Chief Operating Officer

Description

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is the driving force of investment in environmental science in the UK. We advance the frontier of environmental science by commissioning new research, infrastructure and training that delivers valuable scientific breakthroughs. We invest £330 million each year in cutting-edge research, postgraduate training and innovation in universities and research centres. NERC supports six research centres, which provide leadership to the UK environmental science community, and which play influential roles in international science collaboration. Our scientists study and monitor the physical, chemical, and biological processes on which our planet and life itself depends – from pole to pole, from the deep Earth and oceans to the atmosphere and space. NERC aims to create communities that can deliver environmental solutions that support economic growth by taking a whole-system, interdisciplinary approach as the norm.

NERC is part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), which brings together the UK’s seven research councils, Innovate UK and Research England to maximise the contribution of each council and create the best environment for research and innovation to flourish. The vision is to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

We are now seeking a new Chief Operating Officer (COO). As the senior executive leading with oversight of all NERC operational activities You will work alongside the Executive Chair, Professor Louise Heathwaite, in operationalising the research and innovation embedded in NERC’s strategy and delivering NERC’s mission and objectives. You will take responsibility for all financial, commercial, and funding operations, and major research infrastructures across NERC and beyond, into other parts of UKRI, all the while troubleshooting, resolving, and staying ahead of emerging risks. You will be responsible for the safety and wellbeing of our staff and the operational resilience of NERC, including providing risk assurance across our polar operations, aviation, and ships.

Candidates will have demonstrable experience as a senior financial and operational leader, with knowledge and experience of project management and risk identification. You will have excellent interpersonal, communication, stakeholder management and leadership skills, and possess the ability to manage the competing demands of a diverse range of science-driven activities. Ideally candidates will understand the wider political environment in which NERC operates, both within and outside of UKRI.

UKRI offers a generous benefits package. More information on this can be found here: https://www.ukri.org/who-we-are/work-for-us/working-at-ukri/benefits-of-working-for-ukri/

For a confidential conversation about the roles, please contact: Jacqueline Lau (Jacqueline.Lau@GatenbySanderson.com) or Maliha Ahmed (Maliha.Ahmed@GatenbySanderson.com).

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