Technical Director

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA); Highgate; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK government department is seeking a Senior Scientific Officer in Highgate, specializing in soil science. The role involves managing research activities, providing evidence-based support to policy development, and collaborating with external researchers. Candidates should have a postgraduate qualification in a related field and excellent communication and project management skills. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to key environmental issues including soil health and resilience.

Benefits

Learning and development opportunities

Flexible working options

Civil Service pension

Qualifications

• Experience in soil science or closely related discipline.
• Ability to assess evidence critically and communicate effectively.
• Experience in managing and developing research projects.

Responsibilities

• Support policy development with evidence from various sources.
• Manage research projects addressing evidence gaps.
• Act as the key contact for soil and peatland science.

Skills

Soil science understanding

Excellent communication skills

Project management skills

Research development experience

Education

Postgraduate qualification in a relevant natural science discipline

Job description

Overview

A unique science specialist opportunity has become available in the Soil and Peat Science Team in Defra. Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world‑leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day‑to‑day life, from the food we eat and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

The Strategy, Governance and Climate (SGC) Directorate, within which our team is located, works across a broad range of domains including climate mitigation and adaptation, environmental governance, and the 25‑year environment strategy. SGC has an inclusive approach to work that recognises the skills, endeavour, needs and well‑being of all our staff. The Access, Landscapes, Peatlands and Soil (ALPS) division is within the SGC Directorate and leads on a range of policy areas for soils and peatlands, protected landscapes and access to nature. The ALPS division offers a friendly, collaborative and supportive environment in which to develop. We attach importance to what we do, as well as how we do it, by valuing learning and development and rewarding success.

The Soil and Peat Science and Evidence team supports several policy teams responsible for delivering ambitious targets set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan and Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan. Both soils and peat are recognised by the government as natural assets which deliver a range of ecosystem service benefits including flood mitigation, carbon storage and biodiversity, supporting nature recovery, and have key roles to play in meeting Defra's environmental objectives. As a result, the scale and complexity of delivering the government's ambition makes this an exciting and high‑profile area to be working in.

We are seeking a Senior Scientific Officer to join the team who has experience in soil science or a closely related discipline. We are a small, friendly team of natural scientists whose principal role is to support the soil and peatlands policy teams by delivering scientific evidence and acting as subject‑matter experts to the department.

The post holder will develop, manage and deliver a range of scientific evidence and research activities that support soil and peatland policy and their contributions to Defra's objectives. Policy must be based on the best available evidence and analysis, and so it is essential that the post holder is able to critically assess the evidence available as well as effectively communicate the evidence to expert and non‑expert audiences.

They must build and maintain networks with senior leadership as well as the research community, guide and advise policy as a subject‑matter expert, and work effectively within a larger evidence and analysis community. Scientists in this team will work alongside other evidence teams across the department and other government departments, regularly feeding into policy or contributing their knowledge on a diverse range of issues affecting soils and peat both domestically and internationally.

This role will largely focus on the soils evidence portfolio. Soils policy is focused on improving soil health and the resilience of our soils. The science team will therefore deliver supporting evidence that considers the biological, chemical and physical attributes of soil. Policy areas currently supported include soil health measuring and monitoring, development of robust soil health baseline data and a soil health indicator, soil mapping products, sustainable soil management, and understanding the threats to soil health and soil resilience.

The post holder will drive the delivery of research projects to fill evidence gaps. This will include commissioning external research, scoping and developing research specifications, managing the procurement process, contract management to ensure delivery of evidence needs, managing relationships with researchers, quality assuring evidence outputs and communicating research findings to policy.

Responsibilities

• Support, guide and critique policy as it is developed, communicating the best available evidence from a range of sources and ensuring that policy development is evidence‑based.
• Scope, develop, procure and manage research projects and contracts to address specific evidence gaps and inform policy development.
• Act as the key point of contact for soil and peatland science activities and developments across Defra.
• Build effective relationships and networks with leading academics and researchers, engage with external research projects relevant to Defra, and represent Defra on project advisory boards and steering groups.
• Provide expert input into official correspondence, briefings and ministerial submissions.

Qualifications

• A scientific understanding of soil science and a good general awareness of the broader policy issues affecting soils and peatlands in England.
• Experience of undertaking research and in the development and management of research.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to swiftly distil complex information and provide clear and succinct advice to those in senior roles and non‑scientists.
• Good project management skills including the ability to lead the delivery of research projects, monitor the budget and delivery of research outputs, and manage multiple pieces of work or projects at the same time.
• A postgraduate qualification (preferably but not necessarily doctorate level) in a relevant natural science discipline (e.g. soil science, environmental science, geography, agronomy or similar), or significant experience that is related/transferable to soil or peat science.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.

Nationality Requirements

• UK nationals
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• 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)
• 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)
• Individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service