View Vacancy - Senior Science & Innovation Officer

Main purpose of job:

To support the development of world class UK-Argentina collaboration in science, research and innovation, and the development of commercial partnerships.  This will be achieved through building strong relationships at government, funder, academic, industry and research institute level, delivering high-quality outcomes from projects, events and science missions.

Roles and responsibilities:

“Science Diplomacy” is a key pillar of the bilateral relationship between the UK and Argentina.  Both countries have considerable scientific expertise and appetite for innovation to deliver social and commercial benefits. This is an exciting opportunity to become part of the UK’s global Science and Innovation Network (SIN) (see here for details) and to lead a step-change in the UK-Argentina science relationship.  The successful candidate will be the UK’s first SIN Argentina officer, and will be able to help to shape and direct this important new area of engagement in liaison with the SIN LatAm Director.  They will be supported by the Director and have access to global support and advice via our 90+ members of the SIN Network, a friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable group who lead the way in building international science and innovation relationships with the UK.

The job holder will have day-to-day responsibility for deepening the level of engagement the Embassy has with Argentina’s science community (including academics, industry and science leads in government).  He/she will play a leading role in delivering high quality commercial and R&D impacts from projects designed to promote collaborative science and research between institutions and industry.  Priorities may include areas such as biodiversity, oceanography, antimicrobial resistance, agritechnology, biotechnology, advanced materials, and palaeontology.  He/she will need to establish relationships with policymakers, scientific experts and opinion formers to gather information from which to produce analysis and recommendations for future areas of work. 

The successful candidate will lead on: organising scoping visits by academia, government and industry, identifying world class opportunities for collaboration; drafting a new business plan for UK-Argentina science collaborations with clear objectives, organising missions and Ministerial visits from and to the UK; and organising scientific workshops. In addition, he/she will be responsible for managing the application for UK government funds such as from the Global Partnership Fund for science and innovation projects, and to then ensure that these projects are delivered with value for money, and evaluated to a high standard. He/she must have strong budgeting skills to manage the funds and update the financial spreadsheet both for their projects and their local budget. 

The job also involves identifying high level commercial science & innovation opportunities and business/export wins in conjunction with colleagues from the UK’s Department for International Trade. Knowledge of, and good contacts in, the science-based business sector will be useful.

This role would be ideal for a candidate with a strong interest in science and innovation who has experience in an international environment or multilateral institution and in project and budget management.  The candidate must have a good understanding of scientific issues and an ability to work with, and be credible to, senior scientists.  The successful candidate will need to have initiative, be able to work in a team overseen by the SIN LatAm Director, be a flexible team player, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly, a collaborative attitude, and excellent written and oral Spanish and English.

We are looking for a candidate who can engage effectively internationally, and influence with impact and authority. The British Embassy offers a wide range of professional training and development opportunities and is a friendly, supportive and fun place to work.  The Embassy supports flexible working.  Above all, this role offers the successful candidate an opportunity to make a real difference in the UK’s relationship with Argentina and support its future development.

• University degree in a science or international affairs discipline
• Excellent analytical, interpersonal, and verbal/written communications skills: concise and factual
• Strong project management skills
• Excellent written and oral Spanish and English
• Strong budget management and reporting skills
• Knowledge of the Science & Innovation context in Argentina