Associate Director, Research And Policy – Nuffield Council On Bioethics

Associate Director, Research and Policy – Nuffield Council on Bioethics

• Salary: Starting from £74,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
• Contract: Permanent contract, working full time hours (35 hours per week) - part time arrangements considered
• Location: London, with ability to work from home for part of the week
• Closing: 09:30am (GMT), Monday 19th February 2024

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) is recruiting to the position of Associate Director, Research and Policy. The successful candidate will play a key role in the delivery of our ambitious new strategy.

The role

Our new strategy places ethics at the centre of decisions, so we all benefit. We are working to build upon our excellent reputation, both in the UK and internationally, for multidisciplinary Research and deliberation and ensuring we are targeting our work to key decision-makers and embedding ethics in policy making. An evolution of our horizon scanning processes will allow us to further anticipate ethical challenges emerging from developments in biomedicine and health.

You will work with the Director and wider team to develop a comprehensive Research and Policy programme that delivers against the new organisational strategy and our priority areas of work which include: Environment and Health, the Mind and Brain and Reproduction, Parenthood and Families.

You will develop, oversee and lead a team of researchers and Policy managers to execute research projects in both short-term/responsive and long-term/proactive contexts. This could include commissioning research, undertaking in-house research, public engagement, and convening and synthesis. You will also be responsible for the quality assurance of NCOB Research and Policy outputs, maintaining the rigorous standards we are known for.

In partnership with the Associate Director for External Affairs and Horizon Scanning, you will develop and deliver a comprehensive strategy for informing and influencing public policy. You will maintain a cross-organisational oversight over policy positioning with a view to promoting a joined-up approach to influencing policy.

As a member of the Council’s senior leadership team, you will think strategically about our research agenda and Policy positioning and make decisions that ensure the effective and sustainable growth of the organisation. You will also support the Director in executing their responsibilities related to governance, fundraising, staff management, Board reporting and financial and strategic management.

About you

You will have experience of designing and delivering research programmes, and extensive experience of overseeing Research and Policy development that has led to lasting policy or practice change.

With well-developed leadership skills, you will have the ability to motivate and support our Research and Policy team to deliver, as well as being strong on resource and project management and matrix working. You will be a key member of the Council’s senior leadership team, responsible for the overall development of the organisation.

You will be ambitious in what you want to accomplish for the organisation and be motivated by the challenge of embedding ethics in policy making. As an expert in your field, you will be able to act as an authoritative, persuasive and measured influencer, engaging with a wide range of publics, policy actors and private sector stakeholders.

About us

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is an independent body that examines and reports on ethical issues in biomedicine and health. We have achieved an international reputation for advising policy makers and stimulating debate in bioethics.

We have published widely on a wide range of bioethics issues, including genome editing in farmed animals, gene editing in human reproduction, children and clinical research, organ donation, cosmetic procedures, non-invasive prenatal testing and research in global health emergencies. Our work includes a variety of projects including in-depth inquiries, horizon scanning, and an active response programme, which includes rapid policy briefings, workshops and roundtables.

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is funded jointly by the Nuffield Foundation, Wellcome and the Medical Research Council.

Find out more at: www.nuffieldbioethics.org

Further information and how to apply

For further information and to apply, please click through to our recruitment platform. The closing date for applications is 09:30am (GMT) on Monday 19th February 2024, with a first stage of interviews with a first stage of interviews scheduled to take place in the week commencing 4th March 2024.

We are committed to inclusive working practices and during the application process we commit to:

• As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer a guaranteed first stage interview for disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role.
• making any reasonable adjustments – for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews etc
• paying for travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required

Our benefits package includes:

• Consideration of requests for part time and/or flexible working (eg compressed hours arrangements, job sharing etc)
• 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays (with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days).
• A salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.
• Life assurance scheme.
• Family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay.
• Cycle to work scheme and loans towards season tickets.
• Frequent opportunities for learning and development (including options for coaching and mentoring)
• Support with your physical, mental and financial wellbeing including an employee assistance provider, a private GP service, personal health reviews with Bupa, a will and funeral planning service and a staff network of trained Mental Health First Aiders.
• Staff peer groups and social networks.