Chief Scientific Adviser for Food Standards Scotland

Are you the scientific leader who can help shape Scotlands food safety future?

Applications are invited from suitably qualified, accomplished scientists for this 2-5 year secondment opportunity as Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) for Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

Are you the scientific leader who can help shape Scotlands food safety future?

Applications are invited from suitably qualified, accomplished scientists for this 2-5 year secondment opportunity as Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) for Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

The CSA for FSS will be a senior, independent Scientific Adviser, who will advise FSSs CEO and Board on all scientific matters relating to the organisations statutory responsibilities and the delivery of its strategic objectives. FSSs CSA will provide strategic science leadership for FSS; supporting its senior scientists in the provision of expert oversight and assurance for all of the organisations research, surveillance, monitoring and risk assessment functions; ensuring the evidence base used to underpin policy on food safety and public health nutrition is robust and delivers maximum impact. In line with other CSA roles across government, it will provide an independent challenge function to FSS, helping to further embed scientific evidence at the centre of policy development and decision-making across the organisation.

FSSs CSA is an outward facing role, with responsibility for representing FSSs use of science and evidence to key stakeholders, the media and public, including during incidents. It will promote and champion the work of FSSs scientists; supporting learning and development and driving engagement across the wider scientific community and the food industry, to maintain and strengthen FSSs reputation as a highly regarded science and evidence-based organisation.

The CSA for FSS will contribute to the existing network of independent scientific advisers in Scottish Government to support the CSA for Scotland in ensuring that there are mechanisms in place to ensure policy making in Scotland is underpinned by the best science available. The post will work particularly closely with the Scottish Governments CSA for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA) to promote the use of systems thinking and evidence that enables policy makers to understand the interactions and trade-offs between food chain sustainability and resilience, food security, dietary health and food safety in Scotland. It will also collaborate with the Food Standards Agencys CSA in areas of shared policy responsibility and scientific interest to ensure co-ordination and alignment across the UK in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations.

Responsibilities

Oversee the development and delivery of FSSs Food and Health Research Programme and Digital and Data Strategy; ensuring a strategic and co-ordinated approach to the identification and prioritisation of evidence needs, and promoting the responsible sharing and linkage of FSS data to maximise its value across the wider food and public health landscape.

Provide strategic scientific leadership across FSS by offering expert advice and constructive challenge to staff, the Corporate Leadership Team, and the FSS Board on the generation, analysis and use of data and evidence to inform risk assessment, incident response, and the development of policies related to food safety and public health nutrition.

Contribute to corporate leadership by ensuring robust science governance, supporting FSS scientists to provide the CEO and Board with assurance on the quality and cost-effectiveness of research and the processes used to commission and publish it. Work collaboratively with science and communications teams to ensure scientific outputs are accessible and effectively translated into advice for policymakers, stakeholders and consumers.

Build impactful networks with the CSA for Scotland, Scottish Governments portfolio CSAs (ENRA, Health and Marine), Public Health Scotland, and other government experts on public health and food; ensuring science priorities on food safety and dietary health in Scotland are understood across Government. Support a co-ordinated, systems thinking approach to the use of science in policy development, taking account of FSS strategy, the objectives of Good Food Nation , and wider strategies relating to population health , trade, food security/resilience and climate change adaptation in Scotland.

Develop a strong working relationship with the Food Standards Agencys CSA; engaging with them regularly to maintain an up to date awareness of respective priorities, science activities and resourcing issues, and ensure science aspects of our Memorandum of Understanding are kept under review, including FSSs ability to access to UK Scientific Advisory Committees and specialist expertise in FSA for the best available scientific advice to inform policy development in Scotland.

Maintain an up-to-date awareness of all research activities relating to food and diet in Scotland and across the UK. Work with the CSA (ENRA) to ensure FSS funded projects and relevant work delivered through Scottish Governments Strategic Research Programme on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture are effectively targeted at addressing key public health and food policy objectives, and that duplication is minimised.

Advise the CEO on relevant workforce and resourcing strategy for science in FSS, ensuring that the delivery of science advice is underpinned by appropriately qualified staff with the right mix of skills, knowledge and expertise to deliver FSS objectives. Work with the CSA, Scotland and the Head of Professional Development for Science in Scottish Government to enable consideration of appropriate career pathways and professional development schemes for scientists in FSS and other areas of food policy in Scotland.

Act as a spokesperson for FSS on high profile scientific issues relating to food safety and public health nutrition; ensuring the scientific basis for decisions on policy, advice and actions is effectively communicated to different expert and lay audiences through a range of channels, including the media.

Establish an impactful profile across the relevant UK and international scientific communities; and when required represent FSS and Scottish Government at delegations and conferences to promote and champion our research and science capabilities on the global arena.

The CSA for FSS will be the nominal Head of Profession (Science and Engineering) for the organisation supported in this role by the Head of Science and Chief Nutritionist.

Success Profile

It is essential that you can provide evidence in your application of the professional experience and skills required for this role.

In addition, candidates applying for roles with the government agencies and public bodies in Scotland are assessed in line with the Success Profiles framework that is used across the Civil Service. This means that as well as evidencing the professional experience and skills you will also be expected to evidence behaviours at the level required for this Senior Civil Service role.

Qualifications

You must hold a post graduate Masters or Doctoral qualification and have relevant academic, research or industry experience in one of the following fields:

• Microbiological/chemical food safety
• Public health nutrition
• Food technology

Professional Experience:

Were looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

1. A strong background and scientific reputation in food safety and/or diet and nutrition, with a clear understanding of how science, evidence and data inform policy, deliver outcomes and shape strategic direction.

2. A commitment to ensuring high quality and ethical research is conducted in own area and those of others, by applying objective quality assurance processes and is able to balance technical quality with considerations of cost, safety and timely delivery.

3. The ability to provide advice to ...