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.
The UK government has set ambitious commitments through the Environment Act, the Net Zero Strategy, the Food Strategy, and the Plan for Water. These commitments interact with our food system, land‑use system, resource and waste flows, rural economies and communities, and the natural environment. To deliver these commitments effectively, our policies must be coherent with the real‑world systems they affect — and systemic insights are essential to ensure that coherence.
Applied systems analysis is in high demand within Defra, and we have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Scientific Officer (SSO) to develop systemic insights in cross‑cutting and complex areas. You will join the Defra Systems Research Programme (SRP), established in 2019 to embed systems research principles into Defra’s policy, evidence, and research activities.
The SRP sits within the Central Science Division (CSD), one of three divisions in the Defra Science, Data and Analysis Group, overseen by the Defra Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA). As a central programme, SRP has direct access to senior science and policy leads, making its outputs highly influential.
The SRP team comprises civil servants and seconded academics with expertise in applied systems analysis, natural and social sciences, political economy, and system dynamics modelling. These transdisciplinary skills enable us to combine systems thinking with conventional research approaches to explore complex and challenging questions. The SRP’s principles and ways of working are detailed in our primer for integrating systems approaches into Defra.
Our current and previous research topics include net zero carbon, environmental targets, land use, air and water quality, and a healthy and sustainable food system. Some of our recent work has been published as case studies. Our outputs make a high impact by:
* Identifying policy intervention points and trade‑offs.
* Framing narratives for emerging research and policy areas.
* Flagging strategic watchpoints and areas of uncertainty.
* Directing research funding to close evidence gaps.
We have an exciting opportunity to support the Systems Research Programme (SRP) in its core objective of embedding systems thinking across Defra by building capability and capacity within the department.
This role requires a strong motivation to work across disciplinary boundaries, stepping outside your own domain of expertise to rapidly acquire new knowledge and learn systems methods that deliver actionable insights.
You will be empowered and supported to develop applied systems research skills through:
* Learning by doing on live projects.
* Formal training sessions.
* Peer‑to‑peer learning via the Systems Community of Practice.
Working to advance SRP’s objectives, you will demonstrate the value of systems thinking principles and approaches by applying them to cross‑cutting research questions in complex natural, environmental, and socio‑economic systems.
You will independently lead projects from start to finish, including:
* Assessing research needs and defining scope.
* Co‑designing methodology.
* Implementing research plans.
* Collecting and synthesising data to draw systemic insights and build an evidence base.
* Procuring and managing commissioned research contracts.
The role also involves building strong networks with policy and evidence leads to maximise impact by:
* Influencing policy and thematic research funding.
* Staying abreast of evolving policy and evidence conversations.
* Identifying responsive and strategic research needs.
You will line manage staff members and/or senior academics seconded into the team and support the team leader to ensure SRP delivers high‑impact systemic insights that embed systems thinking across Defra.
You will be expected to work across CSD and may be deployed to support other teams or pieces of work when required.
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