NERC Deputy Executive Chair

at  UK Research and Innovation

JOB SUMMARY

There has never been a more monumental and rewarding time to apply your leadership skills at the very heart of environmental science.
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is the UK’s leading public funder of environmental science, investing £330 million each year in cutting-edge research, postgraduate training and innovation in universities and research centres. We advance the frontier of environmental science by commissioning new research, infrastructure and training that delivers valuable scientific breakthroughs.
This role secures the scientific resilience of NERC to support our environmental science community and government, business and industry stakeholders that underpins NERC as a scientifically credible funder and resilient organisation within UKRI.
The NERC Deputy Executive Chair is the scientific backstop for the NERC Executive Chair in driving and delivering NERC’s vision across environmental science research and innovation nationally and internationally. Working closely with the Executive Chair, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Directors, and Associate Directors you will secure NERC’s position as the funder of world-leading research and innovation in environmental science in the UK; in maintaining and growing NERC’s international science presence and partnerships; and in building NERC’s commercialisation portfolio working with business and industry both nationally and globally.

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Engage and influence relevant stakeholders interested in environmental science at the most senior levels outside and across the organisation and in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to build support and confidence in the NERC delivery plan and to catalyse new ideas and communicate the strategic outputs.
• Working with the NERC COO, ensure that NERC science funding is properly aligned with the research infrastructures and capacity to deliver operationally in NERC and across UKRI to safeguard value for money and drive maximum research and innovation impact and positive outcomes.
• Working closely with the Executive Chair, COO, Directors, and Associate Directors, secure NERC’s position as the funder of world-leading research and innovation in environmental science in the UK; in maintaining and growing NERC’s international science presence and partnerships; and in building NERC’s commercialisation portfolio working with business and industry nationally and globally.
• Lead business and industry engagement across NERC building coalitions and seeking external buy in to deliver environmental solutions to major economic and societal challenges.

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) (opens in a new window)
• 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 (opens in a new window)

Senior leadership