Policy Projects Officer – Nuffield Council on Bioethics

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) is recruiting a Policy Projects Officer to provide support to our research, engagement and consultative activities.   

The role

We are on a mission to place ethics at the centre of decisions regarding biomedicine and health so that we all benefit. In this new role, your main focus will be working across the team to provide administrative support and assistance with our research, engagement and consultative activities and the organising of events.  

The role will mainly be based in the Research and Policy directorate with a particular focus on assisting with two projects: a genomics stakeholder network and deliberative research on the 14-day rule for embryo research.  

With regard to the genomics network, you will support a network of stakeholders and the organisation of a series of workshops to prioritise areas of ethical and regulatory uncertainty and facilitate knowledge exchange. You will also support with desk-based research and stakeholder engagement which aims to develop good practice in the area.  

In relation to providing project on embryo research and the 14-day rule, you will be expected to support the organisation of workshops and events and support colleagues leading the research and engagement workstreams. 

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with interest in policy and the high-profile area of bioethics, supporting our ambitious policy-influencing agenda. 

About you 

You will have some experience of working in a policy or research (or similar) setting, ideally related to health, biological sciences or law/regulation. Knowledge and understanding of bioethical issues would also be particularly welcome.  

You will be able to provide excellent project support across the team, be able to quickly acquire news skills and knowledge and have the ability to summarise complex information clearly and concisely. You will also have excellent administrative and organisational skills, particularly in the context of supporting projects and organising workshops and events. 

Finally you will be a keen learner, with an interest in your personal development. 

For further information about the role (including the full job description), please click through to the listing on our website.

About us 

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) is a leading independent policy and research centre, and the foremost bioethics body in the UK. We are on a mission to embed ethics in decisions regarding biomedicine and heath so that we all benefit. 

For over thirty years we have tackled some of the most complex and controversial bioethical issues facing society. We are funded jointly by the Nuffield Foundation, Wellcome and the Medical Research Council.  

We aim to inform policy and public debate through timely consideration of the ethical questions raised by biological and medical research so that the benefits to society are realised in a way that is consistent with public values. Our work has led to shifts in public understanding and policy change on topics ranging from assisted reproduction and genome editing to managing the disagreements that arise in the care of critically ill children. 

Central to our reputation and standing is our independence – we do not represent any  particular group or view and we select our own topics, methodologies and outputs.   

We select topics to examine through our horizon scanning programme and use a variety of approaches to identify, consider and resolve the ethical issues they raise. Our approach is multidisciplinary and deliberative. We draw on a wide range of expertise and experience and use the best available evidence.

We collaborate where our expertise complements those of other organisations (e.g. see our current collaboration on Genomics and AI Futures with the Ada Lovelace Institute).   

We engage with a wide range of different voices and views and are committed to increasing the diversity of the people we work with. As part of the Nuffield Foundation, we are a small team with the practical support of an established organisation that cares for its employees. 

Further information and how to apply 

The closing date for applications is 09:30am (GMT) on 27 March 2025 with interviews expected to take place 9th April 2025.  Please note that due to the timelines associated with this project the successful candidate should ideally be able to start in May 2025. 

We are committed to inclusive working practices and during the application process we commit to:  

• As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the essential criteria for the job. 

• making any reasonable adjustments – for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews etc  

• paying for travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required  

Our benefits package includes:  

• Consideration of requests for part time and/or flexible working (eg compressed hours arrangements, job sharing etc)  

• 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays (with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days).  

• A salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.  

• Life assurance scheme.  

• Family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay.  

• Cycle to work scheme and loans towards season tickets.  

• Frequent opportunities for learning and development (including options for coaching and mentoring, and reading weeks) 

• Support with your physical, mental and financial wellbeing including an employee assistance provider, a private GP service, personal health reviews with Bupa, a will and funeral planning service and a staff network of trained Mental Health First Aiders. 

• Staff peer groups and social networks.