Roles and responsibilities:
- Responsible for strengthening and broadening bilateral science and innovation collaboration between the UK and Ghana, with a regional watching brief over West Africa. To promote collaboration, diplomacy, people to people links and inform UK policy development in science and innovation. You will:
- Develop high quality and sustainable UK/Ghana science and innovation partnerships that focus on UK and Ghanaian priorities, including developing and maintaining a network of senior level contacts across the UK and Ghana research landscape;
- Act as focal point for delivering UK Government science and innovation strategy; manage information on science and innovation work and lead on science briefing and reporting for Ghana.
- Develop and expand the UK relationship with Ghanaian research, innovation and funding bodies;
- Work closely with the Research and Evidence regional research hub and FCDO communications specialists to leverage and amplify the UK’s research investment and partnerships, promoting evidence-based policy making and the development of Ghana’s research landscape and partnerships.
- Support wider UK prosperity objectives, including higher education and linkages in the digital sector. Spot and work with Department for International Trade to match opportunities to UK firms
- Provide support to senior UK Government officials and the UK research base regarding the Ghana science and innovation environment; supporting VIP visits;
- Identify opportunities, develop and manage bilateral projects (these might be regional in nature) in order to increase collaboration opportunities for the UK science base;
- Support efforts to promote visibility and HMG coherence on science technology and innovation. This includes convening and supporting cross-mission meetings of science-focused specialists.
- Support and facilitate UK, global and Ghanaian science partners in delivering objectives on Open Science; Science and Media; and other cross cutting priorities
- Support UK science and innovation projects and programmes through monitoring, advice, networking and communication.
- Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
- You may be required to manage small projects, these are unlikely to have a budget of more than £50,000.
- Essential qualifications, skills and experience
- Degree in a scientific/technological discipline or significant (5 years) work experience in a science/innovation role;
- Be able to work quickly and reliably with attention to detail and with limited supervision;
- Excellent written and spoken English;
- Strong IT computer skills including MS Word and Excel;
- Good presentation, interpersonal and representational skills,
- Good communications skills – amplifying and landing targeted messages to key stakeholders;
- The ability to initiate , maintain and exploit a wide range of working relationships;
- Strong organisational skills and project management experience;
- The ability to deliver results under pressure;
- Project management experience.
Desirable qualifications, skills and experience
- Policy development
- Experience of working with Ghanaian scientific research organisations and/or an understanding of research funding in Ghana;
- An understanding of the UK science and innovation landscape;
- Experience of working with UK research organisations.
Required behaviours
- Seeing the Big Picture, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
How To Apply For The Job | Science & Innovation Officer HEO at British Government
To submit your application, click on the link below and complete all relevant fields on the online application form.
Closing Date: 15th November, 2022