View Vacancy - UK Science & Innovation Officer (05/16NR)

Main purpose of job:

The UK Science and Innovation Network (SIN) is the British Government’s organisation for international science diplomacy. It is jointly funded by the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). SIN has 80+ staff based in 40 different locations in 28 countries and territories worldwide.

As a result of a recent restructuring of the UK’s SIN network, a new role has been created within the British High Commission Kenya to lead our SIN efforts in country, recognising the opportunity here to further the UK Kenya partnership in this area. The role will provide the opportunity for leadership, relationship building both within and outside the mission, strategic thinking and programme management.

The British High Commission Nairobi invites applications for a new Science & Innovation Officer in Kenya. The position will be based at the British High Commission Nairobi. It will be part of the UK’s Africa Science and Innovation Network which from January 2016 will have its main hub at the British High Commission in Pretoria. The job would be ideal for someone looking to demonstrate, and develop further, stakeholder engagement and management skills, working alongside the Department for International Development’s Nairobi Research Hub and with the UK Research Council to raise the profile of SIN in Kenya.

 Roles and responsibilities:

Responsible for forging and developing bilateral science and innovation collaboration between the UK and Kenya, with a regional watching brief over East Africa. To promote collaboration and inform UK policy development in science and innovation.

 In practical terms this will include:

• Contribute to the UK’s Government science and innovation strategy through briefing and reporting for Kenya.
•  Work closely with the DFID regional research hub on the UK’s research footprint, promoting evidence based policy making and development of Kenya’s research landscape and partnerships.
• Stakeholder/relationship management between the UK and key Kenyan research, innovation and funding bodies;
• Lead on developing the UK’s proposed Newton partnership with Kenya.
• Represent Kenya opportunities to the UK research community and vice versa, providing advice about the Kenyan science and innovation environment; Support VIP visits;
• Act as the first point of contact for UK Government lobbying on research, scientific and technology policy issues;
• Develop high quality and sustainable UK/Kenya science and innovation partnerships that focus on UK and Kenya priorities; Identify opportunities and develop and manage bilateral projects (these might be regional in nature) in order to increase collaboration opportunities for the UK science base;
• Work with UK partners – FCO, UK Trade and Industry (UKTI), British Council and others to deliver wider UK prosperity objectives, including higher education linkages. Spot and work with UKTI to match opportunities to UK firms. 
• Develop and maintain a network of senior level contacts across the UK and Kenya research landscape; In time build up a network across the East Africa region.

•   Excellent written and spoken English;
•  The ability to demonstrate contact and stakeholder management skills;
•   The ability to plan strategically and to see the bigger picture;
•  The ability to deliver results under pressure;
•   The ability to work quickly and reliably with attention to detail and with limited supervision;
•  The ability to initiate and maintain a wide range of working relationships;
•  Good presentation, interpersonal and representational skills;
•   Strong organisational skills;
•   Project management experience;
•   MA (preferably science based), or significant (5 years) work experience in a role which has stakeholder management;
•   Strong IT computer skills using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Office and Internet.
•    Background in science and innovation (whether through work or studies)