Job summary

The Chief Scientific Adviser team provides scientific and technical leadership within the department, gives direct advice to ministers and officials and ensures that the department is able to draw upon the best possible research and evidence. Professor Tom Crick MBE is the DCMS Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA).

The CSA is supported by a team who coordinate and provide rigorous and robust scientific and technical advice, and challenge, to the department. The team enables access to expertise through links with the UK science and research communities, and across government.

The R&D Science and Analysis Programme team is situated within the broader CSA team, but works across DCMS. The Programme has been running since 2022 to fund experimental, cross-cutting, and long-term evidence development with an emphasis on developing sustainable research collaborations, knowledge sharing, and networks.

The R&D Programme team is expanding to enable the Programme to develop and support more ambitious research over the next 4 years.

Job description

The first phase of the R&D Science and Analysis Programme launched in 2022 and completed in early 2025. The Programme funded 22 research projects across a range of topics, such as major cultural and sporting events, the interface between AI and DCMS sectors, videogames, civil society, and others.

The next phase of the Programme has received funding until 2030. The R&D Programme Adviser role presents an exciting opportunity to be part of a growing R&D Programme team and the development and delivery of the next phase of the programme, including how we collaborate on, communicate, and manage our research.

Responsibilities include:

  • Maintain stakeholder management, project monitoring, and impact tracking processes and systems for the DCMS R&D Science & Analysis Programme.
  • Act as the secretariat for key programme and project governance meetings, managing the shared inbox for the R&D Programme.
  • Lead the planning and delivery of the DCMS R&D Science & Analysis Programme comms plan, including disseminating research findings, organising events and monitoring programme engagement.
  • Assist with contract management, in particular by completing the relevant monthly commercial and financial paperwork, keeping track of invoices and maintaining the data protection records for each project commissioned through the Programme.
  • Assist with input into R&D Programme representation, briefings, commissions, summons, etc. as required.

Person specification

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience.

Essential requirements:

  • Excellent communication, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Excellent organisational skills, with an ability to prioritise issues and multitask according to business need.
  • Experience of project management.
  • Experience in managing knowledge and information systems, preferably in contract management.
  • Experience of assisting with scientific communications and event delivery.

Desirable skills:

  • Experience in a research setting, e.g. as a researcher, research administrator, or similar.

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Arthur Barker, and will take place on: 14th May at 12pm

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest by filling out this Registration form and you will be sent an invitation. Invites will only be sent after this deadline has passed. Please note that the session will not be recorded and will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process - please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to resourcing.team@dcms.gov.uk

To apply, follow the link - https://tinyurl.com/yhryjzzj

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Making Effective Decisions


Location

17, Marble Street, Manchester, M2 3AW, United Kingdom

Job ID

15191