G6 Head of Science Delivery - Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Verified Company
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

4 weeks ago

Tom O´Connor

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Tom O´Connor

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Description

Details:


Reference number:


Salary:

- £59,341 - £72,439
  • National :£59,341£67,05
  • London £64,114£72439 (New Entrants into the civil service will start at the bottom of the relevant pay band based on their location). For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading 'Salary'.
  • A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
    Job grade:
  • Grade 6
    Contract type:
  • Permanent
    Business area:
  • Defra Group Science and Analysis
    Type of role:
  • Science
    Working pattern:
  • Fulltime
    Number of jobs available:
  • 1Contents
Location

About the job


Benefits:

Things you need to know

Location

  • Bristol, London, NewcastleuponTyne, YorkAbout the job

Job summary:


About the programme


The terrestrial Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment Programme (tNCEA) sits in the Central Analysis and Insights Directorate, overseen by Defra's Chief Scientific Advisor.

The programme aims to deliver a world-class knowledge capability for our natural environment which enables us to enhance our landscapes, improve biodiversity and encourage innovation.

It will; develop integrated, adaptive and collaborative methods to measure our land and freshwater environments; transform physical and digital infrastructure to underpin, facilitate and present our understanding to aid decision-making; and deliver data, evidence-based insight and understanding to inform ambitious, proactive and sustainable policy decisions.

The operating value of the Programme is c.£90m over the next two years.


About the Science Delivery team


The programme is looking for a decisive, efficient and resilient leader and influencer who can assemble, manage and assure multiple science delivery projects across different organisations, ensuring cohesive and collaborate working for successful delivery.


The Head of Science Delivery will lead a team overseeing the science delivery of our partner bodies, working closely with the Programme Management team to achieve this.

Key partners include; the Environment Agency, Forest Research, JNCC, Natural England, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.


The Defra team is dispersed across many locations so the post would be suited to someone comfortable with leading a remote-working team.


Encouraging diverse applicants

Job description:

This role is critical to delivery of the science components of the programme. Where the programme management team will shape, monitor and drive delivery of the projects, your role will;

  • Ensure that projects are established with the right science requirements to meet policy and legislative goals
  • Work with partners, supporting them to develop the right science and identify key measurements, outputs, and products that align to the benefits
  • Assure the SRO and Programme Director that the project proposals, milestones and deliverables meet the science objectives for the programme

Specific areas overseen by the team include:
Three data collection projects that together enable assessment of extent, location, and condition of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems:

  • Citizen Science: working with the CS community to develop and test solutions that expand the regional value of CS
  • Strategic Sampling: an expansion of statistically robust sampling to assess regional condition and change of ecosystems
  • Remote Sensing: innovating the use of satellites and other sensors to achieve cost effective and additional insight

These three projects are delivered through multiple work packages across the five partners.

  • Ensuring that opportunities for practical innovation are explored and exploited, and fed into the design of the programme to ensure future proofing
  • The role will also support development of the digital and data infrastructure by ensuring that the digital and data solutions will meet the science requirements of the programme

To undertake your role you will:

  • Work with the SRO and Programme Director to ensure the science undertaken by the Programme is aligned to realising the Programme's benefits in a timely and cost-effective manner
  • Act and be recognised as the leader of the Science Delivery team and build strong relationships with your peers in the partner bodies
  • Develop and lead your teams to achieve this delivery
  • Be part of the Programme leadership team, advising the SRO and Programme Board as necessary to achieve Programme benefits
  • Monitor, challenge and guide the use of evidence and knowledge, from a wide range of sources, to come to logical conclusions. Challenge assumptions and current approaches, and frame problems in a way that allows others to solve them

Person specification:


Experience and skills

You will:


  • Be a natural life scientist with experience of developing science projects to deliver environmental data, information and knowledge
  • Have ecosystem and natural capital knowledge and
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