Senior Scientific Advisers


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£44,052 to £48,168 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	York
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	1 Oct 2026
Closing date:	13 Oct 2026

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Summary

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.

Science, analysis and data are at the heart of Defra’s work. The Science, Data & Analysis Group (SDA) provides specialist analytical, scientific, policy and systems-thinking expertise to deliver high quality, impactful analysis, assurance and insight to underpin Defra’s work and to inform decision-making.

The Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) and SDA are responsibile for overseeing the quality of evidence that the department relies on for policy decisions.

The CSA also provides Ministers with scientific advice, sets the priorities for scientific research and evidence-gathering and is also Head of Defra’s Science and Engineering profession, championing science and scientists across the Defra group.

These roles sit within the SDA’s Central Science Division (CSD) and work on the priorities of the CSA. CSD provides 3 key functions across Defra science:

Enabling – ensuring Defra has a strong science system, underpinned by clear strategy, skills and effective relationships with scientists across Defra group;
Supporting – working strategically with priority policy areas, using research, innovation and partnerships to develop and strengthen the scientific evidence-base underpinning policy;
Strategic – taking a proactive role in identifying and supporting cross-cutting and emerging scientific issues across Defra. CSD works in an agile and flexible way to support changing and emerging priority needs.

This makes the CSD a crucial work area for translating research into evidence for policy, creating that link between science and real-world-action. These roles are an excellent opportunity to help put science at the heart of Defra policies and to champion science and scientists more widely across Defra Group.

As part of this campaign we are seeking 2 Senior Scientific Advisers, with experience of working in science and an interest in putting that knowledge towards real-world-problems, to join the CSD. As part of this recruitment drive, we are also looking to make a reserve list of candidates who, if they meet our criteria, may be offered other roles in science in Defra.

If you are interested in applying to one of these roles, and finding out what it’s like to be a scientist in Defra, then please join us for an informative webinar on Tues 6th Oct, 13.30 - 14.00. Please sign up to the webinar via this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/science-careers-in-defra-applicant-information-session-tickets-2002198338127

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