We are a world-class visitor attraction and leading science research centre. We use the Museum's unique collections and our unrivalled expertise to tackle the biggest challenges facing the world today. We care for more than 80 million objects spanning billions of years and welcome more than five million visitors annually and 16 million visits to our website.
Today the Museum is more relevant and influential than ever. By attracting people from a range of backgrounds to work for us, we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things.
We employ 900 staff in a variety of roles, all united by our vision of a future where people and planet thrive. We need everyone to have the passion and drive to help us with our mission to create advocates for our planet and inspire millions to care about the natural world.
Diversity and inclusion matter to us.
Our vision is of a future where both people and the planet thrive. Diversity is one of our core values and we strive to build a workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. All new staff who join us learn about the importance of diversity and inclusion to the Museum and! how to c ontribute to creating an inclusive environment.
We know we have more to do, but we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works at the Museum feels they can thrive and feel valued and respected.
Job Summary
As part of our ambitious strategy to ‘create advocates for the planet’, the NHM wishes to use its voice to influence public attitudes and policy-makers to help shape effective policies to protect the natural world and restore it to health. Using our scientific expertise and significant public outreach, we will put a spotlight on solutions from science and enable well-informed decision-making supported by rigorous scientific evidence.
This exciting new role will establish a small, agile and effective Policy Unit with an emphasis on using scientific evidence to inform and influence policy decisions. The key objective will be to create wider influence and policy leverage in support of our strategy, identifying key advocacy and policy priorities and amplifying impact.
The Director of Policy will play a key role, working across the organisation, to increase our sphere of influence at home and abroad to inform actions and policy in government and business, at a local and international level and to keep the dialogue on the critical issues facing the natural world alive.
Main Responsibilities
Policy influence
- Establish and lead the Museum’s Policy team, identifying strategic policy objectives in a small number of areas, such as biodiversity decline and powering the green economy, where there is a chance for impact and cut through;
- Produce high quality, evidence-based and rigorous policy outputs, including reports, position statements and briefings to support NHM’s objectives;
- Identify and deliver events and dialogue, to amplify policy objectives, and situate the Museum as a place for debate and discussion on key topic;
- Oversee and deliver advocacy strategies to influence key stakeholders, making best use of the Museum’s public outreach and scientific expertis;
- Horizon scanning for emerging issues in areas of lead responsibility and build links with experts and other teams in the Museum to identify these issues;
- Lead on developing relationships with key policy organisations, identifying common interests and coordinating shared policy and advocacy activities, where relevant;
- Represent the Museum on policy issues, including acting as a visible thought-leader and senior spokesperson for the Museum.
Key relationships
- Support Museum scientists to translate research findings quickly into appropriate policy in national, regional and multilateral institutions and elsewhere;
- Director and Director’s Office, Executive Director of Science and Science Executive;
- Head of Global Engagement in priority areas to support policy and advocacy objective setting, and delivery;
- Director of Communications, Digital, Marketing and Publishing and communications team to use external communications for policy influence carefully and strategically.
Person Specification: Skills, experience and abilities
Policy related
- Substantial, demonstrable experience of delivering policy outcomes on science and environmental policy issues, including using influencing and other skills to work through others to deliver policy outcomes where no direct power is held;
- Strategic policy management – experience and ability to identify desired policy outcomes and define activities required to deliver them;
- Well networked into the policy/business linked organisations and know-how on how to operate in terms of political/business interests.
People related
- Strong people management and leadership skills – ability to build a team with diverse but complementary skills.
- People and relationships – relating to people at all levels of seniority to draw out information and ideas, build consensus and persuade them to act. Work effectively and as team player with other organisations.
- Stakeholder management – ability to identify highest-priority stakeholders and put strategies in place to build their trust and support, using a variety of routes and tools to build lasting, effective and long-term relationships.
- Team player – working with and through others using influencing and other skills to work through others to deliver policy outcomes where no direct power is held.
Delivery
- Analysis – ability to scrutinise scientific evidence, break down complex information and draw conclusions and integrating economic and social dimension;
- Communication – effective and compelling messaging and use of evidence in person and in writing;
- Facilitation and presentation skills – presenting complex concepts simply to large and high-level audiences;
- Project management –ability to juggle multiple projects and deadlines. Able to respond to fact that sometimes the work is fast and reactive, other times to create own momentum.
Interpersonal
- Articulate, dynamic, well-organised, outcome-focused creative thinker;
- Persistent, ability to plan ahead, patience to keep going and confidence in your position;
- Open-mindedness and flexible adapting approach, improving with feedback, and as the external situation changes.
General Information
All positions at the Natural History Museum are conditional subject to receipt of:
- Proof that you are legally entitled to work in the UK;
- A Basic Disclosure Check from the Disclosures and Barring Service (DBS);
- Satisfactory references covering the last 3 years of your employment or education;
- Health clearance;
- The Museum supports flexible working.