JOB SUMMARY

The Office for Life Sciences (OLS) is a trilateral unit working across the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and, since July 2025, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). It plays a central role in delivering the UK Government’s ambition to be a global leader in life sciences, one of the eight priority Industrial Strategy sectors —driving economic growth, improving health outcomes, and ensuring the UK remains at the forefront of scientific innovation. OLS works at the intersection of health, science, and industry, shaping policy and delivery.
As Director of OLS, you will lead the cross-government delivery of the recently published Life Sciences Sector Plan, part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy. You will also have responsibilities stemming from the innovation aspects of the recently published 10 Year Health Plan. This is a delivery-focused role at the heart of government, translating strategic commitments into real-world impact—accelerating innovation into the NHS, unlocking investment, driving the reform of regulation, and supporting the UK’s thriving life sciences ecosystem.
Working closely with the Executive Chair for the Office for Life Sciences who will lead on international and media engagement, you will be responsible for ensuring the UK is on track to be the third most important life sciences economy globally by 2035. The role requires a strategic, collaborative, and delivery-minded leader who can navigate complexity, build coalitions, and maintain momentum in a fast-moving and high-profile environment. You will need to broker strong partnerships with a wide range of pharma and med tech companies, as well as securing significant highvalue manufacturing and R&D investments into the UK. You will also need to be a close partner with NHS colleagues and across the wider health system.
To ensure OLS can make the most of being a trilateral unit, it has one set of objectives agreed by the three DirectorGenerals working with the Executive Chair. Monthly governance meetings are opportunities to review progress against those objectives and identify any areas where further support is needed from the departments, Exec Chair or DGs. The DG for DSIT provides line management support, working closely with the other DGs.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Set the strategic direction for the UK life sciences sector, ensuring alignment with government priorities on economic growth, healthinnovation, and science and technology.
• Policy Implementation: Oversee the implementation of the Life Sciences Sector Plan, both the 11 commitments for which you are personally responsible anddelivering through others.
• Cross-Government Coordination: Lead a trilateral unit across DSIT, DHSC and DBT working closely with partners across Government and in the NHS,ensuring that you are making the most of being in all three departments and are truly a trilateral organisation.
• Industry Engagement: Act as a senior interface with global and UK-based life sciences companies, investors, and trade associations to promote the UK as aleading destination for life sciences innovation and investment.
• Team Leadership: Lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of inclusion, innovation, and excellence.
• Corporate contribution: Make a wider contribution to the leadership of at least one of the host departments.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• 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

Further information on nationality requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Set the strategic direction for the UK life sciences sector, ensuring alignment with government priorities on economic growth, healthinnovation, and science and technology.
• Policy Implementation: Oversee the implementation of the Life Sciences Sector Plan, both the 11 commitments for which you are personally responsible anddelivering through others.
• Cross-Government Coordination: Lead a trilateral unit across DSIT, DHSC and DBT working closely with partners across Government and in the NHS,ensuring that you are making the most of being in all three departments and are truly a trilateral organisation.
• Industry Engagement: Act as a senior interface with global and UK-based life sciences companies, investors, and trade associations to promote the UK as aleading destination for life sciences innovation and investment.
• Team Leadership: Lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of inclusion, innovation, and excellence.
• Corporate contribution: Make a wider contribution to the leadership of at least one of the host departments