Sophie Ross

Sophie Ross

Department of Theology and Religion
Deputy Head of Political and Bilateral Affairs Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
Honorary Fellow, Edward Cadbury Centre

Contact details

I am a British Jewish civil servant and diplomat, currently based in New Delhi. I have a keen interest in the role of religion in public life, and the intersection of religion, policy-making and diplomacy.

Qualifications

  • MA Oxon (Theology)

Biography

I am a British Jewish civil servant and diplomat, and have worked as Deputy Head of Political and Bilateral Affairs at the British High Commission in New Delhi since 2019. Before that, I pursued a career across the Civil Service in London at the Department for Education and the Department for Exiting the European Union.

I believe in the power of religion as a force for good in society, that religious literacy is vital in today’s globalised world, and that interreligious dialogue can play a greater role in addressing local and global challenges.

I have explored these interests professionally, advising on religious engagement and leading interfaith programmes in India, developing policy on community cohesion and faith schools in the UK, and advising on religious literacy training in the Civil Service. I also have experience advising on gender equality and LGBT+ rights policy, including as a champion for workplace inclusion. 

Beyond work, I have taken an active role in the British Jewish community and interfaith work, including as Co-Chair of the Civil Service Jewish Network, representing my Synagogue community on the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and as co-founder of the Jewish choir Minim Singers.

I studied Theology at the University of Oxford, where I was a choral scholar.

Other activities