The Department for Education is offering a salary of £120,000 for its next chief scientific adviser.
The department's current chief scientific adviser, Russell Viner, took up the role in January 2023 and is leaving in December.
He is a paediatrician and professor at the University College London Great Ormond St. Institute of Child Health and works clinically at University College London Hospitals.
The department has appointed executive search firm Saxton Bampfylde Ltd to help find Viner's successor. The job advert says external candidates should expect their full-time salary to be £120,000 per year, while existing civil servants will be appointed in line with the civil service pay rules in place on the date of their appointment.
The CSA at the DfE leads research strategy, advises on emerging innovation, and collaborates with experts to strengthen the evidence base on children, young people and education. The role, which is offered as a three-year contracts, also involves overseeing research investment and horizon scanning.
The department is looking for candidates with “an exemplary track record as a scientist with expertise in children, families, and education, who can work with our policy teams to provide robust scientific advice and advise ministers and senior officials on new scientific developments”, the job advert says.
The successful candidate should also be “an inclusive and collaborative leader who can work across disciplines to deliver results”.
In a foreword to the job pack for the role, government chief scientific adviser Dame Angela MacLean said: “This is an exciting and interesting role which cuts across the whole of DfE’s work at a time when the importance of scientific evidence and advice is at the forefront.
“You will play a key role as part of the top team in DfE, providing independent challenge and ensuring that the secretary of state and ministers have access to expert science advice.”
She said the right candidate will be “nationally and internationally recognised” in their field of science or engineering and will need to be an “exemplary science communicator”. They will also need to be collaborative to enable them to work across the many sectors in DfE’s remit as well as making links with other government departments and academia, MacLean added.
The closing date for applications to the role is 9 May.