British Antarctic Survey - Director of Science

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The British Antarctic Survey

Salary: £92,000 - £99,000 per annum (dependent on skills and experience).

Hours: Full time (37 hours)

Contract Type: Open Ended

Location: Cambridge, with national and international travel.

Closing Date: Thursday 12th December 2024 (23:59)

Job Overview

The Director of Science at BAS is a role of profound responsibility and opportunity. You will guide our scientific research with a clear vision, making sure our work not only meets but exceeds world-class standards. Your role will promote BAS science to a diverse array of stakeholders, fostering international collaborations, and championing interdisciplinary approaches extending across UKRI and beyond.

You will provide visible, charismatic, leadership across all areas of BAS science, ensuring strategic delivery of world-class science with impact. You will also promote and champion BAS science to external stakeholders, researchers and government departments. You will make sure BAS scientists develop opportunities for international collaboration across the UK and with international partners and facilitate cross-disciplinary working at UKRI level and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

• To ensure that BAS fulfils its mission to undertake world-class science and deliver high quality outcomes for UK polar science
• To ensure that BAS science is ambitious and strategic and is aligned to UKRI-NERC's and government's objectives and priorities
• To champion BAS involvement in the wider polar sciences agenda and with the wider polar sciences community both nationally and internationally, and support new opportunities to apply BAS science expertise in other relevant areas (particularly data science and AI)
• To ensure that BAS science is structured, organised and strategically positioned to face the new science challenges in the polar regions
• To develop a clear financial strategy for science, including an emphasis on increasing funding and sound budgetary management
• To lead and co-ordinate BAS senior science leaders in order to ensure that all BAS science staff have/provide effective line management
• To ensure BAS's science skills and staff engage with appropriate career and personal development
• To ensure good relationships with UKRI and NERC and work closely with other NERC and UKRI Centres and other appropriate research institutions in the UK and overseas
• To ensure membership of influential committees, such as those in NERC and UKRI and in the international polar community
• To represent the Director of BAS in appropriate international and national scientific forums and committees, and to engage with relevant external stakeholders for the benefit of BAS

About you

• Candidates should be at professorial level or above and are normally expected to hold a PhD
• Senior leadership experience in a complex, multi-disciplinary organisation
• A motivational and inspirational leader with experience of successfully leading and developing high performing teams
• Strong financial management and strategic planning skills
• Experience in leading operations in Antarctica
• Outstanding communication skills, with a proven ability to engage and influence a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including government and international bodies
• A commitment to health and safety excellence and risk management
• A track record of delivering organisational transformation and change management

Therefore, if you are an accomplished leader with demonstrable expertise who is able to drive forward BAS's mission to deliver impactful science and contribute to a sustainable future for our planet then we would like to speak to you.

For the full role profile, including responsibilities and essential criteria, please visit the candidate pack.

About the British Antarctic Survey (BAS)

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) delivers and enables world-leading interdisciplinary research in the Polar Regions. Its skilled science and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic, work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Through its extensive logistic capability and know how BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure help sustain a world leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs. British Antarctic Survey is a component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). NERC is part of UK Research and Innovation www.ukri.org.

We employ experts from many different professions to carry out our Science as well as to keep the lights on, feed the research and support teams and keep everyone safe! We aim to attract the best people for our jobs. If you are looking for an opportunity to work with amazing people in amazing places, then British Antarctic Survey could be for you.

Choosing to come to work at BAS means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. You can find out more about our benefits here .

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce' .

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.

Please note, to apply via the UKRI Careers Portal you will receive a notification confirming your profile has successfully been created (if you have not previously set up an account) and a second notification confirming your application for this role has been submitted. If you do not receive the second notification confirming your application for this role has been submitted, or if you experience any other issues applying, please contact seniorrecruitment@ukri.org , so we can ensure your application has been received.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.