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Chief Executive Officer

THE SCIENCE COUNCIL
80,000 per year (pro rata)
Hybrid - home and central London office
Full-time
11th May 2026
Listed today

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Science matters more than ever. At a moment of real opportunity, this is a chance to lead an organisation that sits at the heart of the scientific community.

  • Location:Hybrid - home and central London office
  • Salary:£80,000 – £100,000, depending on experience, plus benefits
  • Closing date:9 a.m. Monday 11th May

With a new strategy in its early stages, growing policy engagement and a clear ambition to strengthen long term sustainability, this is a pivotal moment for the Science Council, as we seek our next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Working closely with the Chair and Board, you will lead the organisation to deliver its strategy with clarity and momentum. You will bring together and work with more than 30 diverse member organisations, each with different sizes, structures and scientific focuses, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs understood. You will also help to align priorities and deepen collaboration across the wider science ecosystem, building strong relationships with partners and stakeholders.

The role balances strategic leadership with a hands-on approach. You will lead a skilled and committed team, ensuring the organisation is well run, financially sustainable and able to respond to opportunities as they emerge. At the same time, you will be an external voice for the Science Council, building relationships with government, employers and opinion formers and strengthening the organisation’s visibility and influence.

Central to the role is a focus on growth and relevance. This includes expanding professional registration, developing new partnerships and identifying opportunities to diversify income while staying true to the organisation’s purpose.

We are looking for a leader who is motivated by public benefit and the role science plays in society. You may come from within the science community, a professional or membership body, or a related sector. What matters most is your ability to lead in a complex, multi stakeholder environment and to bring people together around a shared purpose.

You will bring experience of leading an organisation or significant function through a period of growth or change and have the credibility to engage with senior stakeholders across policy, industry and the professions. We need someone with a strong understanding of governance and the ability to work closely with a Board and the ability to balance strategic thinking with delivery, in a relatively small and agile organisation.

A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and to creating environments where people can contribute and belong is crucial and we are particularly interested in leaders who listen carefully, build trust and are comfortable working across boundaries. Above all, you will be thoughtful and collaborative, with the confidence to make decisions and guide the organisation through its next phase.

To access the job information pack for this position, please follow the instructions on the ‘How to Apply’ page. Following this, should you like to have an informal conversation, you can email our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

James Hunt | james@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07711 405444

Thank you for your interest in becoming the next Chief Executive of the Science Council. I am very pleased that you are considering this opportunity and taking the time to learn more about our work.

The Science Council exists to connect the science professions and to champion the value of professional recognition. At our heart is a simple but powerful belief: that a diverse, skilled and supported scientific workforce is essential to society. By upholding high standards, fostering collaboration and promoting continuing professional development, we help science to better serve the public good and to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex world.

Today, the organisation stands on strong and thoughtful foundations. Over recent years we have strengthened our governance, sharpened our focus and invested in how we support our members and registrants. We remain a trusted and respected voice across a broad interdisciplinary community, bringing together professional bodies, employers and policymakers. At the same time, we are clear about the opportunities ahead. Like many organisations of our kind, we are navigating questions around long term sustainability, growth in professional registration and how we deepen our engagement with employers and the wider science ecosystem.

Our new strategy, launched for 2025 to 2028, gives us a clear direction. It sets out an ambition to elevate the science workforce for the public good by strengthening professional standards, growing our community and increasing our influence. It also challenges us to be more outward looking, more connected and more impactful in how we work.

This is why the appointment of our next Chief Executive matters so much. We are looking for someone who can build on what has been carefully established, while helping us take the next step. This role is about translating strategy into momentum, bringing people together around a shared purpose and ensuring the Science Council continues to evolve in a way that is both confident and sustainable.

In particular, the CEO will work across a complex landscape of more than 30 professional bodies and learned societies, each with different sizes, structures and scientific focuses.
You will bring these diverse organisations together in a cohesive community, ensuring their needs are understood and helping to align priorities across the wider science ecosystem.

