Innovation Lead - Missions

Job summary

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Salary: £58,589 per annum.
Band: UKRI Band F.
Contract Type: Open-ended.
Hours: Full-time/ Part Time. (minimum 0.8 FTE) (flexible working available)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working available.

Closing Date: Friday 20 March 2026.

Roles Available: 3

Job description

About Us

The R&D Missions Accelerator Programme represents an exceptional opportunity to create real world impact through R&D investment.

The programme will utilise a £500m budget to bring together the private sector, the third sectors and academia to collaboratively develop innovative solutions to public sector problems, resulting in new technologies, services, IP and more.

The programme has been designed to solve the key problems facing HMG’s five national Missions and enable delivery of the milestones in the Plan for Change.

The Government has identified the key problems faced by the UK, to which the R&D Missions Accelerator Programme has designed Research and Innovation (R&I) Challenges to develop solutions. Importantly, these solutions will then be directly utilised in addressing public sector needs.

The programme is currently developing its approaches across the Missions, and therefore by joining at this stage there’s a significant opportunity to establish and drive the strategic and operational direction of the programme.

Mission Specific Roles

• Innovation Lead - Opportunities

The Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity Mission seeks to ensure every child and young person can succeed, regardless of background. It aims to give children the best start in life through high quality early education, childcare and accessible family support services. The mission will help every child thrive at school by improving teaching standards, tackling absence, and supporting those with special educational needs. It will also build skills for opportunity and growth so that every young person can follow the pathway that is right for them. This is an opportunity to work with government departments and a wide range of stakeholders to find innovative solutions to pressing challenges faced by children and young people.

These roles will be particularly suited to people with a background in education, social mobility and equality.

To find out more and apply, please visit Innovation Lead - Opportunities (R&D MAP)

• Innovation Lead – Safer Streets
  
  

The Safer Streets Mission is tackling some of the most difficult, enduring and systemic problems in our society. The ambition is to reduce serious harm and increase public confidence in policing and in the criminal justice system, with a challenging target of halving both knife crime and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) within a decade. You will work across multiple government departments and a wide range of stakeholders, seeking solutions which are truly innovative and world leading whilst juggling the need for outcomes to be affordable, scalable and trusted by the public. You will play a key role in building and evaluating local neighbourhood partnerships to deliver well targeted, evidence based and innovative prevention and intervention programmes.

You will combine a range of approaches including innovation in technology and data capability, behavioural science focused on prevention and interventions and capability building. You will actively drive collaborative working and investment from industry and key partners.

To find out more and apply, please visit Innovation Lead – Safer Streets (R&D MAP)

• Innovation Lead – Clean Energy

The Clean Energy Mission is the UK’s response to climate change, with its twin focus on Clean Power by 2030 and Accelerating to Net Zero. You will be leading a team of energy and innovation experts looking at how innovation can rapidly accelerate levels of consumer-led flexibility and develop new ultra long duration energy storage technologies. These areas are critical to creating the affordable, resilient and energy secure system which will power our future economy. You will drive bold innovation, forge new partnerships and shape groundbreaking programmes that deliver innovation alongside major policy and market reform.

A background in energy and/or climate, ideally with an innovation angle, technical and commercial skills are all strongly desirable for the Clean Energy mission.

To find out more and apply, please visit Innovation Lead – Clean Energy (R&D MAP)

Main Outputs and Activities

• Lead the development and implementation of R&D MAP challenge strategies and funding to enable industry to develop and commercialise new products, processes, business models and services.
• Build and manage relationships with businesses, trade associations, Catapults, government departments and agencies, private investors, regulatory bodies, and research organisations.
• Work with funding partners and industry groups to ensure alignment of activities to maximise impact on relevant sectors.
• Ensuring that resources are targeted at the companies and technology areas that are most likely to create impact.
• Support communications and engagement activities, representing R&D MAP at leading industry events, raising awareness of the innovation opportunities that exist.
• Support international activities to ensure that UK activity is set in an international context.

This is not an exhaustive list, and the post-holder might be expected to undertake any other duties, commensurate with the Band and level of responsibility of this post.

Person specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential:

• Degree in a relevant subject to the Opportunities Mission, or equivalent experience. (S)
• Strong commercial acumen, ideally with commercial experience, particularly in the start-up and innovation space. (S&I)
• Specific experience in one or more aspects of policy translation and commercialisation of research and innovation across different sectors, such as technology assessment, product development, regulation and commercialisation routes for new partnerships. (S&I)
• Proven ability to deliver major and complex programmes to time, cost and required quality. (S&I)
• Strong experience in managing relationships with various internal and external stakeholders, including across the third and private sector. (S&I)
• Demonstrative ability to facilitate cooperation/partnership working, and to work across boundaries. (S&I)
• Experience tracking impacts and managing a portfolio of activities or investments. (S&I)

Please note that some of the roles have additional criteria relating to the role, these can be found on their individual listing on the UKRI Careers Page.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,589, UK Research and Innovation contributes £16,973 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.
  

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:
Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact Recruitment@ukri.org

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : UKRI Recruitment Team
• Email : Recruitment@ukri.org

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@ukri.org