The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) is seeking an experienced public affairs specialist with an enthusiasm for parliamentary engagement. The successful candidate will work across our executive team and Council to advise in the tactics we should implement to ensure our work is influential and impactful.  

The role

We are on a mission to place ethics at the centre of decisions regarding biomedicine and health so that we all benefit. To achieve this, we are working to enhance our reputation, both in the UK and internationally, ensuring that we are targeting our work to decision-makers and embedding ethics in policymaking.  

In this new role, you will work with the Associate Director for External Relations and Foresight to develop and deliver an effective public affairs strategy – identifying, building, maintaining and utilising the networks needed to ensure our work is seen by key political and policy audiences we are seeking to inform and influence.  

This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to further develop their public affairs skills in the high-profile area of bioethics, supporting our ambitious policy-influencing agenda. 

About you 

You are looking for an opportunity to shape a new role and influence the work and direction of a highly reputable organisation, ensuring our research has a real-world impact that improves people’s lives. 

You will be a persuasive and measured influencer, able to engage with a wide range of public, policy makers and other stakeholders. You will have an evident interest in the working of UK Government and the knowledge in how and when to engage with policy makers in order to achieve the greatest impact.   

You should have a creative, collaborative and inclusive approach to working, with the ability to work well in a team and also independently.   

You may have previously worked in bioethics (and may already have good relationships and be plugged into networks in those sectors), or if not you will be keen to learn and immerse yourself in this area. 

For further information about the role, please download the full job description (PDF).

About us 

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) is a leading independent policy and research centre, and the foremost bioethics body in the UK. We are on a mission to embed ethics in decisions regarding biomedicine and heath so that we all benefit. 

For over thirty years we have tackled some of the most complex and controversial bioethical issues facing society. We are funded jointly by the Nuffield Foundation, Wellcome and the Medical Research Council.  

We aim to inform policy and public debate through timely consideration of the ethical questions raised by biological and medical research so that the benefits to society are realised in a way that is consistent with public values. Our work has led to shifts in public understanding and policy change on topics ranging from assisted reproduction and genome editing to managing the disagreements that arise in the care of critically ill children. 

Central to our reputation and standing is our independence – we do not represent any  particular group or view and we select our own topics, methodologies and outputs.   

We select topics to examine through our horizon scanning programme and use a variety of approaches to identify, consider and resolve the ethical issues they raise. Our approach is multidisciplinary and deliberative. We draw on a wide range of expertise and experience and use the best available evidence.

We collaborate where our expertise complements those of other organisations (e.g. see our current collaboration on Genomics and AI Futures with the Ada Lovelace Institute).   

We engage with a wide range of different voices and views and are committed to increasing the diversity of the people we work with. As part of the Nuffield Foundation, we are a small team with the practical support of an established organisation that cares for its employees. 

Find out more at: www.nuffieldbioethics.org   

Further information and how to apply 

The closing date for applications is 09:30am (BST) on Monday 16th September 2024, with interviews scheduled to take place on Tuesday 1st October 2024.

You will be required to complete some questions as part of this application process, and you are also required to upload an up-to-date copy of your CV. The Applied platform lets you save an application and resume it ahead of submitting before the application deadline. 

Should you need to make an application in a different format or require any adjustments as part of the application process, please get in touch with us: recruitment@nuffieldfoundation.org 

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, and reading weeks) 

• 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.