panel on Tuesday 1 July, which will be face to face in Sanctuary Building, London. You will be asked to prepare a presentation for the interview (further information will be shared with shortlisted candidates) and you will be asked questions to further assess your experience and strengths using the Civil Service Strengths Dictionary.
4. Candidates may be invited to meet Ministers for an informal conversation.

As part of the recruitment process, we may request references.

Please note that at the interview stage we will ask if you have any conflicts of interest to declare and the Department for Education does not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups

1. UK nationals
2. nationals of the Republic of Ireland
3. nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
4. nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
5. nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
6. individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
7. Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service.

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

1. Name : Sophie Tredinnick
2. Email : [e-mail]

Recruitment team

1. Email : [e-mail]

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Commission’s Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should, in the first instance, contact the SCS Recruitment Team at the Department of Education [e-mail]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the department, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commission at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints.

Follow link to apply

www.saxbam.com/appointments using code OBFT