The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has launched a recruitment drive for the new role of chief construction and scientific adviser, created as part of the department’s response to the Grenfell Tower disaster.
MHCLG currently has an interim chief construction adviser, architect Thouria Istephan, while Prof Richard Prager is its chief scientific adviser.
However earlier this year the department set out plans to unite the two roles into a single post to “provide a single authoritative source of independent technical challenge to ministers and officials on issues relating to construction, science and engineering”.
MHCLG said the single role would strengthen government’s decision making, reduce fragmentation between policy design and delivery practice, and widen access to technical experts in different disciplines.
The department’s newly-launched recruitment campaign is offering a salary of up to £139,000 a year for the successful applicant for the senior civil service pay band 2 role, which brings with it a formidable list of responsibilities.
According to MHCLG’s advertisement, the chief construction and scientific adviser will be an “expert adviser” to the communities secretary and work alongside the Building Safety Regulator and the wider chief scientific adviser network to support the design and delivery of government policy in relation to building safety.
They will “oversee areas of risk” owned by the department, play a vital part in resilience and emergency response plans, and act as “a bridge” with the construction sector, “communicating effectively between government, industry and academia, and engaging sensitively with external stakeholders”.
MHCLG said essential criteria for the successful applicant will include “substantial” senior-level experience in the built environment sector, including deep expertise in building design, construction, procurement, testing and assurance, management and ongoing safety.
Other must-haves include “demonstrated success” at building and sustaining trusted working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders – such as industry bodies, regulators, government, academia, and resident or consumer groups – and an ability to work with them to develop innovative solutions.
MHCLG also wants the successful candidate to be “an independent and strategic thinker” with a long-term approach to issues impacting the built environment.
The chief construction and scientific adviser will be part of MHCLG’s Buildings, Fire and Resilience Group, led by joint DGs Katie Farrington and Ben Rimmington.
In the information pack for prospective applicants, Farrington and Rimmington said the chief adviser job is a “rare opportunity to take on a highly influential role at a critical moment for the built environment”.
“The work of this group touches on some of the most significant responsibilities in government, from building safety and remediation, to fire, resilience and recovery, the Grenfell community and memorial, and the Holocaust Memorial Programme,” they said.
“What unites this work is its real-world impact on people’s safety, confidence and trust. The chief construction and scientific adviser will play a vital role in bringing authoritative technical insight and independent challenge into policy and decision-making, helping to rebuild trust in the built environment and strengthen how government stewards construction, safety and resilience.
“It is a role that sits at the intersection of science, engineering, policy and delivery, and one that will shape long-term reform.”
MHCLG’s advertisement states that the chief construction and scientific adviser role can be based in Bristol, Darlington, London, Manchester, or Wolverhampton. It cautions that regular travel to London will be a requirement for those who are based outside of the capital – and that occasional travel to other UK locations may be necessary.
The role is open to applications until 11:55pm on 13 April. The interview panel will include civil service commissioner Martin Spencer and government chief scientific adviser Prof Dame Angela McLean.