View Vacancy - Science and Innovation Officer
Background:
The Science & Innovation (S&I) team in San Francisco seeks a Science & Innovation Officer to support project development and delivery, team operations, and strategic relationship management. The San Francisco S&I team is responsible for maintaining the UK government’s science and innovation interests in the US states of Alaska, California (Northern), Idaho, Montana, Nevada (Northern), Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.
The successful candidate will join a team of three and report to the Head of Science & Innovation. The San Francisco team is one of seven S&I teams throughout the US coordinated by the British Embassy in Washington, DC. This position will liaise closely with other members of the S&I US Network, as well as with other teams within the Consulate-General, particularly the Department for International Trade (DIT) and Politics, Press and Public Affairs (PPPA), to deliver S&I objectives and support the work of the Consulate-General more generally.
The work of the UK S&I Network is guided by the following objectives:
- Stimulate strategic science and technology collaborations to benefit the UK and deliver wider policy goals
- Harness international science and technology partnerships and investment to grow UK innovation capability
- Improve UK policy based on international experience and emerging opportunities and challenges
- Influence science and innovation policies of governments, industry and academia to benefit the UK
More information on the role and work of the UK Science & Innovation Network is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/uk-science-and-innovation-network.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Support the delivery of projects and events aimed at facilitating scientific and innovation collaboration between the US and the UK
- Develop and lead new work streams and projects aligned with team and UK priorities
- Support US engagement from high-level UK visitors (such as Ministers, high level officials, notable academics) through identifying appropriate strategic contacts, coordinating meetings and travel, providing relevant briefing
- Attend and report on technical seminars and events and visit local universities, companies, and research organisations in relevant US states to extend and maintain the team’s knowledge and contact base
- Work with our PPPA team to promote the work of the S&I Network, UK strengths in science, and UK-US research funding opportunities via appropriate internal and external communication and media channels
- Conduct independent investigation on UK and US research priorities and capabilities to inform the team’s strategy
- Conduct independent investigation in response to requests from UK stakeholders for concise reports on aspects of science & innovation policies and programmes in the US
- Manage team contacts database and other digital tools for team operations
- Manage team and project finances, including payment processing
- Coordinate the team’s outcomes tracking, metrics collation, and quarterly reporting
Learning and development opportunities:
- Opportunities for relevant training and development will be available, including the possibility of work shadowing in other US S&I posts
- A strong performing jobholder will also be given the opportunity to travel to the UK to meet relevant stakeholders and gain first-hand experience of the UK science and innovation policy context and ecosystem
- A minimum of a bachelors degree, preferably in science or engineering, and a keen interest in scientific and technological issues across a range of sectors
- 3-5 years of related work experience
- Excellent interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills
- Attention to detail
- Strong problem solving, organisational and numeracy skills
- Proven investigative and project management skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Proficiency in MS Office applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint)
Under US State Department requirements, the Embassy may only employ, as non-diplomatic staff, persons who are US citizens, US Green Card holders or A or NATO visa holders with EAD cards*. If you hold a visa other than an A or NATO visa you are not currently eligible to work at the Embassy. Please refer to our website for information on exceptions to this policy at www.gov.uk/government/world/usa. All candidates will be subject to background checks and security clearance.
Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy are subject to terms and conditions of service according to local American employment law.
Resume and cover letter should be submitted by 11 April 2017. Internal candidates must inform their supervisor if they intend on applying.
Only successful candidates will be contacted. Please no phone calls. Due to the high volume of resumes we receive, we cannot guarantee consideration of your application if the submission instructions are not properly followed.
The British Embassy is committed to a policy of equal opportunities and to creating a diverse working environment, free from discrimination, where everyone is included and treated fairly, based on merit alone. We are an equal opportunity employer, making all employment decisions without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, sexual orientation, political affiliation or any other criterion protected by law.
This opportunity is closed to applications.
