Chief Scientist

Post:                       Chief Scientist for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS)

Location:               Flexible working – remote or hybrid. Must be willing and able to travel to London, Edinburgh and elsewhere (primarily across the UK but from time to time internationally) in line with the needs of the AHS.

Salary:                   Circa £70,000 - £100,000 (based on FTE salary) depending on experience and expertise

Duration:              Permanent or Fixed Term/Temporary opportunities available for the right candidate(s)

                              To ensure we attract and appoint the strongest candidate(s), we are open to a range of possible employment arrangements, depending on the circumstances, background, availability and aspirations of interested applicants. These include both fixed and long-term appointments; secondment from another organisation into the AHS; and full- and part-time arrangements (with a suggested minimum commitment of 0.4 FTE). Depending on the range of eligible candidates, part-time appointments could potentially be made to a Chief Scientific Advisory Team

Reporting to:       AHS Director

About Adolescent Health Study

The Adolescent Health Study (AHS) is an ambitious new UKRI-funded initiative to establish a prospective, longitudinal population study that will generate a globally leading open science data platform and research resource. AHS aims to recruit at least 100,000 young people aged eight to 18 years from across the UK and to follow their mental and physical health and wellbeing over at least 10 years. It plans to collect data through questions and measures; to obtain bio-samples for a wide range of genomic and other high-throughput assays; and to capture linked data relevant to health and wellbeing from participants’ health, education and other administrative records. Recruitment will take place mainly through schools. There will be a strong emphasis on engaging with and involving young people, schools, parents and other relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the study, as well as on including young people that represent as wide as possible a range of backgrounds, experiences and characteristics. AHS will focus on enabling a wide range of research, including studies of the critical biological and social developments that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the determinants of both mental and physical health and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults.

Purpose of the post

The Chief Scientist will provide visionary strategic and operational leadership, working alongside the AHS Director and Executive Team to develop and deliver AHS’s scientific strategy. At the forefront of the study’s design and delivery, the role will also involve owning and overseeing key scientific and regulatory milestones.

The Chief Scientist will be key to shaping the study’s scientific agenda; ensuring an epidemiologically robust design; coordinating the development and delivery of the scientific aspects of a practical, feasible, affordable and scalable study protocol; drawing on a wide range of interdisciplinary, expert inputs from across the UK and internationally; and engaging with the UK-wide and international community of potential diverse research users interested in addressing key research questions about young people’s health and wellbeing.

The role requires a distinguished scientific leader from a clinical or non-clinical background, committed to advancing knowledge of young people’s health and wellbeing. They will have the track record and skills needed to work as part of an interdisciplinary team to create an internationally leading research resource, to engage with diverse expert advisors and wider stakeholders, and to attract and support a diverse community of interdisciplinary researchers who will use the resource to deliver groundbreaking insights that will enhance understanding of and inform improvements in young people’s health and wellbeing.

Main responsibilities

Key tasks

Scientific Leadership

• Develop and articulate the scientific vision and objectives of the study.
• Ensure the study design and methodology meet the highest standards of scientific rigour and ethical integrity.
• Lead and coordinate the development of innovative research approaches to understand adolescent health trajectories and outcomes.
• Act as a key scientific spokesperson, advocating for the study’s mission and its potential impact on public health policy and practice.
• Foster interdisciplinary collaboration across biological, social, psychological, clinical and broader domains to enable the development of a research resource that will enable researchers from diverse backgrounds to address a wide range of research questions.

Strategic Oversight

• Oversee scientifically informed planning, recruitment, and retention strategies for a diverse cohort of at least 100,000 young people from across the UK.
• Guide the development of robust protocols for the large-scale collection and secure handling of high-quality data from questionnaires and measures and of bio samples.
• Provide strategic input into the creation of a comprehensive, secure data platform for the capture, storage, authenticated access to and analysis of an expanding range of data types and sources.
• Ensure the study aligns with national and international priorities in adolescent health research.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and sustain strong partnerships, including with funding bodies, government agencies and diverse research organisations.
• Advise on and contribute to AHS involvement and engagement with young people, families, schools and communities to promote participation and trust in the study.
• Represent the AHS resource in national and international forums, advocating for its contributions to the global understanding of young people’s health and wellbeing.

Team and Resource Management

• Work with the Director to develop, lead and mentor a geographically distributed multidisciplinary team (including expert advisers, working groups and directly employed staff), ensuring alignment with the study’s mission and goals.
• Work with the AHS Executive Team to oversee the allocation of resources to maximise scientific outputs and operational efficiency.

Knowledge Translation and Impact

• Promote and enable a wide range of high impact research using the resource as it evolves
• Drive the dissemination of scientifically pertinent information about the AHS as it evolves to different audiences, for example via peer reviewed publications, policy updates, AHS website, conferences, and public outreach.
• Work with the AHS team, research community, and wider stakeholders to develop approaches to ensure that research outputs can be translated into actionable insights that inform policies, programmes and interventions for young people’s health.

Governance and Accountability

• Ensure compliance with ethical, legal, and regulatory requirements.
• Provide regular updates and reports to the Director, AHS Board and other stakeholders.
• Evaluate and refine the study design and objectives to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities over the course of the study.

Knowledge, skills and experience

• PhD or equivalent in a relevant scientific discipline.
• A deep understanding of longitudinal study design and implementation, including participant recruitment and retention strategies.
• Expertise in adolescent health, with understanding of biological, social, clinical, psychological and policy domains.
• Familiarity with research and data governance frameworks, including ethical considerations, data security, and open-access principles.
• Exceptional leadership and strategic thinking, with a proven ability to lead large-scale, complex, multidisciplinary research programmes.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to guide the development and application of advanced statistical and computational methods.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage effectively with a diverse range of stakeholders, from academic experts to policymakers and community groups. Proficiency in fostering collaboration across disciplines, ensuring integrated and impactful research outputs.
• Outstanding project management skills, with the capacity to manage complex, large-scale initiatives effectively.
• A distinguished track record of research excellence, evidenced by high-impact publications and contributions to the field of adolescent health or related disciplines.
• Significant experience in leading or contributing to large-scale longitudinal studies and/or population health research.
• Demonstrated success in securing and managing research funding from diverse sources, such as governmental, philanthropic, or international bodies.
• Experience working within interdisciplinary teams, promoting collaboration, and mentoring.
• Experience of translating research findings into practical recommendations for policy or interventions.
• Familiarity with engaging diverse populations in research, with a commitment to ensuring inclusivity and equity in participation and outcomes.
• Awareness of global adolescent health priorities and relevant international research initiatives.

Dimensions

• This job description is configured for a full-time role. However, as described above, we are open to the possibility of recruiting more than one person to fulfil the requirements of the role. We therefore encourage applications from people who fulfil many but not necessarily all the knowledge, skills and experience criteria listed.
• Flexible working across several geographical locations in the UK. Travel may be required to AHS locations and partner organisations.
• AHS operates as an independent not-for-profit company. It is a national organisation, and our activities take place across the UK.

Application Process

Please apply with a CV and covering letter explaining what you can bring to this role, including your current salary, to Jobs@gravitateHR.co.uk

The closing date for this position is 10^th February 2024

AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of:

• Gender, including gender reassignment
• Marital or civil partnership status
• Having or not having dependants
• Religion or belief
• Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins)
• Disability
• Sexual orientation
• Age

We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.  All job applicants and employees who work for us will be treated fairly and will not be unfairly discriminated against on any of the above grounds. Decisions about recruitment and selection, promotion, training or any other benefit will be made objectively and without unlawful discrimination. 

Values

It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team in 2025. As the senior executive team evolves, our values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration.