Develop
Professional pathways
Discover the diverse professional pathways within the resilience field
An integral part of the UK Resilience Academy's mission is to define and expand the scope of various specialist roles contributing to societal resilience.
In this section, we define the core professional pathways typically found in resilience, outlining career progression from junior to senior roles:
Officer → Senior Officer → Team or Function Manager
Each tier requires increasing proficiency and a broader understanding within the resilience domain, often with greater leadership and strategic responsibilities.
Resilience Specialists
Progressing from senior officer level to becoming an expert in a specific area of resilience, such as flood risk, cyber resilience, business continuity, or community recovery. These professionals may remain in technical roles, move into specialist advisory, consultancy, or research, or transition into broader resilience leadership.
Deputy or Head of Service/Programme/Portfolio → Executive Leadership
Senior roles responsible for organisational resilience strategy and governance. While they require less technical expertise in preparedness, they provide strategic oversight, resource allocation, and policy leadership and are key decision-makers during crises and incidents.
Resilience Role Families
The UKRA’s current portfolio directly supports those working in:
Organisational Resilience
Focuses on governance, strategic planning, and continuity management to embed resilience across organisations.
Emergency Preparedness
Strengthens emergency response and recovery plans through rigorous training and exercises, ensuring readiness for diverse emergency scenarios.
Crisis & Incident Response
Manages real-time crisis responses, coordinating effective actions to mitigate impacts during emergencies
Other roles involved in strengthening societal resilience include:
Resilience Research & Innovation
Bridges scientific research and emerging technologies with practical resilience strategies, integrating applied science, disaster science, and AI in risk modelling to develop innovative solutions.
Resilience & Risk Analysis
Uses data-driven and qualitative assessments to evaluate hazards and vulnerabilities, employing methods like horizon scanning and predictive modelling to inform decision-making.
Risk Reduction
Implements policies to mitigate exposure and vulnerability while integrating sustainability and adaptation principles into socio-economic and environmental policies for long-term resilience.
Resilience Engineering
Develops engineering solutions to enhance the resilience of infrastructures and systems, ensuring they can withstand and recover from various shocks and disruptions.