Help turn the expertise of the pharmacology community into stronger policy and better support for members as the British Pharmacological Society delivers its new strategy.
Who we are
The British Pharmacological Society advances the science of medicines to improve health and patient care. We bring together more than 5,000 members across over 60 countries, connecting people working in research, healthcare, industry and regulation.
Our journals enable researchers to share discoveries. Our meetings and educational activities support collaboration and professional development. We also draw on members’ knowledge to inform policy on medicines and their use.
Our 2026 to 2030 strategy, Towards 100 Years, guides our work ahead of our centenary in 2031. We want to strengthen our scientific contribution, broaden participation in the Society and sustain the resources that make this work possible.
About the role
Joining us for maternity cover, you will provide leadership across our scientific programmes, with a particular focus on policy, engagement and communications. Working closely with our Chief Executive and Director of Finance, Business and Commercial Operations, you will help translate the strategy into achievable programmes. You will support specialist teams across publishing, events and communications, helping colleagues connect their work and make informed decisions about resources.
A central priority will be developing our policy framework. You will help establish where the Society can contribute most effectively, draw on members’ expertise and guide responses to issues affecting pharmacology and healthcare.
You will also strengthen engagement with key communities, including colleagues in industry and people establishing their careers in pharmacology. Working with our committees and external partners, you will help ensure their perspectives inform our activities and that more people can contribute.
Who we are looking for
You will bring experience of leading a broad portfolio and supporting teams with different professional specialisms. Experience in policy, engagement or communications will be particularly relevant to the priorities of this appointment.
You will understand how to build productive relationships with members and trustees, combining collaborative working with the ability to agree priorities and follow through on decisions. You will also bring financial judgement and experience of managing budgets.
An understanding of biosciences and enthusiasm for pharmacology’s contribution to health will underpin your work.
We value leaders who involve others, welcome different perspectives and demonstrate equity and inclusion through their decisions.
If you would like to support the people advancing medicines and healthcare, we would welcome your interest in joining us.
To access the job information pack for this position, please follow the instructions on the ‘How to Apply’ page. Following this, should you like to have an informal conversation, you can email our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
James Hunt | james@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07711 405444
Welcome from the Chief Executive Officer
Dear prospective colleague,
Thank you for your interest in joining the British Pharmacological Society as our Director of Scientific Programmes, Policy, and Partnerships. This maternity cover appointment comes as we begin delivering our 2026 to 2030 strategy, and I am pleased to share an opportunity to help shape how we work with our community.
Since joining the Society as Chief Executive in December 2025, I have been impressed by the knowledge and commitment of our members and colleagues. Our community includes more than 5,000 people across over 60 countries, working in settings from university laboratories to clinical practice. Their work contributes to the discovery of new medicines and helps improve how existing treatments are used.
Our role is to support that contribution. We provide opportunities for researchers to publish their findings, bring people together through scientific meetings and help strengthen education in pharmacology. We also draw on our members’ expertise to inform decisions about medicines and healthcare.
Our new strategy, ‘Towards 100 Years’, was developed with our members, trustees and staff. It sets out how we will strengthen our scientific contribution and broaden participation in the Society as we approach our centenary in 2031.
We want to build closer relationships with colleagues in industry and clinical settings, while improving the support available to people establishing their careers in pharmacology.
For this appointment, our particular focus is on policy, engagement and communications. There is work to do in developing our policy framework: deciding where the Society can contribute most, how we draw on members’ expertise and how we turn that knowledge into well-supported recommendations. Issues such as the clinical pharmacology workforce and advances in personalised prescribing give this work a direct connection to patient care.
You will work closely with me and our Director of Finance, Business and Commercial Operations, supporting specialist teams whose responsibilities span publishing, events and member engagement. You will help colleagues connect their work, agree achievable priorities and make informed decisions about resources. Working with our committees will be equally important, ensuring that members’ contributions lead to activity we can deliver and evaluate.
I would welcome someone who has led a broad portfolio and understands how to support colleagues with different areas of expertise. You will bring experience relevant to policy or engagement, alongside an interest in biosciences and an appreciation of pharmacology’s contribution to health. We value leaders who listen, involve others in decisions and provide direction when choices are difficult. A commitment to equity and inclusion should be evident in how you lead and whose perspectives you seek.
You will have opportunities to learn from our scientific community while contributing your own experience to work already under way. I hope the combination of a defined period of leadership and meaningful scope to contribute will appeal to you.
Thank you for considering joining us. I look forward to hearing what you could bring to the Society.
With best wishes,
Dr Neha Issar-Brown
Chief Executive Officer, British Pharmacological Society
BPS Managing Director, BPS Assessment
Image credit: Ricky Parker Photography
About us
The British Pharmacological Society is a charity and membership organisation dedicated to advancing pharmacology: the science of how medicines work. We support the discovery and development of new treatments and the better use of existing medicines, helping improve health and patient care.
Founded in 1931, we bring together more than 5,000 members across over 60 countries. Our community includes people working in universities, healthcare, industry and regulation, alongside those studying or beginning their careers. We provide a professional home where they can exchange knowledge and contribute to the development of their discipline.
