National Occupation StandardsResearch scientist
ST0759Research scientist Standards
Occupation summary
This job involves planning, leading, and analysing experiments to develop novel products, methods, or applications or enhance scientific knowledge. This position requires scientific and technical leadership to achieve strategic goals and manage crucial projects within and outside. They inform stakeholders, provide strategic suggestions, and align with scientific advances and long-term opportunities and threats.
RESEARCH SCIENTISTOccupation duties & KSBs
Daily Interactions and Responsibilities
Employees in this role engage with diverse internal teams such as direct reports, project teams, senior management, and global department heads, while externally collaborating with regulatory bodies, professional organizations, universities, customers, and media. Their work environment shifts based on project needs, ranging from labs and manufacturing plants to fieldwork, offices, customer sites, and conferences.
Leadership and Management
They autonomously manage work programs, ensure continuous professional development (CPD), and mentor others. Leadership roles may include overseeing research teams, leading experiments, and managing project budgets, with regular reporting to senior management. In smaller companies, they may also handle business development, customer engagement, and communications.
Lead, ensure and be responsible for science based projects. Manage/support, plan, design the running of appropriate activities and make decisions for improvements and next steps
KSBs:
- K1 K2 K3 K4 K5
- S1 S3 S5 S6 S7
- B2 B3 B6 B7
- K1 K3 K4 K5
- S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7
- B1 B2 B3 B6
Combine and compare data from diverse and complex sources (e.g. Literature, experimental data, external/internal contributors) to draw conclusions within a wider context
KSBs:
- K1 K4 K5 K6
- S1 S2 S6
- B3 B6
Develop new and existing products, services and methods for organisational needs (e.g. development of a new active ingredient or measurement methodology using new equipment)
KSBs:
- K1 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7
- S1 S2 S5 S6
- B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6
Lead on the development of, and drive strategic plans within a scientific context and input to/suggest wider organisational strategy linked to their role
KSBs:
- K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7
- S1 S3 S4 S5 S6
- B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Effectively lead and manage communications (e.g. complex scientific information and organisational goals) with key stakeholders and other interested parties at all levels including specialist and non-specialist audiences, both internal and external to the organisation.
KSBs:
- K1 K2 K8
- S1 S3 S4 S7
- B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Advise on the development, critique and implement policies and protocols relating to health, safety, security and ethics.
KSBs:
- K2 K3 K5
- S2 S3 S4 S6
- B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Achieve goals in accordance with budget and finance targets and take account for financial implications within a wider commercial and organisational context
KSBs:
- K2 K3 K5 K6 K7
- S2 S3 S4 S5
- B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
Make decisions based on an understanding of the organisational and the wider business market (e.g. legal, technical, environmental, political and economic)
KSBs:
- K1 K2 K3
- S3 S5 S6 S7
- B4 B5
Carry out all data handling, processing and analysis, ensuring integrity with consideration of commercial practices and guidance including documentation, reproducibility regulated process and IP
KSBs:
- K3 K5 K6 K7
- S1 S2 S6 S7
- B1 B5
Provide leadership and specialist support and organise others in the work place to ensure projects meets the requirements of the organisational goals
KSBs:
- K1 K2 K5
- S4 S5
- B1 B3 B6
Develop others through demonstration of best practice within the organisation by effective coaching, mentoring, teaching and training.
KSBs:
- K1 K8
- S4 S7 S8
- B3 B5 B7
Identify and implement change management initiatives to meet the demands of technical and organisational requirements.
KSBs:
- K2 K3 K7 K8
- S3 S4 S5 S6
- B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7
RESEARCH SCIENTISTKSBs in details
K1: Subject specific knowledge: A deep and systemic understanding of a named / recognised scientific subject as found in an industrial setting, such as biology, chemistry or physics, found in the nuclear, food manufacture, pharmacology or energy production sectors, at a level that allows strategic and scientific decision making, while taking account of inter relationships with other relevant business areas / disciplines.
K2: Management, leadership and effective communication. Organisation objectives and where their role contributes to the success achievement of these objectives. How to communicate effectively with a wide range of senior leaders across different departments, up and down the supply chain, within their own team. Advanced mixed media communication, such as presentations, report writing (technical and non-technical) negotiation and influencing. Leadership within a team of multi discipline specialists at different levels across the organisation, ensuring a shared vision and commitment to success. Effective project management as used in their employer’s environment with regard to quality, cost and time. The employers organisational structure and where their own role fits.
K3: Ethics, regulation and registration: All current relevant national and international regulations needed to carry out the role. This will include scientific regulation, health and safety and laboratory safe practice, anti-bribery and anti-corruption. Ethical scientific practice and the employers processes and procedures surrounding professional conduct. How to identify, record, mitigate and manage risk. The impact of failure and how to manage risk on the business. The benefits of equality of diversity in the workplace.
K4: Research methodologies: Methodologies appropriate to the sector and how to formulate and apply a hypothesis. Appropriate application of scientific process. The unpredictability of research projects and the need to adapt and adjust daily planning needs to accommodate new developments.
K5: Data analysis and evaluation: Statistical analysis techniques, numerical modelling techniques and how they are applied in context. How to interpret and categorise data to make informed and objective decisions against the goals and targets of the project. How to evaluate and interpret the data and associated analysis against company objectives.
K6: Data management: How to safely store and handle data in line with national and international data protection and cyber security regulations that apply to the role. How to manage and store data in line with employer processes and security approach. How to create an appropriate data management plan.
K7: Entrepreneurial and enterprise: How to consider a multi solution approach to the objective in the key stages of a project. Market analysis awareness (SWOT / PESTLE / feasibility studies) and how to assess the impact of the project on the business. Intellectual property rights as they apply to the role and specific projects. Value for money and the ability to use market analysis to make go / no go decisions.
K8: Development of self and others: The importance of continuing professional development and how to maintain their own specialist knowledge in an ever evolving environment. How to effectively coach and mentor colleagues, peers or team members to address identified skills gaps, using appropriate methods. How to upskill non-technical colleagues to enable them to complete their own role as needed.
S1: Application of Scientific Knowledge: Apply a range of advanced, new and emerging practical and experimental skills appropriate to the role (e.g. chemical synthesis, bio analysis, computational modeling).
S2: Data Collection and Reporting: Capture and evaluate data critically drawing a logical conclusion, e.g. Case Report Forms, Data Management Plans, Data Review Plans, edit checks and User Acceptance Testing Plans.
S3: Commercial and Business Issues: Identify issues, including intellectual property and the commercial demands of the business environment. Understand the scientific objectives of work undertaken and its relevance to the organisation.
S4: Communication Skills: Write extended reports and critique others’ work across a range of documentation, e.g. protocols, consent forms and scientific reports. Deliver oral presentations and answer questions about their work and/or the work of their team. Utilise interpersonal skills, communication and assertiveness to persuade, motivate and influence. Discuss work constructively and objectively with colleagues customers and others; respond respectfully to and acknowledge the value of alternate views and hypothesis.
S5: Project Management and Leadership: Generate effective project plans to include management of scope, schedules, budget and risk. Organise resources, budgets, tasks and people. Co-ordinate team activities to meet project requirements and quality processes. Adapt scientific strategy/delivery to be consistent with requirements. e.g. client, regulatory, ethical, geographic.
S6: Critical Thinking: Conceptualise, evaluate and analyse information to solve problems.
S7: Research and dissemination: Frame research questions and methodology drawing from current sources e.g., literature and databases. They can produce intellectual insight and innovations in their own discipline to be shared with colleagues, peers and wider stakeholders internal and external to the business.
S8: Developing others: Apply a range of coaching and mentoring techniques with colleague’s peers and team members, selecting the correct method to suit the situation and the person being coached / mentored.
B1: Team Working: Collaboration, influence, and respect for others.
B2: Flexibility and Adaptability: Responsiveness to change, adjusting to different conditions, technologies, situations and environments.
B3: Integrity and Reliability: Respect for the confidentiality of individuals and company information. An intrinsic ethical stance to all aspects of day to day activities. Reputation of trust internally and externally.
B4: Management of Expectations of senior management, study sponsors, vendors, investigational sites and key opinion leaders.
B5: Accountability: For self and others to ensure that actions are in the best interest of affected parties.
B6: Planning, Prioritisation and Organisation: Effective time management.
B7: Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Accountability of own and others development needs, undertaking CPD. Curiosity of science and proactively develops knowledge to ensure that scientific and business decisions are based on strong science.