Senior Science Policy Officer (m/f/d)

The future of Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS) and Digital Sequence Information (DSI) at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH

We are living in a historic moment for conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biological diversity. In December 2022, the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in Montreal, Canada agreed on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which will guide global and national conservation and sustainability efforts over the next decade. The fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of biodiversity, including benefits from the use of Digital Sequence Information (DSI), is a central pillar of the GBF. Over the next several years, there will be significant policy developments and debate about how to share benefits from DSI. DSI is both essential to support food security, biodiversity and conservation research, and public health, but is also used for biotech R&D and commercialization. Evidence- and science-based policy proposals are needed to help policymakers design a new system to share benefits fairly and equitably.

The policy process around DSI benefit-sharing goes beyond the GBF and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. It extends to several UN fora, including the International Plant Treaty for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (FAO-IPTGRFA), Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework, Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), etc. The senior science policy officer will work closely with the DSI Scientific Network to bring scientific perspectives and develop empirical research needed at the intersection of science and policy in these various fora. In addition to work on DSI, the senior policy officer will also take a leadership role in the Germany Nagoya Protocol Hub and engage in the broader topic of access and benefit-sharing, the Nagoya Protocol, and quantitative indicators benefit-sharing.

What we need from you:

• Track, participate, and analyze the on-going international policymaking process on benefit-sharing and DSI
• Bring a scientific, analytical, and empirical perspective to support policy outcomes that can work both for science and diplomats
• Develop a network in both the scientific and policy communities to bring outcomes and re-sults from the research community to policy and vice versa
• Collect and evaluate experiences and data from academic research and communicate them in a policy-friendly manner
• Develop policy briefs, research articles, meeting reports, outreach materials, statements, and grant applications related to DSI and benefit-sharing
• Manage, plan, and participate in online and in-person workshops, meetings with government representatives, project steering committee, and national and international research part-ners
• Integrate various work streams into a coherent project outcome
• Engage with and contribute to the German Nagoya Protocol Hub Network, DSI Scientific Net-work, and the DSMZ-Science Policy and Internationalization team
• Collaborate with the implementation and management of the Hub

What you bring to the team:

• Ph.D. (or equivalent) in biology or related discipline OR a law degree (qualifying for judge-ship) with excellent understanding and knowledge of international policy frameworks
• 5+ years of experience in science policy, scientific management, regulatory issues, UN pro-cesses, and/or research infrastructures and databases.
• Direct experience with access and benefit-sharing issues, digital sequence information, and/or the Nagoya Protocol
• Effective project management preferably with international, cross-discipline projects or pro-jects of political dimension
• High level of responsibility, teamwork, flexibility, engagement in cross-cutting projects
• Tenacity and ability to work under pressure with tight deadlines, new tasks, and priorities
• Openness and sensitivity in dealing with people from other cultural backgrounds
• Availability to travel both internationally and domestically
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (essential) and German (ideal) or a UN language

We offer:

• International projects with high profile partners and outcomes based in Brunswick, Germany
• High level of integration in existing networks, on-going projects, outreach, and engagement with the international and national policymaking process
• Room to bring in your own ideas and perspective
• Integration in a cooperative, diverse, experienced, and enthusiastic team
• Flexible working hours and partial (20%) remote work possible

The Leibniz Institute DSMZ (www.dsmz.de) is an internationally-renowned biological resource center and research infrastructure with one of the most diverse microbial collections worldwide. DSMZ functions as both a service provider and research partner for academia and industry with around 200 employees. The DSMZ is funded by the State of Lower Saxony and the German Federal government and is a member of the Leibniz Association. The institutes of the Leibniz Association strive to increase the proportion of female scientists and encourage female candidates to apply. Disabled applicants with identical technical and personal qualifications will be preferentially selected. The DSMZ is an equal opportunity employer and supports balanced work-life career development and holds the certificate of the audit berufundfamilie®.

Expected Start: As soon as possible

Contract length: 5 years

Work hours: 100% (maximum 39.8 hours); job sharing is not available.

Salary: according to public sector scale E13 TV-L

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis so early applicants are encouraged! Complete applications should be sent by e-mail with application number 09/23 to bewerbung(at)dsmz.de. Any questions regarding the position can be addressed to Dr. Amber Scholz (amber.scholz(at)dsmz.de). Application deadline is April 11, 2023.