Head of Mitigation, Climate and Health

Wellcome is a global charitable foundation. We improve health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns, and building partnerships.

We plan to spend £16bn over the next ten years, funding new discoveries in life, health and wellbeing, and taking on three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate.

We are seeking to appoint a Head of Mitigation to build and lead a team within the Climate & Health programme. The post holder will identify and develop research opportunities that drive global action on greenhouse gas mitigation and support health, in close partnership with with Wellcome’s influencing teams that have a strong policy and advocacy focus.

Our vision is a world where catastrophic climate breakdown is averted in a way that allows human health to flourish. More information about Wellcome’s Climate & Health work can be found here.

The climate mitigation team

The mitigation team will put health research at the heart of climate change mitigation, funding research that helps the world understand the full health benefits and risks of mitigation, including knock-on economic and wider impacts. The Climate & Health team in Wellcome not only supports science but also ensures that science is fit for the challenges of the climate crisis, supporting transdisciplinary teams that connect diverse areas of academic expertise and critical policy, culture and private sector voices. Applicants will need to have significant expertise in relation to at least one specialist area of climate and health science, broadly defined, and experience of convening researchers from diverse backgrounds.

We welcome applicants from a diverse range of experiences in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, research management and research funding from academia, government, the private sector and civil society. A PhD is not essential, but experience of conducting or evaluating research will be advantageous and prior experience in an international context is an advantage. Please note, that availability to travel both domestically and internationally is expected in this role.

In this role you will (see job description for more detail):

• Provide oversight of the climate change mitigation strategy in the Climate & Health challenge area, ensuring that the work remains relevant and timely and builds on existing knowledge as well as elements of policy and advocacy when appropriate.
• Draw on appropriate experience and data from the humanities and from scientific, social, and applied disciplines to identify, fund, and otherwise support novel research that develops and uses health evidence to drive urgent climate change mitigation.
• Advocate for and represent Wellcome and the Climate & Health challenge area at national and international levels, identifying opportunities for the Climate & Health challenge area to provide global leadership and to influence decision-making.
• Work with other teams in the Climate & Health challenge area, and in the wider Research Programmes, to contribute to shared objectives.
• Contribute to the shared objectives of Wellcome by working with other teams (including Strategy, Policy and Corporate Affairs) in a matrixed fashion.
• Play a leadership role in the senior management team of the Climate & Health challenge area.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• PhD or equivalent experience in climate change mitigation.
• Recognised leadership experience.
• Broad knowledge of the area of Climate and Health.
• Experience of building and managing a successful team that works at pace.

To apply please upload your current CV and complete our short application using the 'Apply' button above.  

Interview dates: expected to be held in early May.

You can view the full job description on our website 

You can read more about the benefits we offer our employees on our website   

Our Hybrid Way of Working 

We understand that our colleagues have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to build a flexible working environment, in which people can perform at their best. We are currently working 2 days per week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) from our Euston Road offices (as part of our hybrid Ways of Working) with the remaining 3 days from home. 

Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do

Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Wellcome. We are committed to cultivating a fair and inclusive environment, where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles. We work to ensure that our recruitm! ent processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. Please visit our website for more information on adjustments and accessibility, or contact us at jobs@wellcome.org.