Job vacancies at the Science Council

Salary: £35,000

Location: London, with UK travel

Job type: Full time, two-year FTC (Possible extension of two years, subject to funding)

Deadline: 4 April 2020

Interviews:16 and 17 April 2020

The Science Council has an exciting opportunity for two experienced and knowledgeable individuals with a passion for technical education to help support and shape technical education in the sciences.

We are embarking upon an exciting project, generously funded by the Gatsby Foundation, to raise the stature of technical education in the sciences and embed professional awards into apprenticeships, T Levels and higher technical education.

We are recruiting for two roles. One to lead on our apprenticeship strand of activity and also someone to lead on our T Level and Higher Technical Qualification strand.  These are integral roles to the project that shall have a key focus on shaping the technical education infrastructure as well as raising the overall prestige afforded to technical education in the sciences.  We work to embed Registered Scientist and Registered Science Technician standards to make a demonstrable impact on the careers of aspiring scientists and technicians.

We are looking for people who have a good understanding of the technical education landscape and are experienced with devising, developing and implementing strategic projects to deliver against goals. Adept at building and fostering relationships, you will ensure that the science community is able to act as a collective and collaborate to raise the profile of technical education in the sciences and support technicians and learners who may be undertaking these pathways.

We are especially keen to hear from people who have gained technical education experience with a training provider, awarding body, employer, government department or have experience via alternate means.

The role is a project role for a duration of two years with the possibility of extension for a further two years. We are able to offer flexible working and happy to discuss possible secondment opportunities or alternative working arrangements.

Apply today.

Candidate information packs:

Apprenticeship Lead Candidate information pack.

T Level and HTQ Lead Candidate information pack.

The Science Council is seeking its next President to succeed Professor Sir Keith Burnett FRS, who will step down in October 2020 after 4 years in the role.

This is an exciting time to join us as our new President, as we continue to deliver our strategy in partnership with our members. We are looking for someone who has the gravitas and ability to influence at the highest level, acting as an ambassador for the Science Council to strengthen the reach and impact of the charity. The office of President is a critical role for the Science Council; we welcome applications from high calibre individuals who can passionately champion the value of the science profession, and with the time and energy to commit to the role.

As a multi-disciplinary membership organisation connecting professional bodies from across the scientific disciplines, the Science Council has a vital role to play in promoting the profession. Remaining true to its core purpose, the Science Council, in partnership with its Member Bodies, aims t leading role in championing the value of the science profession to government, employers, scientists and science technicians, and to the wider public. Together we can work as a cohesive body and I believe now more than ever that the profession must work collectively to deliver economic growth and societal progress.

Time commitment

The role requires a minimum commitment of 10 full days per annum.

Term of office

The successful candidate will succeed Sir Keith in October 2020. Currently the term of office for the position is a 4-year term, but we are in the process of amending our Bylaws so that the President’s term of office will be for 2 years.

More information about the role and the essential criteria can be found in the Candidate information pack.

How to apply

To formally apply, please provide a statement outlining why you are interested in the opportunity and what you would bring to the role. Applications should be sent to the Governance Manager, Oliver O’Hanlon (o.ohanlon@sciencecouncil.org) by 31st March. The expected date for appointment is at our 2020 Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 30^th June.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role you can contact the Chair, Dr Helen Pain (painh@rsc.org) and/or the Chief Executive, Helen Gordon (h.gordon@sciencecouncil.org).

The Science Council is always looking for individuals who can bring their knowledge and expertise to the Board of Trustees to lead the charity and help deliver its strategy. We encourage individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience to consider becoming a Science Council trustee. The Board consists of up to 12 Elected Trustees and 3 Appointed Trustees, and normally meets quarterly.

We are looking for individuals who want to help grow the Science Council’s size, influence and impact; and take a lead on driving up professionalism, standards and encouraging continuous professional development across the science workforce. Whatever your background and expertise, board membership enables you to influence the future direction of the Science Council and have an impact across the whole scientific community.

There are currently two vacancies arising. Board elections take place each year at the Annual General Meeting. The closing date for nominations is Tuesday 21^st April.

The Board is particularly keen to hear from people with skills in the following areas (we don’t expect to find all of these skills in one person):

• Workforce planning/long-term workforce trends; because we want to better understand long-term changes in the world of work to ensure we meet the career needs of the scientific workforce.
• Policy networks and influence; because we want to influence science and education policy, and raise the profile of professionalism in science.
• Finance and risk management; because we want to safeguard against short and long-term uncertainties and manage our exposure to risk.
• Practising scientists of all disciplines; because we want to better understand what practical support the scientific workforce needs from the Science Council and professional bodies.

If you don’t have these skills but you believe that your background could be useful to us and you are interested in joining our board, we still want to hear from you.

We want to ensure that our Board is as representative of the scientific workforce as possible. We would therefore particularly like to hear from women, ethnic minorities, younger people, disabled people and marginalised groups.

Applications must be submitted via the online application form.

The candidate recruitment pack provides information about the Science Council and its key projects, and trustees’ duties and responsibilities. The pack is also accessible via the online application form.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role you can contact the Chair, Dr Helen Pain (painh@rsc.org) and/or the Governance Manager, Oliver O’Hanlon (o.ohanlon@sciencecouncil.org) or 020 3434 2025.

You can read more about the Board of Trustees on our website.