Some areas of environment employ physical modellers alongside meteorologists, chemists and various biological disciplines. Biology, ecology, ecotoxicology, microbiology, marine biology, etc. You can, in fact, find almost any discipline in DETR from operational research to waste engineers, radiochemists and biotechnologists. A few scientists are recruited at the most junior levels with first degrees. Most, however, have postgraduate qualifications and subsequent research and research management experience in universities, Research Council institutions, other public laboratories and industry.
Upward progression is competitive and it is necessary to be prepared to move.
Many scientists opt at some point to move across to administrative and policy posts, to increase their experience and promotion prospects. However, even in the Senior Civil Service many Grade 5 to Grade 3 posts have high technical content. The role of the scientist in DETR is to provide technical advise to policy colleagues including drafting of technical consultation and guidance papers, to specify and manage DETR research programmes, and to liaise with and represent DETR on relevant national, European and international scientific bodies. In some cases, a scientist will be working alone amongst administrative and policy colleagues. The Department does also have some vacancies from time to time for contract or inwardly seconded scientists to undertake specific tasks for a given period.