ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Director, STFC
Salary: £103,000 to £115,000 per annum (depending on skills and experience)
Hours: Full time
Contract: Open Ended
Location: Based at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell, Didcot; with regular national and occasional international travel.
Closing Date: Sunday 30th March 2025 (23:59)
Interviews: Interviews are expected to be held in in person on Wednesday 23rd April 2025 with final stage interviews being held on Thursday 8th May 2025
Are you an inspiring leader with a vision for innovation and a commitment to excellence? STFC invites you to shape the future of world-class science as Director of the ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source.
About us
The ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
The ISIS Neutron and Muon Source is a world-leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences, located at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire and operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. At the heart of ISIS is a powerful particle accelerator that produces intense neutron and muon beams. These beams can interact with materials at the atomic level, revealing structural and behavioural insights that other methods cannot achieve.
With 35 specialised instruments, ISIS enables visiting researchers to explore a diverse range of materials and phenomena to address fundamental scientific questions and drive innovations that address key global challenges/deliver socioeconomic impact.
ISIS is a multidisciplinary facility that attracts researchers from UK universities and businesses, as well as international scientists from over 30 countries. Each year, the facility hosts approximately 3,000 researchers and conducts around 1,200 experiments, supporting a diverse scientific programme that spans blue-sky research and applied science. Within this programme, the ISIS Science Strategy highlights four key focus areas: Energy and Clean Growth, Quantum Science, Life Science and Healthcare, and Advanced Materials, Manufacturing and Testing. These areas leverage the unique capabilities of neutron scattering, muon spectroscopy and the
ISIS instrument suite and align with national and international research priorities to foster collaboration and maximise scientific and societal impact.
STFC
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is one of Europe’s largest research organisations, trusted to support, enable and undertake cutting edge projects across a diverse range of fields. As one of the nine bodies of UK Research and Innovation, STFC’s research seeks to understand the Universe from the largest astronomical scales to the tiniest constituents of matter, yet creates impact on a very tangible, human scale. From cancer research to clean energy, powering transport to cultural heritage - our impact is felt across many aspects of daily life. We also collaborate extensively with industry and our long-term R&D underpins sectors which contribute billions of pounds annually to the UK economy, including space, pharmaceuticals, digital animation and communication, microelectronics, and physics-based manufacturing.
The Role
The ISIS Neutron and Muon Source Director will report to the Executive Director of National Laboratories (Large Scale Facilities) and provide visible and inspiring leadership to the ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source. They will oversee the ongoing development and operation of ISIS, ensuring it remains a world-leading facility for neutron and muon research while delivering STFC’s corporate vision and implementing the Delivery Plan
Key Responsibilities
· Take a visible leadership role in supporting and demonstrating personal commitment to STFC’s vision, values and strategic objectives, promoting STFC’s achievements at every opportunity and in appropriate arenas at international, regional and local levels.
· Champion equality and diversity principles, ensuing that they are integrated into all aspects of our business.
· Ensuring that ISIS maintains effective corporate governance, meets our statutory obligations; and contributes to continuously improving STFC’s overall performance.
· Work in close collaboration with other department Directors to provide strategic support to drive our people performance and continuously improve infrastructure standards to achieve our objectives and continuous improvement agenda.
· In the context of ISIS activity, work with the Programmes Directorate and Strategy Performance and Communications Directorate, to strengthen strategic relationships, including those with other Research Councils, key universities and overseas facilities.
· Delivery and further development of world-class, cutting-edge scientific facilities, instrumentation and technological capability to ensure that ISIS remains a world leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences.
· Provision of first-class support for a national and international community of scientists researching into subjects ranging from clean energy and the environment, through studies of magnetism, nanotechnology, materials science, engineering, IT and health care
· Formulate long-term strategy that defines the future capital and resource expenditure that ISIS will require to maintain its global leadership position; and lead the formulation of business plans to support that investment.
· Provide outstanding leadership to the staff of ISIS, including the line-management of a senior cross -functional management team; ensuring the principles of equality and diversity are embraced and embedded in the organisation.
· Provide sound financial, safety and risk management of the Facility; including the allocation of capital and resources, which includes over 600 staff, a £90m annual budget and a £500m asset base.
· In conjunction with the ISIS Operations Director, deliver Operational Excellence for the Facility, ensuring a strong ethos of continuous improvement and operational efficiency is embedded and deployed across the organisation.
· Maintain a highly effective Programme Management team that can effectively execute large scale investments in the facility; ranging from a few million pounds to £100m+
· Work in partnership with other STFC facilities and partner facilities, such as the Diamond Light Source, to foster synergistic developments, and deliver collaborative scientific benefits for our communities.
· Work to strengthen our strategic partnerships with national and international organisations to achieve joint delivery of shared strategies, objectives and capability.
· Using the standing, reputation and involvement of ISIS to enable and enhance international influence over scientific investment decisions.
· Working closely with the Business and Innovation Directorate, playing a leading role in increasing collaborative working between academic and commercial partners at the Laboratories and across the Campuses
· Actively explore and develop our relationship with industry partners and develop strong industry engagement models.
· You will have accountability for the health and safety of ISIS staff and users.
What we’re looking for:
A strong and credible leader, with strategic vision, strong leadership skills, and a proven record in science or facility delivery. You must have significant experience of financial and people management of a large-scale facility or organisation and superior decision-making ability with the willingness to take accountability.
Essential
- A strong and credible leader with proven experience of leadership in a Science or Technology organisation, facility or division.
- Strategic thinking/vision and focus, and able to formulate and execute strategy through a structured business plan.
- Successful management of large programmes; in excess of several million pounds
- Ability to inspire change through a philosophy of continuous improvement.
- Excellent communication, relationship building and influencing skills with a diverse range of partners nationally and internationally.
Desirable
· Post-graduate degree in a relevant science or engineering field.
· Experience of working in an international context
· Formulation of high value business cases
· Engagement and leadership of international programmes
To view the full responsibilities and requirements of the role, pleasevisit the candidate pack.
Benefits
Choosing to come to work at STFC means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visitBenefits of working at STFC.
How to Apply
Applicants are required to provide an up-to-date CV and a statement of suitability outlining their suitability for the role against the required criteria. Please click ‘apply’ for further information and to visit our careers page.
UKRI is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and are open to flexible working arrangements, including job share and secondment opportunities.
