Julia was appointed Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) at the Department for Business and Trade in February 2023. Julia provides science and engineering advice and independent challenge to the department’s ministers and senior officials, champions an evidence-based approach to decision-making, and builds internal scientific capability. She works with the network of departmental Chief Scientific Advisers and the Government Office for Science to resolve cross-cutting issues and maximise cross-government insights. She is also Head of the Government Science and Engineering Profession at the Department for Business and Trade. She previously worked at BAE Systems, holding a range of different positions both in the UK and Australia, including most recently Chief Technologist for the Air Sector. Julia holds an Honorary Professorship at the University of Manchester in computer science, is a Chartered Engineer, and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Aeronautical Society. She has represented UK science and technology through a range of advisory council roles. They include as the UK’s industry representative on NATO Science and Technology Board and Programme Advisory Committee member for the UK Atomic Energy Authority. She is an advocate for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and diversity and inclusion within STEM professions.