The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is recruiting to the new role 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 will build on our excellent reputation, both in the UK and internationally, for multidisciplinary research and deliberation, whilst ensuring we are targeting our work to decision-makers and embedding ethics in policy making. A greater focus on horizon scanning will allow us to anticipate ethical challenges emerging from developments in bioscience and medicine.

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: Climate 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, including commissioning research, undertaking in-house research, public engagement, convening and synthesis, including both short-term/responsive and long-term/proactive contexts. You will also be responsible for the quality assurance of NCOB research and policy outputs, maintaining the rigorous standards we are known for.

You will also develop and deliver a comprehensive strategy for informing and influencing public policy (in partnership with the Associate Director for External Affairs), maintaining 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, as well as supporting 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.

You will be ambitious in what you want to accomplish for the organisation and be motivated by the challenge of increasing the impact of the Council. 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.

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.

For further information about the role, please click here to download the full job description. 

About us

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is an independent body that examines and reports on ethical issues in biology and medicine. 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

More information and how to apply

The closing date for applications is 9.30am (GMT) on Monday 30th January 2023, with a first stage of interviews scheduled to take place on Thursday 9th February 2023.

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

Our benefits package includes:

• 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays (with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days).

• Pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.

• Life assurance scheme.

• We offer family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay

• Cycle to work scheme and loans towards season tickets.

• Support with your learning and development

• Wellbeing support including an employee assistance provider.