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Following a degree in chemistry and a PhD in marine science, Phil took up a Royal Society European Exchange Fellowship in Paris, followed by a NERC post-doctoral position in the UK’s Biogeochemical Ocean Flux Study. He next joined the French Atomic Energy Agency, leading a marine biogeochemistry research group.

Phil moved back to the UK to work for Nature, responsible for the environmental science content of the journal, before joining the Natural Environment Research Council – initially responsible for marine sciences, and culminating with five years as Director of Science. He then moved to Defra's Food & Environment Research Agency as interim Director of Science during the creation of a public-private joint venture.

Most recently, Phil spent seven years as Dean for Environmental Research at the University of Reading, bringing together academics, post-doctoral researchers and PhD students with external partners to explore, understand, and address the challenges of environmental change. Fruits borne from this included substantial new partnerships with the Natural History Museum, the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts, and the Met Office.

Phil retired in 2023 and has spent part of the time since then planning a recent move to the Isle of Arran.