Joint Head of Systems Research
| Posting date: | 13 June 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £54,470 to £67,090 per year |
| Additional salary information: | National - £54,470 - £61,000 London £59,900 - £67,090 For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 01 July 2025 |
| Location: | York |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 410771/4 |
Summary
The role is part of the Central Science Division (CSD) within the Science and Analysis Group. This sits at the heart of the Department’s science community, supporting the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) and Deputy CSA in all aspects of their work. The Division leads on cross cutting science issues, representing the Defra science community and bringing forward new and emerging science and technology across the Department.
The CSD is a friendly and welcoming team. Our remit reaches across the Defra organisations, providing leadership, guidance, and advice to ensure quality science is the foundation of policy making. The vision of the group is to put science at the heart of the way that Defra works. This needs to be supported by strong leadership and strategic direction and effective partnership working.
This role is to jointly lead Defra’s Systems Research Programme (SRP). The SRP team consists of civil servants and seconded academics with expertise in applied systems thinking analysis, natural and social sciences, and system dynamics modelling. These transdisciplinary skills allow us to combine systems thinking with conventional research approaches to explore complex and challenging questions. The SRP’s principles and ways of working are detailed in our primer for integrating systems approaches into Defra (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/integrating-a-systems-approach-into-defra).
Our current and previous research topics include net zero, environmental targets, circular economy, land use, air and water quality, and food. Some of our work has been published as case studies (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/systems-thinking-for-civil-servants/case-studies). Our outputs make high impact by helping to identify policy intervention points and trade-offs, frame narrative for emerging research and policy areas, flag strategic watchpoints and areas of uncertainty, and direct research funding to close evidence gaps.
Encouraging diverse applicants
We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups.
This exciting, cross-cutting role provides strategic leadership to CSD’s in-house systems research team. Working alongside another Grade 7 already in post, the post holder will be jointly responsible for overseeing the work of up to 10 Defra scientists and seconded academic fellows.
The team’s remit spans all issues of relevance to Defra Group, as needed, as well as providing support to the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) on high priority topics.
Key responsibilities include:
- Designing and overseeing a coordinated programme of systems research on topics relevant to Defra’s remit to navigate complex, cross-cutting and interdependent policy issues by applying systems thinking methods.
- Managing a team of Senior Scientific Officers and seconded academics
- Managing a budget to second academics into the team and procure R&D
- Supporting the team in applying systems approaches
- Representing Defra’s systems function and the Central Science Division across Government
- Communicating complex ideas and science to a policy audience
- Managing governance arrangements for the programme
- Building and maintaining relationships with academia and key external stakeholders
- Implementing a work plan to build capability in systems approaches for Defra staff
- Supporting the Defra Chief Scientist in responding to emerging, high priority scientific issues across Defra's remit
The post-holder will be expected to continually develop their knowledge and practice of systems research through reading, online training, networking and engagement in communities of practice.
Government Science and Engineering (GSE) will be mandatory upon appointment of the role
Key internal stakeholders include the CSA, policy teams across the business, embedded science teams across Defra groups and central science, analysis and strategy teams. External stakeholders include academics, devolved administrations, ALBs and other government departments.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme