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Appointment details

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) UKRI, Executive Chair

Summary

• Organisation: UK Research and Innovation
• Sponsor department: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Energy
• Skills: Business, Technology / Digital
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: Adhoc
• Remuneration: £142,500 per annum
• Length of term: An initial period of 4-6 years (To be discussed at interview)
• Application deadline: 11:59pm on 5 March 2023

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   3 February 2023

2. Application deadline

   11:59pm on 5 March 2023

3. Sifting date

   27 March 2023

4. Interviews expected to end on

   22 May 2023

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction from the Minister

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for your interest in the role of Executive Chair of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), one of the constituent Councils within UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

NERC was formed in 1965 from the merger of several environmental research related organisations. It became part of UKRI in 2018 alongside the other Research Councils.

NERC is the UK’s main public funding body for research into the environmental sciences, meaning it has the responsibility for funding research in the critical fields of climate change and the key wider earth and marine sciences. NERC also has a wider role maintaining a range of national science infrastructure such as several Antarctic research stations, a number of Royal Research Ships, aircraft that monitor atmospheric conditions as well as satellite technologies, data centres and monitoring stations around the world. NERC is also responsible for the British Antarctic Survey, which maintains the UK’s scientific presence in Antarctica, as well as the British Geological Survey responsible for monitoring seismic and other environmental activity.

NERC is an increasingly important UK Agency on the frontline of the UK’s Science Superpower mission. The Government is strongly committed to furthering the UK’s excellence in science, research and innovation and in ensuring the research base remains strong and competitive. In 2022/23 NERC, operating from both Swindon and London, has a core budget of £288m rising to £325m in 2024-25, in addition to cross-cutting funds from UKRI. The role of the NERC Executive Chair represents a unique opportunity to lead this key national funding body and be part of our mission to bring forward the UK science superpower deliverables.

In launching this recruitment campaign, I and my Ministerial colleagues are committed to fair and open recruitment processes across all public appointments that we make. We actively encourage and hope to see applications from across the UK, and from a wide range of diverse backgrounds. Should you need any further assistance, my officials would be happy to talk to you about this and other senior roles in the public sector.

I trust you will find the information enclosed in this pack of interest and we look forward to receiving your application.

George Freeman

Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation

Appointment description

About the Role 

The Executive Chair, advised by NERC’s Council Members, is responsible for setting and then delivering the strategic vision for NERC, and contributing to the wider direction and activities of UKRI. As the visible and credible leader of NERC you will be responsible for delivering its research, skills and infrastructure investments.

As a member of UKRI’s Executive Committee, you will be accountable to, and work closely with, the UKRI Chief Executive Officer. The NERC Executive Chair will have a critical role within UKRI and beyond, in championing and increasing the impact of environmental research. The Executive Chair will work closely with Government, including the devolved administrations, and in particular through DEFRA and FCDO. The Executive Chair will also work closely with the Higher Education Funding Councils and with stakeholders, including industry, through a variety of approaches aimed at promoting the translation and take-up of the outcomes of NERC-supported research.

The post is also likely to include specific UKRI roles to address cross-cutting UKRI priorities, to be agreed with the UKRI CEO. This can further be explained by outlining the two overarching responsibilities the Executive Chairs have.

First, they have a responsibility to ensure the health and vibrancy of their domain. To achieve this, Executive Chairs have delegated responsibility for a budget awarded by the Secretary of State. The budget is set through recommendations to the Secretary of State from the UKRI Board, which is in turn advised by the UKRI Executive Committee.

Executive Chairs have freedom to operate to deliver this budget through their council, including through collaborative programmes with other councils, with advice from their council’s Council and aligned with the UKRI Strategy. Executive Chairs are also encouraged to work closely with and expand their connections within their domain community. This enables Executive Chairs to harness the strategic insight they gain to build key relationships across the research and innovation system, and to foster engagement.

Second, as members of the UKRI Executive Committee, Executive Chairs have a responsibility for the health and vibrancy of the entire UK research and innovation system, recommending strategy to the UKRI Board. This includes making recommendations about and holding responsibility for the UKRI Strategy, for collective UKRI budgets, and for the leadership and delivery of collective UKRI programmes.

These two responsibilities overlap. Often, they will be fully aligned and synergistic, with collective working delivering clear domain-specific benefits. But occasionally, there will be trade-offs to be made. Executive Chairs must work to ensure domain-specific impacts are understood, maximising benefits for the wider UK Research and Innovation system.

Responsibilities 

Leadership: 

• develop and define NERC’s strategic direction and ensure the successful delivery of NERC objectives and outcomes, providing the inclusive leadership, and the vision to develop the quality, outputs and impacts of its research, skills and capital investment portfolio.

• work closely with the rest of the leadership team and Board to provide overall leadership and direction to UKRI; modelling the culture and behaviours required to bring to life UKRI's values.

• lead and develop the capacity and capability of the NERC Executive team.

Stakeholder Engagement: 

• work with the Senior Independent Member (SIM) of NERC and other Council members to lead and develop NERC’s strategic approach to world class environmental research, innovation, infrastructure and training

• provide overall direction and management of the NERC Institute portfolio, including BGS and BAS as well as the strategic funding of CEH and NOC

• ensure the effective operation of the British Antarctic Territory including its infrastructure and supply

• overall oversight of Antarctic Modernisation Programme and other NERC major capital programmes

• be a core member of the UKRI Executive Committee, working to deliver the best value from the overall research and innovation funding system and actively contribute to delivery of mission of UKRI

• act to ensure UKRI provides a strong, unified voice for science, research and innovation in the UK and globally, both in facilitating the dialogue with government and partners on the world stage

• work collaboratively across UK Research and Innovation Councils to foster interdisciplinary work and build on collective capabilities, providing support and challenge when required. This may include specific responsibility for the strategy and delivery of one or more cross cutting area on behalf of all the Councils

• represent and develop positive relationships between NERC and its numerous and diverse stakeholders in government and public funding agencies, higher education institutions, academic and research communities, business and the public at large and internationally

Finance, Planning and Analysis:  

• maximise efficiency and ensure value for money from public investment

• work closely with the UKRI CFO to ensure robust budget planning and financial control

• work closely with the UKRI Executive Directors for Strategy to ensure robust analysis underpins decisions and evidence outcomes; and ensure alignment between NERC’s objectives and overall UKRI strategy

Organisation description

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation. We invest more than £8 billion annually to advance our understanding of society and the world around us and deliver benefits for society, the economy and the environment.

Our organisation comprises nine councils – the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, the seven disciplinary Research Councils and Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England. As a UK-wide organisation, we work across the four UK nations and with the devolved funding bodies and governments to understand and support different priorities that span research and innovation in different parts of the UK.

Through our Councils and the critical national capabilities provided by our centres, units and institutes, we deliver, support and champion the creativity and vibrancy of research and innovation in the UK, for the benefit of society.

UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). 

Find out more in our new 5-year strategy, Transforming Tomorrow Together.

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Able to demonstrate the highest standards of research expertise in the environmental sciences, with a broad understanding of their current developments and relevance to the social and economic wellbeing of the country. 

• Ability to develop a clear strategic vision for NERC with high quality programmes and collaborations, built on meaningful engagement with stakeholders.

• A good communicator able to command confidence and build strong working relationships across the academic domains of NERC and the wider stakeholder landscape including with Government Ministers. 

• Credible experience of senior leadership and management able to run an organisation to be high performing while tackling issues of equality and diversity.

• Commitment to the overarching goals of UKRI, multidisciplinary working and the health of a wider and more integrated R&D landscape

Desirable criteria

• Expertise and credibility in communicating the insights from environmental science and its wider impact

Application and selection process

How to apply

Your application should be submitted in two parts.

Both parts must be submitted by 23:59 on Sunday 5th March 2023 in order for your application to be considered complete. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

Part one: CV and Statement of Suitability

Please submit your application via the UKRI Careers Portal (click here to be taken through) by 23:59 on Sunday 5th March 2023. You will need to supply:

• A curriculum vitae; and,

• A supporting statement

Your curriculum vitae and supporting statement must each be no longer than two A4 pages in length. Please ensure your documents are named as ‘Surname, first initial – URN575 – NERC Executive Chair – CV/Statement of Suitability’.

Your Statement of Suitability should provide specific information about why you believe you would be suitable for appointment into the NERC Executive Chair role and a flavour of what you would want to do in this role, if successful. Think about your knowledge, skills, experience, personal attributes, and vision for the organisation, and take full advantage of the space available. Use practical examples where possible and ensure you refer to the essential criteria for this role. Please include a section that sets out what you believe the main challenges and opportunities to be for NERC and how you might address them. Again, please aim for no more than 2 A4 pages.

Please note, you will only be assessed on the content of your CV and supporting statement, and not the ‘experience’ section of the application. Should you have any problem with submitting your application via the UKRI Careers Portal, please do send an email to seniorrecruitment@ukri.org with ‘URN575 – NERC Executive Chair’ in the subject heading. A member of our team will then be in touch.

Please note, to apply via the UKRI Careers Portal you will receive a notification confirming your profile has successfully been created (if you have not previously set up an account) and a second notification confirming your application for this role has been submitted. If you do not receive the second notification confirming your application for this role has been submitted, please contact seniorrecruitment@ukri.org, so we can ensure your application has been received.

Part two: Diversity Monitoring and Conflicts of Interest Form. Please click here to complete this form.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Alexandra Jones - Director, Science, Research and Innovation

Panel Chair

Professor Sir Charles Godfray - Director, Oxford Martin School

Independent Member

Dame Ottoline Leyser - CEO

Representative of Organisation

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Pre-appointment scrutiny

Pre-appointment scrutiny by select committees is an important part of the process for some of the most significant public appointments made by Ministers. It is designed to provide an added level of scrutiny to verify that the recruitment meets the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments. This scrutiny may involve the relevant select committee requesting and reviewing information from the Department and the Minister’s preferred candidate. The select committee may also choose to hold a pre-appointment hearing.

If you are confirmed as the government’s preferred candidate for this role, the department will be in touch to confirm next steps. In most cases your name and CV will be provided to the relevant select committee in advance of the hearing.  Following a date being agreed for a pre-appointment hearing with the committee you will be asked to complete a questionnaire in advance of that. Following the hearing, the government will review and respond to the Committee’s report before confirming the appointment. 

Full information can be found in the Cabinet Office’s guidance here. 

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact publicappointments@beis.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. 

As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘minimum criteria,’ we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

Holders of public office are expected to adhere to and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life. These are:

1. Selflessness - Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.
2. Integrity - Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.
3. Objectivity - Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.
4. Accountability - Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.
5. Openness - Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.
6. Honesty - Holders of public office should be truthful.
7. Leadership - Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

If you feel you have reason to complain you should direct your concerns in the first instance to the BEIS Public Appointments team (publicappointments@beis.gov.uk) who will make every effort to deal with these and respond to you within 48 hours.

If your complaint is not dealt with satisfactorily, you can find information about the steps you can take under BEIS Complaints Procedure here.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments is the independent regulator of public appointments.

The Commissioner’s primary role is to provide independent assurance that public appointments are made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. The Commissioner also investigates complaints and may conduct an inquiry into the policies and practices followed in relation to appointments processes which he regulates. The Commissioner will not investigate complaints relating to non-selection unless it appears that the appointments process has breached the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

You can contact the Commissioner by email at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk or by post, as follows:

The Commissioner for Public Appointments

Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road

London, SW1A 2HQ

Further information on the role of the Commissioner or the appointments process is available at: publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy. The BEIS privacy policy can be downloaded from this adverts attachments. 

Contact details

Should you have any problem with submitting your application via the UKRI Careers Portal, please do send an email to seniorrecruitment@ukri.org with ‘URN575 – NERC Executive Chair’ in the subject heading. A member of our team will then be in touch.

Please note, to apply via the UKRI Careers Portal you will receive a notification confirming your profile has successfully been created (if you have not previously set up an account) and a second notification confirming your application for this role has been submitted. If you do not receive the second notification confirming your application for this role has been submitted, please contact seniorrecruitment@ukri.org, so we can ensure your application has been received.

Attachments

• 575 NERC Executive Chair - Candidate Information Pack 2023

• BEIS Public Appointments Privacy Notice