Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

DLUHC is at the forefront of the Government’s defining mission to transform the United Kingdom by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it.

Across the Department, we support communities throughout the UK to thrive, making them great places to live and work. Our work includes investing in local areas to drive growth and create jobs, delivering the homes our country needs, supporting our community and faith groups, overseeing local government, planning and building safety and maintaining the Union.

The global pandemic demonstrated the crucial role of science in government. Science advice, and the ability to bring fresh scientific thinking into the Department, is particularly important now with the rapid pace of scientific advances and the opportunities presented by the integration of the physical and digital worlds. We are looking for a distinguished scientist or engineering leader, with a passion for science that reflects the DLUHC agenda to join our department as the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA).

The likely candidate will be a first-class scientist will bring deep knowledge and be able to work fluently across a range of sciences, with demonstrable ability and behaviours to translate and apply your science knowledge to tackle challenges across a range of policy areas. You will bring a proven ability to communicate complex scientific/technical advice clearly and persuasively.

You will need to be an excellent communicator and collaborator. This includes operating with confidence outside your own discipline, and building strong working partnerships with Ministers, officials, and external collaborators alike. You will be able to elicit the trust of your fellow scientists while being able to communicate clearly and unambiguously to non-expert groups.

You will be able to build effective networks, maintaining external relations, and communicating effectively to drive positive outcomes. Underpinning this will be your ability to convene respected authoritative groups, and personal standing in the scientific world.

This is a critical role in DLUHC and is ideal for someone with the appropriate level of professional skill and breadth of experience, as well as the leadership abilities and skills to work successfully at Director level. We particularly encourage applications from those of a BAME background and those with disabilities, who are underrepresented within DLUHC at this level, as well as those based in locations outside of London.

The successful candidate will be expected to travel to our other DLUHC offices, particularly Wolverhampton, Darlington and London, on a regular basis.

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference OBERA. Alternatively telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by noon on Monday 5^th September 2022.