Wellcome is a global charitable foundation that improves health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building partnerships. It has committed to spend £16bn in the ten years to 2032, funding new discoveries in life, health and wellbeing and tackling three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate and health.
Wellcome is seeking a Head of Global Science Policy to join the leadership team of Science Policy Labs, a new team within the Policy and Partnerships department. The team explores, shapes and accelerates new and better ways of supporting science in service of Wellcome's mission. The postholder will report to the Associate Director of Science Policy Labs, work closely with the Head of UK and EU Science Policy, and contribute to the wider Policy and Partnerships leadership team, as well as collaborating with the Discovery department, which invests in the UK and Wellcome's priority geographies in Africa and Asia.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the strategic development and delivery of Wellcome's work shaping global science policy to responsibly accelerate transformative scientific discoveries for a healthier future for everyone.
- Work with the Associate Director to recruit a world-class team of policy advisors, researchers and designers, and a network of Science Policy Associates.
- Build a portfolio of policy research, evidence and ideas, with clear routes to influencing change; develop strategic collaborations and design new methods and initiatives for accelerating solutions to science policy challenges.
- Provide thought leadership, and lead, develop and motivate the team to deliver high-calibre, impactful work.
- Initial agenda includes: equitable global stewardship of scientific data in an era of AI and science sovereignty; anticipatory governance of frontier science including AI; and the roles of philanthropy, governments and international institutions in ensuring discoveries benefit everyone's health.
Minimum criteria:
- Deep experience and expertise in global science policy, with a track record of original thinking, high-calibre policy research or metascience, and impact in an international setting.
- Proven ability to take an idea from concept to reality, translating a high-level concept into a practical operating model and navigating ambiguity.
- Demonstrated success in cutting through complexity and delivering, having built and managed teams, programmes, policy accelerators or organisations.
- Strong understanding of how to influence change in science and innovation policy through networks, collaborations and coalitions.
Desirable: expertise in science for health including life sciences; experience in global fora and priority geographies (LMICs across Africa, South Asia and South-East Asia, and the UK); demonstrable commitment to responsible discovery with benefits felt by everyone.
Salary: £84,640 - £105,800. Permanent contract. Hybrid working (3 days per week in the Euston Road, London office).
Closing date: Sunday, 1 November 2026
HOW TO APPLY:
Submit an updated CV and answer 2 application questions demonstrating that you meet the minimum criteria for the role (evidence against the minimum criteria, up to 500 words; and summaries of up to two relevant initiatives, up to 250 words each, one involving policy influencing and one taking an initiative from zero to impact). Apply via the Wellcome Workday portal.
https://wellcome.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/Wellcome/job/London/Head-of-Global-Science-Policy_R-003535-1/apply