Senior Scientific Officer, Resources

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 309334**Salary**:

- £37,295 - £44,724- National: £37,295 - £41,425, London: £40,262 - £44,724 For details of our pay on appointment policy, please see below under the heading ‘Salary’.- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%**Job grade**:

- Senior Executive Officer**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- DEFRA - Environment - Resource & Waste**Type of role**:

- Science**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Homeworking, Job share, Part-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- Bristol, London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, YorkAbout the job

**Job summary**:
In Defra, we deal with a vast range of issues that profoundly impact on people’s lives. We are responsible for England’s environment, our countryside and rural economy, the food and farming sectors and lead responsibility for protection from natural threats and hazards.

This role sits in the Resources & Waste (R&W) Directorate working across Resources and Waste policy.

Resources and Waste Policy goes to the heart of how society interacts with goods and services, from material extraction, industrial production through to how it is managed as waste. Material resource use is fundamental to how our economy works and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions as well as other environmental impacts such as biodiversity loss. The 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy signals the path for England to become a world leader in using resources efficiently and reducing the amount of waste it produces and associated greenhouse gas emissions.

The R&W Evidence team is a friendly multidisciplinary team of economists, statisticians, scientists, operational researchers and social researchers working together to provide scientific and analytical advice and support for current and future policy making.

As Senior Scientific Officer you will lead science expertise to support for current and future Defra Net Zero (NZ) R&W policy priorities. Ensuring that policy development is based on sound science. The role will work closely with Defra R&W NZ policy colleagues and analysts (and with wider evidence and policy teams) to anticipate future research priorities, and to provide expert advice to all levels of the organisation. You will be responsible for developing an underpinning scientific evidence base (including national and international literature), identifying, addressing and prioritising gaps (e.g. through in-house and commissioned work), and in horizon scanning. The role will also specifically be responsible for developing and delivering a large project aiming to quantify landfill emissions producing an annual site-specific measurement.

This role will support the delivery of R&W Directorate led government NZ policies and commitments.

**Job description**:
In this post you will:
Provide senior science expertise and support for current and future Defra NZ policy. Ensure policy development is based on sound science. The role will work closely with Defra (and wider) NZ policy colleagues and analysts to anticipate future research priorities, provide expert advice, including to Ministers and Senior Leadership team. Keep up to date on scientific progress and document emerging national and international evidence. Carry out horizon scanning for future priorities. The role will also lead a multi-million-pound project which aims to quantify landfill emissions, producing annual site-specific measurements.

This role will deliver on R&W Directorate led government NZ policies and commitments.

As a senior scientific officer in R&W you will:

- Lead the collation and synthesis of existing evidence, to develop (with a fellow SEO and G7 in this space) a strategic evidence plan to inform, influence and support policy priorities.
- Lead collaborative research projects (potentially including overseeing allocation of funding for R&D for research) to fill identified evidence gaps, working closely with policy and analytical colleagues.
- Lead a multi-million-pound research project which aims to quantify landfill emissions, producing annual site-specific measurements.
- Lead scientific component of specific cross-government work to take a holistic, approach to NZ policy and understand the impact of existing commitments.
- Create an evidence base for your area consolidating data and literature.
- Lead the development of your own evidence-based analysis and synthesis including of academic literature and data analysis.
- Create and maintain a network of experts from across industry, academia, the third sector and government to ensure evidence and policy development has access to the right expertise.
- Communicate clearly e.g. for Ministerial briefings and correspondence to ensure policy advice and public lines are based on the best available evidence
- Be adaptable, ready to change focus to meet strategic pr