About the job

Job summary

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a world-famous, collections-based scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding collections as well as its expertise in plant and fungal diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. It has two main botanic garden sites: Kew Gardens in south-west London, a top London visitor attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Wakehurst in West Sussex, our wild botanic garden which is home to the Millennium Seed Bank. We also have a permanent research office in Madagascar, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The Science Directorate has over 750 staff and students committed to achieving Kew’s mission to understand and protect plants and fungi for the well-being of people and the future of all life on Earth.

Our aspiration to end the extinction crisis and to help create a world where nature is protected, valued by all and managed sustainably requires Kew to invest in our people, our collections, and our science facilities. We have already started this ambitious programme by commencing the full digitisation of our herbarium and fungarium collections.

Job description

The Programme Director – Science Transformation Programme is a newly created post within the Science Directorate’s senior leadership team, leading a multidisciplinary team and overseeing a budget of over £100m. Reporting to the Director of Science, you will have responsibility for driving  Kew’s flagship science transformation programme, building a new herbarium off site from Kew Gardens that will ensure the long-term security and provide future capacity for our spirit and dried plant collections of over seven million specimens. This will unlock the potential for creation of new science and collaboration infrastructure at the Kew Gardens site.

Person specification

You will have a successful track record of successfully proposing, planning and delivering large-scale, high profile and complex projects related to research infrastructure and accompanying organisational change, ideally within a science-focused environment. Additionally, you will bring experience and evidence of being a highly influential communicator with senior stakeholders both externally and internally and be confident in leading and inspiring multidisciplinary teams, including through periods of significant organisational change.

The Royal Botanic Gardens has appointed executive search specialists Veredus to support this appointment.

Benefits

Our fantastic benefits package includes opportunities for continuous learning, a generous annual leave entitlement, flexible working to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance, an Employee Assistance Programme and other wellbeing support such as cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership. We also offer a competitive pension, an employee discount scheme and free entry into a wide range of national museums and galleries, as well as access to our own beautiful gardens at Kew and Wakehurst.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Please visit: Veredus , Programme Director – Science Transformation Programme

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.