Chair of the Animals in Science Committee (ASC)
- Body
- Animals in Science Committee
- Appointing Department
- Home Office
- Sectors
- Communities, Regulation, Science & Technology
- Location
- Committee-level meetings will normally take place at Home Office Headquarters, 2 Marsham Street, London.
- Skills required
- Business / Commercial, Regulation
- Number of Vacancies
- 1
- Remuneration
- The post is unremunerated. The post holder can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs necessarily incurred during the course of their duties at rates set centrally
- Time Requirements
- The Chair is expected to attend Committee meetings and associated working group meetings as needed. Overall, commitment will equate to a minimum of 20 days per year, depending on the ASC’s work programme
Campaign Timeline
-
Competition Launched
08/02/2018
-
Closed for Applications
11/03/2018
-
Panel Sift
15/03/2018
-
Final Interview Date
26/04/2018
-
Announcement
18/12/2018
Announcement
An announcement has been made on the outcome of this appointment.
TBC
Date: 18/12/2018
Assessment Panel
- Panel Member
- Professor John Aston
- Added
- 08/02/2018
- Panel Role
- Panel Chair
- Positions
- Home Office Chief Scientific Adviser
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| Political Activity | No Political Activity |
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| Notes | - |
- Panel Member
- Will Reynolds
- Added
- 08/02/2018
- Positions
- Head, Animals in Science Regulation Representative of Organisation
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| Political Activity | No Political Activity |
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| Notes | - |
- Panel Member
- Mark Greenhorn
- Added
- 08/02/2018
- Positions
- Head, Home Office Science Secretariat, Pathology, Regulation and Services Departmental Official
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| Political Activity | No Political Activity |
|---|---|
| Notes | - |
- Panel Member
- Dr Helen Bodmer
- Added
- 08/02/2018
- Positions
- Head, Medical Research Council, BBSRC and National Academies Team, BEIS Independent Member
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| Political Activity | No Political Activity |
|---|---|
| Notes | - |
Vacancy Description
The Chair of the ASC will be expected to deliver a key leadership role by harnessing the energy and expertise of committee members to deliver timely advice to Ministers. To enable this, the successful candidate will be required to develop and foster strong and constructive relationships with committee members and senior stakeholders, including Ministers, Parliament, Devolved Administrations, Government officials, and practitioners.
The Chair will, on behalf of the membership, provide the primary interface to Government Ministers and other stakeholders, including the public and media.
The Chair is accountable for ensuring the timely delivery of the ASC’s programme of work
The Chair will develop and foster strong working relationships with the ASC’s Secretariat as well as policy officials from departments, including the Home Office, and other ‘national committees for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes’ in other European Union (EU) member states.
The ASC Chair will meet, at a minimum, annually with the Minister responsible for animals in science.
In common with ASC members, the Chair of the ASC is appointed as an individual and not as a representative of any particular profession, employer or interest group. The Chair will be expected to act in the public interest at all times, considering all issues from an independent perspective and on merit.
The main responsibilities of the ASC Chair are to:
• Provide Committee leadership and ensure provision of impartial, balanced, objective advice and guidance to Ministers on issues relating to the use of animals in scientific procedures.
• Act corporately with other members.
• Discuss, and mutually agree with the Minister, a rolling programme of work streams to be taken forward and ensure that the business of the Committee is expedited efficiently and effectively.
• Chair the committee’s quarterly meetings each year.
• Ensuring that the business of the Committee is dealt with in a consistent, fair, transparent and objective manner.
• Ensure that all members of the Committee have the opportunity to provide their views and to respond to issues of concern raised by individual Committee members which may arise between meetings.
• Adjudicate in any matters where Committee members are unable to reach consensus, ensuring that outcomes represent the breadth of members’ considerations and uncertainties in the evidence base are made clear.
• Ensure that annual performance appraisals of members are undertaken and an annual report is published.
• Represent the Committee in discussions with other agencies/industry as required.
• Maintain liaison with the relevant policy leadership.
• Maintain contacts with national committees in other EU jurisdictions.
Person Specification
It is essential in your supporting statement that you provide evidence and proven examples against each of the selection criteria in Part One only of the person specification, in so far as you are able. These responses will be further developed and explored with those candidates invited for interview, together with the criteria listed in Part Two.
Applicants for Chair should not currently be, nor have been in the past five years, involved in the direction or conduct of animal experiments.
Part One – Essential Criteria
Applicants should be able to evidence the following skills and experience:
• committee experience at a senior level including experience of chairing high profile multi-disciplinary meetings to enable discussion through to agreed conclusions;
• experience of working with Government, and an understanding of the policy and policy environment;
• the ability to draw out an appropriate balance of ethical, welfare and science issues and considerations in this area of great public interest and importance;
• strong communication, negotiating and interpersonal skills to build effective working relationships with Ministers, policy owners, Government departments, and other key stakeholders, including the scientific community, practitioners and law enforcement;
• ability to think logically and objectively to analyse complex information and identify key issues and make effective decisions, including excellent judgement under pressure; and
• a clear understanding of the role of scientific advice in informing policy in an area of political and public attention and sensitivity.
Part Two – Personal Qualities
• The confidence and ability to take overall accountability for the ASC’s work and representing the ASC when required before Government Ministers.
• Empathetic but decisive leadership that makes progress through consensus.
• Projecting confidence and authority in public appearances.
• Flexibility of thought.
• Decisiveness and independence.
Additional Information
The successful candidate will be required to have or be willing to obtain security clearance to the SC level.
How to Apply
For further information and details on how to apply, please see the recruitment information pack and supporting documentation form attached.
Completed applications comprising CV, supporting statement, and supporting documentation form Annex A, should be emailed to:
publicappointments@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk