Director of Ethics & Governance

What the role is responsible for.

• Own the governance framework covering autonomous action, dual-use research, and human-subjects work.
• Chair the review body and rule on escalated programme questions.
• Maintain the disclosure position — what is said, what is withheld, and the reasoning for each.
• Advise the executive on programmes that should be declined or discontinued.
• Build the office's capability so that review is technically informed rather than procedural.

What we need you to bring.

• Fifteen or more years across research governance, regulatory affairs, law, or applied ethics in a technical organisation.
• Demonstrated authority exercised against commercial or programme pressure.
• Technical literacy sufficient to read a system design and ask the right question.
• Excellent written reasoning — the office's output is its arguments.
• Willingness to have the final position attributed to you.

Useful, not essential.

• Experience in defence, biomedical, or nuclear governance.
• Standing with an external regulator or standards body.
• Background that spans both institutional and academic settings.

We read the preferred list as a description of a useful background, not a checklist. Candidates who meet the required list and none of the preferred are regularly hired.

Who you would be joining.

Ethics & Governance is a small standing office within Strategy & Policy with an independent reporting line. It has existed continuously for decades and its rulings are archived.

What to know before you apply.

No clearance is required for the post itself; access arrangements for cleared programmes are handled separately and are sponsored.

All candidates undergo comprehensive vetting. Reasonable accommodation is available at any stage — say so in your first note and it will be arranged. We do not use unverified third-party recruiters, and we never ask a candidate for a fee.