As Chief Executive, you will lead a committed and knowledgeable team and work closely with an engaged Board and a generous community of volunteers. You will be a visible and credible voice for the organisation, able to convene and influence across a diverse landscape. Just as importantly, you will help shape how we grow, how we extend our reach and how we remain relevant to current and future generations of science professionals.

We are particularly interested in hearing from leaders who are values driven, collaborative and curious. You may come from within the science or professional body landscape, or from an adjacent sector, but you will share a commitment to public benefit and an instinct for working across boundaries. You will be someone who listens carefully, brings others with you and is comfortable balancing thoughtful stewardship with the confidence to lead change.

This is an important moment in our journey. We have a clear sense of who we are and what we stand for and an equally clear sense of what we now need to do next.

If this resonates with you, I warmly encourage you to apply. I look forward to learning more about you.

Yours sincerely,

David Wells Chair, Science Council

With a new strategy in its early stages, growing policy engagement and a clear ambition to strengthen long term sustainability, this is a pivotal moment for the Science Council, as we seek our next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Working closely with the Chair and Board, you will lead the organisation to deliver its strategy with clarity and momentum. You will bring together and work with more than 30 diverse member organisations, each with different sizes, structures and scientific focuses, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs understood. You will also help to align priorities and deepen collaboration across the wider science ecosystem, building strong relationships with partners and stakeholders.

The role balances strategic leadership with a hands-on approach. You will lead a skilled and committed team, ensuring the organisation is well run, financially sustainable and able to respond to opportunities as they emerge. At the same time, you will be an external voice for the Science Council, building relationships with government, employers and opinion formers and strengthening the organisation’s visibility and influence.

Central to the role is a focus on growth and relevance. This includes expanding professional registration, developing new partnerships and identifying opportunities to diversify income while staying true to the organisation’s purpose.

  • Our vision| A diverse and growing science profession that is trusted, respected, innovative and equipped to meet regional, national and global challenges.
  • Our purpose| To connect the science professions and offer professional recognition for scientists, science technicians and science teachers.

Published in 2025, our strategy, Elevating the science workforce, runs until 2028. It was shaped by our Board of Trustees and members.

Our strategy focuses on:

  • Professional Recognition and Professional Standards: We provide scientists, science technicians and science teachers with professional registration that is trusted by employers and the public and ensures ongoing professional development.
  • Supporting and growing our community:We connect our members, potential members, partners, employers, policymakers and delivery agencies to identify solutions to national challenges in our society.
  • We work across science, uphold interdisciplinary approaches and collaborate.
  • We aim to embed EDI principles in all that we do
  • We work across science, uphold interdisciplinary approaches and collaborate.
  • We aim to embed EDI principles in all that we do.
  • We strive for and expect to find integrity, professionalism, ethical decision-making, respect and kindness.
  • We use resources as effectively and efficiently as possible.
  • We aim to be and to help others to be, innovative and adaptive.

Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the Job Description and Person Specification.

To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally maximum 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outlines your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.

Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.

Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: Science Council—Chief Executive Officer” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.

For further information about the role or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:

James Hunt | james@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07711 405444

As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.

If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please contact James Hunt. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.

Applicants with disabilities are welcome to contact us in confidence at any stage of the recruitment process to discuss any reasonable adjustments or support that may be required to ensure fair and equal participation.

Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.

Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 11th May 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: Thursday 14th May 2026
First stage interviews (virtual): w/c Monday 18th May 2026
Psychometric exercises (virtual): Between first and final interviews
Final stage interviews (London): w/c Monday 1st June 2026

Peridot and Science Council are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.

The information will be treated confidentially and anonymously and will help us to support our commitment to fair recruitment practice. All information provided will be held in the strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone, in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 launched on 25 May 2018.

The information provided does not form part of the decision-making process and will not affect your application. Learn more about why we collect this data here.

By completing the form to view, or if you have access to this page from an email invitation, Peridot Partners will have processed your personal information. For more information about Peridot Partners’ data processing activities and your rights, please read our Privacy Policy.