Remuneration: External candidates should expect their salary upon appointment to be c£130k – £160k pro rata. More may be available for an exceptional candidate, but is subject to ministerial approval.
Contract: This role is being offered as a three-year secondment with the possibility of extension or exceptionally as a three-year Fixed Term appointment. A secondment for a minimum of two years will also be considered. Full or part time candidates (minimum of four days) will be considered.
Location: The role will be based in Victoria Street, London or Quarry House, Leeds.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is a ministerial department which sponsors and works with 15 Arm’s Length Bodies to deliver the Secretary of State’s duty to promote a comprehensive health service “designed to secure improvement in the physical and mental health of the people of England; and in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental illness”. DHSC leads, shapes and funds health and care in England, including health and care research, making sure people have the support, care and treatment they need, delivered with the compassion, respect and dignity they deserve. In addition to leading on the government’s response to Covid-19, the Department acts as the steward for the wider health and care system to ensure that it operates effectively as a whole to meet the needs of people and communities.
The DHSC is seeking a Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) to play a leading role in enabling the Government to harness the power of health research to transform the delivery of services, dramatically improve health outcomes, drive economic growth and underpin the UK’s international science capability. The CSA is professionally independent and performs an independent challenge function to DHSC, ensuring that science evidence and analytical advice is robust, relevant and high quality and to ensure that policy making is underpinned by science and evidence.
The appointed candidate will co-lead with the Director of Science, Research and Evidence, the National Institute for Health Research, the UK’s largest funder of translational, clinical and applied health research. They will have overall responsibility for research management and delivery with a budget of c£1.2bn a year; have responsibility for analysis and science advice to Ministers and the Department; provide input into UK Life Sciences and engagement with industry and work with the wider community of Chief Scientific Advisers. They will lead a team of over 150 and have an administration budget of over £5m. They will be a critical member of DHSC and its executive board, working to ensure science continues to drive and underpin the Department’s work.
The appointed candidate is likely to have an outstanding track record in conducting health research with national and international credibility and extensive experience as a member of research funding boards. They will have successfully managed large budgets and teams; have knowledge and experience in the strategic management of research and a high-level understanding of the current issues in policy related, evaluative, translational and basic health science, as well as an understanding of the main issues facing the NHS, public health, academic and life sciences sectors. They will have evidence of successfully working with policy makers and a broad understanding of government, widely recognised leadership skills and an outstanding record of successfully delivering major policies, programmes or initiatives. Of utmost importance will be their ability to understand and synthesize science across the range of quantitative and qualitative disciplines needed for health policy, and communicate it clearly and accurately to policymakers verbally and in writing.
Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency adviser to the DHSC on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference OAMASA. Alternatively, telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by 23:55 on Tuesday 5 January 2021.
If you intend on applying for this role please click on the link below and complete the short diversity form:
https://www.saxbam.com/department-for-health-and-social-care-equal-opportunities-oamasa/