Associate Science Director

Salary - £74,802 - £93,012 (Negotiable)

Location: Bangor, Edinburgh, Lancaster, Wallingford

Full-time (37 hours per week), Permanent, Hybrid working (50/50)

x4 Roles Available

Closing date for applications, Monday, 25th November 2024. We reserve the right to close this advert early if we find the right candidate, so we encourage you to apply early.

The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) is a leading, independent research institute dedicated to addressing complex environmental challenges facing the world today. Our work focuses on understanding the natural environment, the impact of human activities, and developing sustainable solutions. UKCEH’s research spans a range of fields, including climate science, biodiversity, water resources, ecosystem processes, and environmental resilience.

UKCEH is looking for four science leaders to join our team, providing leadership to our dedicated researchers, contributing to scientific discovery and generating the data, insights and solutions that other researchers, businesses and governments need to solve complex environmental challenges.

As a valued member of our team, you’ll get:

• 27 days annual leave, rising to 29 days after five years, plus 3 days for our Christmas closure
• 10% employer pension contribution
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave (subject to qualifying requirements)
• 24 hour, 365-day access to support with physical, mental, social, health or financial issues plus access to our trained Welfare Officers
• Flexible working opportunities

Are you a passionate and visionary leader with a proven ability to inspire dynamic science teams?

We are recruiting four Associate Science Directors to lead our Environmental Pressures and Response, Biodiversity and Land Use, Surface Atmosphere Interactions and Effects and Hydroclimate Extremes and Resilience Science Areas. These are vital roles providing scientific and people leadership for their Science Area and across the organisation. The ability to work across different scientific disciplines and provide a strategic perspective are essential. As an inspirational leader, addressing the current and future science needs and motivating scientists are vital in order that UKCEH can meet its overall objectives.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Provide strategic leadership and vision for this Science Area, ensuring that scientific activity is excellent and has impact.
• Actively seek opportunities both for innovation with the Science Area and for integration with other Science Areas across UKCEH.
• Provide leadership and management for the Science Area of between 80 to 100 people. Ensuring there is a positive, inclusive research culture where people can contribute and develop in line with UKCEH’s values and behaviours.
• Ensure health and safety management for the Science Area is a priority and people understand their responsibilities and how to raise any concerns they have.
• Develop Business Plans for the Science Area including achievement of resource allocation and financial targets and budgets.
• Review the delivery, financial management and performance of projects led by the Science Area.
• Proactively engage with stakeholders, funders and customers to represent UKCEH science.

You will bring:

• High level of scientific expertise and the ability to represent UKCEH within the wider environmental science community.
• Strategic thinking, taking an organisational wide perspective.
• Leadership skills to direct and motivate teams of scientists to fulfil Science Area and organisational objectives.
• Working as part of the UKCEH Science Leadership Team to develop cross-disciplinary approaches.
• Leading scientific change and managing difficult situations.
• Decision making taking into account risk (financial, project delivery, reputational) at project and programme level.
• Ability to develop people and manage poor performance where required.

If you are looking for an opportunity to work with world-class and amazing people in some of the most inspiring places in the UK and around the world, then UKCEH could be for you.

If we’ve just described you, we’d love to meet. Apply now. Please send us your CV, accompanied by a covering letter which highlights any relevant skills and experience, together with what excites you most about the role and working for UKCEH.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position at this time.