Chief Operating Officer

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. As a UK-wide organisation we work across the four UK nations and with the devolved funding bodies and governments to develop and support different priorities that span research and innovation around the UK.

Through our Councils and the critical national capabilities provided by our centres 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 Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

BBSRC is the major funder of world‑leading bioscience in the UK. Through our investments, we build and support a vibrant, dynamic and inclusive research and innovation community which delivers ground‑breaking discoveries, innovative technologies and develops bio‑based solutions that contribute to tackling global challenges, such as sustainable food production, climate change, and healthy ageing.

As part of UKRI, we not only play a pivotal role in fostering connections that enable the UK’s world‑class research and innovation system to flourish – we also have a responsibility to enable the creation of a research and employee culture that is diverse, resilient, and engaged. At BBSRC, we firmly believe that by promoting an inclusive and equitable culture across bioscience research and innovation, our community and our discipline will thrive.

BBSRC proudly forges interdisciplinary collaborations, including internationally, where excellent bioscience and equitable partnerships have a fundamental role. We pioneer approaches that enhance the equality, diversity, and inclusion of talent by investing in people, programmes, infrastructure, technologies, and collaborations on a global scale.

BBSRC’s vision is to advance the frontiers of biology and drive towards a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future. We support curiosity‑driven ideas and provide early investment in ground‑breaking transformative technologies and the sharing of data.

Through our funding, stewardship and provision of national capabilities, including the institutes that receive our strategic support, we progress our knowledge and understanding of the complex processes that underpin life and we continue to seek exciting ideas with the potential to transform and advance bioscience.

We unleash innovation, capitalising on the unprecedented opportunities for biology to transform our lives by working with and supporting the creation of new businesses, advancing enterprise, and forging vibrant ecosystems across the UK. We enable researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and businesses to translate their fundamental understanding of biological systems into tangible societal and economic benefits with global impact.

The Chief Operating Officer for BBSRC is a significant role within our Executive Leadership Team, aligned to the UKRI strategy. enabling BBSRC to continue its influential roles in research and innovation within UKRI and beyond.

The Chief Operating Officer will command the confidence of the BBSRC Executive Chair and Council, as well as other members of the BBSRC Executive and UKRI senior leaders. They will need to be able to work proactively at the interface between professional, academic and government communities, and between staff at all levels in the organisation. As an effective communicator and empathic listener, they will operate effectively across organisational boundaries.

As a creative thinker and influential collaborator, they will combine drive and political acumen with the highest standards of behaviour.

They will have an in‑depth knowledge and proven track record of how to deliver and sustain complex, strategic change at both an organisational and…