Senior Science Adviser

Justice Digital; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 53,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension 28.97%

25 days annual leave

Flexible working

Personal development time 10%

Learning budget £1k

Parental leave policies

Job summary

Justice Digital, Data and Science seeks a Senior Science Adviser to support high‑level decision making with credible health science. You will translate complex evidence into clear guidance for ministers and senior leaders, and work with cross‑government partners to shape policy and operations.

The role requires subject‑matter expertise in physical health, a track record in policy advisory, and willingness to pass security clearance. Hybrid working and London/National salary bands apply.

Qualifications

• Ability to rapidly learn new scientific material and interpret complex evidence.
• Proven ability to prioritise tasks and manage high‑profile, sensitive issues.
• Translate scientific findings into clear, actionable advice for senior decision‑makers.

Responsibilities

• Provide high‑quality science advice on physical health topics to policy and operations teams.
• Coordinate and author scientific advice for senior officials and leaders.
• Synthesize epidemiology, public health and behavioural science evidence to support desks.

Skills

Rapid learning

Critical appraisal

Clear science comms

Prioritisation

Cross-team collaboration

Stakeholder engagement

Policy advisory

Education

PhD or equivalent in physical health/health research

Job description

Senior Science Adviser

Location: National

Closing Date: 5th September 2026

Interviews: Week Commencing 5th October 2026

Grade: SEO

(MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain this grade on lateral transfer)

Salary: London: £49,325 - £53,081 National: £42,914 - £46,182

Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working

Contract Type: Permanent

Number of vacancies: 1

Vacancy number: 21449

*We offer a hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and time spent in your local office. Office locations can be found ON THIS MAP

Please note that unless you are an existing member of staff at Justice Digital, Data and Science, the only London location being recruited to is 10 South Colonnade, E14 4PU. We are no longer recruiting to 102 Petty France, SW1H 9AJ.

The Role

Please note this role requires you to pass Security Check clearance.

We're recruiting for a Senior Science Adviser here at Justice Digital, Data and Science to be part of our warm and collaborative Science Office.

Providing policy and operational colleagues with high-quality science advice is a core function of the Science Office. A Senior Science Adviser plays a critical role in ensuring that ministers and senior leaders are supported by credible, authoritative and well-judged scientific advice on physical health.

Reporting to the Grade 7 Science Advice Health Lead, this role sits at the heart of departmental decision-making on physical health‑related issues, supporting the department to act with confidence in an area that is high‑profile and high‑impact. The desk supports the recommendations of the Chief Medical Officers report on health in prison and probation and is actively pursuing recommendations alongside responding to emerging issues and stakeholder enquiries. The postholder will support the department’s health science advice desk, ensuring the quality, coherence and impact of science advice provided across MoJ and its agencies.

The role requires subject‑matter expertise in the physical health or health research space (for example through a PhD or equivalent experience), alongside strong judgement, leadership and the ability to translate complex scientific evidence into clear, actionable advice for senior decision-makers.

The MoJ Science Office sits within the Service Transformation Directorate, and is led by MoJ Chief Scientific Advisor, Hugh Stickland. We are the MoJ’s centre of expertise for science, R&D strategy, foresight and emerging technology, ensuring that decision making across the justice system is informed by robust evidence, scientific thinking, and forward‑looking insight. Our work brings together futures and horizon scanning, deep‑subject specialism in natural and behavioural sciences, and the responsible application of new and emerging technologies to address current challenges and support long‑term, strategic decision making.

As a team we are collaborative, outward facing, and impact driven. We operate as an open innovation unit working closely with other government departments, the Government Office for Science, regulators, academics and industry partners to bring fresh thinking and robust insight into the heart of MoJ.

You’ll receive a range of excellent benefits when you join our department, including:

• A generous employer pension contribution of 28.97% through the Civil Service Pension Scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave, (increasing to 30 days once you have reached 5 years of service), plus 8 bank holidays and a privilege day for the King's birthday.
• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working, working part time or compressed hours. Designed to support a positive work‑life balance.
• Employees are allocated 10% of their working time for personal and professional development.
• A £1k per person learning budget is in place to support all our people, with access to best‑in‑class conferences and seminars, accreditation with professional bodies, fully funded vocational programmes and e‑learning platforms.
• Compassionate maternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies, with up to 26 weeks leave at full pay, 13 weeks with partial pay, and 13 weeks further leave. And maternity support/paternity leave at full pay for 2 weeks, too!

You can find more details of the Benefits we offer here

To help picture your life at MoJ Justice Digital, Data and Science please take a look at our blog.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the department’s health science advice desk by providing high‑quality, timely and proportionate science advice on physical health topics and emerging technologies, using proportionate scientific methods.
• Coordinate and author scientific advice to senior officials and operational leaders on physical health‑related issues, often in complex, sensitive or high‑profile contexts.
• Assess, interpret and synthesise complex scientific evidence (e.g. epidemiology, public health and behavioural science) to support health desks’ partners in policy and operations
• Ensure health‑related science advice appropriately reflects uncertainty, risk and limitations of the evidence.
• Collaborate with external scientific experts, drawing on academics, advisory groups and cross‑government partners where required.
• Work closely with policy, operational and analytical colleagues across MoJ, HMPPS and partner organisations to ensure advice is relevant, joined‑up and operationally grounded.
• Collaborate effectively with government partners in Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, UK Health Security Agency and beyond, working to further the desks work and cross‑government goals.
• Collaborate with academic, government and operational partners to facilitate health research and evidence generation in justice settings
• Support the Grade 7 Science Advice Health Lead in the delivery of science advice through problem identification, prioritisation and stakeholder management.

Person Specification

Essential

• Ability to rapidly learn new scientific material, critically assess complex information, and present clear, accurate, and concise outputs for non‑technical audiences. Drawing on demonstrable subject‑matter expertise in physical health and excellent spoken and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to prioritise, and adapt quickly to new work requests, maintaining high accuracy and attention to detail while operating effectively in fast‑moving, complex, and ambiguous settings.
• Experience working flexibly across teams and organisations, engaging diverse stakeholders (including senior leaders and external partners), and communicating clearly and persuasively to a range of audiences.

Willingness to be assessed against the requirements for SC clearance.

We welcome the unique contribution diverse applicants bring and do not discriminate based on culture, ethnicity, race, nationality or national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability status, sexual orientation, educational or social background or any other factor.

Our values are Purpose, Humanity Openness and Together. Find out more here about how we celebrate diversity and an inclusive culture in our workplace.

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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

Salary Information**

Base salary for this role is from £49,325 - £53,081 (London) or £42,914 - £46,182 (National)

• New entrants to the Civil Service joining the MoJ are expected to start at the minimum of the pay band.
• Existing Civil Servants moving on a level transfer will retain their current base salary or move to the minimum of the pay band for the role, whichever is higher.
• Existing Civil Servants who are promoted will either move to the bottom of the new grade’s pay band or receive a 10% uplift, whichever provides the greater increase.