How we make a difference.
Our work connects scientific research with education and clinical practice. Through our three journals, the British Journal of Pharmacology, British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, we help researchers share findings that advance understanding of medicines and their effects.
Our scientific meetings and training programmes bring people together across disciplines and countries. We support members through grants, bursaries and awards, helping them access opportunities to develop their knowledge and share their work. These include the Sir David Jack PhD Scholarship programme, established to fund 40 PhDs over ten years.
We draw on our members’ expertise to inform policy and improve healthcare. Our priorities include personalised prescribing and the development of the clinical pharmacology workforce. Through BPS Assessment, our wholly owned trading subsidiary, we provide online learning and assessment that support safer prescribing by healthcare professionals and medical students.
Towards 100 Years.
Our 2026 to 2030 strategy, Towards 100 Years, guides our work as we approach our centenary in 2031. Developed with members, trustees and staff, it focuses on three areas:
- Progressing our pharmacology priorities: advancing research and education, and using our expertise to influence policy.
- Growing and connecting our community: broadening participation and strengthening support for members across different sectors and career stages.
- Driving sustainable growth: developing our income and using our resources effectively to sustain the Society’s charitable work.
This means strengthening relationships with industry and clinical communities, extending the reach of BPS Assessment and developing events and training that meet members’ needs. We are also responding to changes in scientific publishing and exploring how technology can support our work.
Our people and how we work.
Our staff work closely with Council, committees and volunteer members, combining professional expertise with the knowledge of the pharmacology community. At the end of 2025, the Society employed 24 full-time-equivalent staff, supported by specialist consultants.
Our values describe us as progressive, unifying, nurturing and social. They guide how we welcome new ideas, support people’s development and create opportunities for collaboration. Equity, diversity and inclusion are central to our strategy, including whose perspectives inform our decisions and who can access our activities.
Joining the Society means contributing to the support that enables pharmacologists to share discoveries, develop their skills and improve the use of medicines for everyone.
Accessibility information
The British Pharmacological Society is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone can thrive.
We recognise that people have different needs and experiences, and we are committed to removing barriers that may prevent individuals from fully participating in our recruitment processes and working life.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and actively encourage candidates to tell us about any adjustments or support they may need.
We aim to ensure that our recruitment processes, communications, workplaces and ways of working are accessible and inclusive. This may include providing information in alternative formats, making adjustments during interviews and assessments, supporting flexible ways of working, and implementing reasonable workplace adjustments for employees where needed.
We are committed to treating all applicants and employees with dignity, fairness and respect. We continually seek to improve our approach to accessibility and inclusion, recognising that creating an accessible workplace is an ongoing process of listening, learning and improvement.
We understand that people may have different access requirements and have taken steps to make our workplace and services as accessible as possible.
We currently offer:
- Step-free access to our building, key meeting rooms and accessible toilet facilities
- Documents and materials in alternative formats where required
- Flexibility in working patterns and working locations, where appropriate and in line with business needs
- The opportunity to discuss reasonable adjustments throughout recruitment and employment
At the British Pharmacological Society, we believe that diverse perspectives strengthen our organisation and help us achieve our mission. We are committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the opportunity to contribute, develop and succeed.
Need an adjustment?
If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process or whilst working with us, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners. Together, we will be happy to discuss your requirements in confidence and work with you to identify appropriate support.
To arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultant at Peridot Partners:
James Hunt | james@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07711 405444
Thank you for your interest in this role. Please download the job information pack.
To formally apply, please submit a CV and supporting statement (ideally a maximum of 2 sides of A4 each) that clearly outline your suitability for the role against the criteria provided in the person specification, including your interest and motivation in applying for this position.
Please include your home address, contact email and mobile.
Please ensure that your application is emailed to response@peridotpartners.co.uk, inserting “Application: British Pharmacological Society — Director of Scientific Programmes, Policy, and Partnerships (maternity cover) ” into the subject field. You will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 2-3 days. If you do not receive an acknowledgement, please contact our admin team.
Following review of the candidate information pack, should you like to have an informal conversation, you may email our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
James Hunt | james@peridotpartners.co.uk | 07711 405444
As a sector-leading executive search consultancy, we know the importance of creating recruitment processes that are fair, inclusive and free from bias. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a process that values differences.
If you require any job information in an alternative format (e.g. large print), please contact the lead consultant. Please also let us know if you would like to submit your application in an alternative format.
Applicants with disabilities are welcome to contact us in confidence at any stage of the recruitment process to discuss any reasonable adjustments or support that may be required to ensure fair and equal participation.
Recruitment selection processes are based on evidence of competence stated in the person specification and in relation to our values.
Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 26th October 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: By COB Friday 30th October 2026
First stage interviews (virtual): Thursday 5th November 2026
Second stage interviews (in person, London): w/c Monday 9th November 2026
Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Peridot and British Pharmacological Society are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions. We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout, and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
The information will be treated confidentially and anonymously and will help us to support our commitment to fair recruitment practice. All information provided will be held in the strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone, in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.
The information provided does not form part of the decision-making process and will not affect your application. Learn more about why we collect this data here.
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