Principal Scientist- Natural Capital

at  Fera Science

JOIN US AS A PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST AND MAKE AN INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR BIOSECURITY & FOOD SAFETY!

At Fera, we’re making the world a better, healthier and safer place. We’re a joint venture partnership between Bridgepoint and Defra and we’re working proactively to protect the world we live in and the food we eat. Our teams are investigating plant and bee health, crop protection and sustainable agriculture. Join us and discover better as you deliver world-class science for the future.
We’re seeking a Principal Scientist to accelerate focus and build on the strengths of our existing business in Natural Capital.
We invest in our people and have appointed a number of emerging leaders with the potential to act and lead on innovative initiatives. Our Principal Scientists demonstrate strong subject matter prowess with the ability to fundamentally challenge the science quality across our business whilst taking responsibility for representation of its science externally and applying commercial acumen for the evaluation of opportunities.
As a Principal Scientist in Natural Capital, you will play the leading role in the science development and delivery of work in your scientific areas of expertise and make a significant contribution to the overall scientific direction of Fera. You will be accountable for the successful (scientifically and financially) and efficient delivery of a portfolio of projects, directing and mentoring colleagues as appropriate. Your breadth of knowledge will be such that you can lead and influence across the whole business in multiple science workstreams.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:

• Driving focus on the scientific services we deliver for clients and the investment Fera makes in development of its scientists, research, equipment, infrastructure, and students and to continue to be at the forefront of innovation in the most relevant fields within the (Food/ Agri/ Environment, Legislative, Proficiency) sectors internationally.
• Supporting Heads of Business Units to facilitate and expedite development of new services and to identify where and how these need to evolve into the future to ensure we continue to grow our market share in the respective sectors
• Continuing to focus the science investment and resources to yield better return on our investment for the Fera business in IP generation, commercialisation of ideas for new services and new (scientific) talent development and recruitment to build and strengthen.
• Supporting the subsequent iterations of our the Science Strategy and any revisions of Science KPIs to ensure we continue to be aligned with Fera’s business needs – for the science agenda to prioritise and drive the overall future business growth strategy
• Continually conducting critical evaluation of Fera key strengths and ability to deliver on those services in a dynamic market, now and into future.
• Evaluate the demand for such services into the future, including the opportunity for Fera to develop those services.
• Work as lead player to map out the potential road map for science investment to take Fera through the next 12 months and into the future.
• Continue to raise the profile of the science capability at Fera across the industry and government through publications, presentations, conferencing and working with clients.
• Map the science talent pool in the business and its extended studentships, review current succession plans with Business Unit Leads to ensure they align to the future of the Fera business.
• Prepare and deliver talks, presentations and training to visitors, colleagues, external customers and at national/international conferences, as required.

WHAT WE HOPE YOU’LL DO NEXT:

Choose ‘Apply now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you. If you have any questions you’d like to ask before applying, you can contact recruitment@fera.co.uk
We’re an equal opportunity employer, which means we recruit and develop people based on their merit and passion. We’re committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. If you need the job description or application form in an alternative format or if you’d like to discuss other changes or support you might need going forward, please email at recruitment@fera.co.uk and we’ll get back to you.
At Fera, we’re making the world a better, healthier and safer place. We’re a joint venture partnership between Bridgepoint and Defra and we’re working proactively to protect the world we live in and the food we eat. Our teams are investigating plant and bee health, crop protection and sustainable agriculture. Join us and discover better as you deliver world-class science for the future.
+44 (0)300 100 0321