NERC - Programme Director for Clean Energy and Growth

Job summary

ProgrammeDirector for Clean Energy and Growth

BASE LOCATION: Swindon with travel to other locations

SALARY: £94,931 – £117,800

CONTRACT TYPE: Open Ended (Permanent)

HOURS: Full or Part Time(Min 0.8 FTE)

CLOSING DATE: 29 March 2026

(We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications)

ABOUT UKRI

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests £8bn a year in research and innovation as an independent public body. It brings together nine partners—the seven Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England—to maintain the UK’s global leadership in research and innovation. UKRI also gives the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology strategic advice on how funding should be balanced across research disciplines.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Programme Director, Clean Energy and Growth, your systems perspective will shape UKRI’s role in delivering the Government’s Clean Energy Sector Plan and wider net zero ambitions. You will provide clear, authoritative insight into a complex and competitive field, enabling informed research and innovation investments that attract industry leverage and maximise economic and societal benefit.

Reporting to the Senior Responsible Owner, you will provide strategic leadership across UKRI to ensure coherent, high impact investments aligned with national priorities; work closely with other Programme Directors across Industrial Strategy sectors to shape crosscutting initiatives where environmental and engineering sciences intersect with digital technologies, advanced manufacturing, financial services and national security; and build trusted relationships across government, academia and industry, navigating diverse perspectives to deliver authoritative, evidence based decisions.

Job description

ABOUT YOU

You are an accomplished senior leader with credibility across research, innovation and the public sector, bringing substantial experience delivering major multidisciplinary programmes with clear accountability at Programme Director level.

You are confident shaping programme strategy and securing approval from senior governance, with a strong record of designing delivery approaches for complex, interdependent, system‑wide programmes.

You have hands on programme management experience, covering delivery model design, risk management, benefits realisation and governance, ensuring objectives, outputs and outcomes are achieved to time and cost.

You excel at building relationships and working collaboratively with senior stakeholders across academia, government and industry, navigating conflicting views and securing inclusive, effective partnerships.

You have a proven record of leading high performing teams, including matrixed and cross organisational groups, with an inclusive, transparent leadership style that unites colleagues around shared purpose and delivers robust outcomes at pace and scale.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead development and delivery of the Clean Energy and Growth Programme strategy with the SRO.
• Establish the Programme operating model and governance, including risk and benefits management.
• Be accountable for delivering agreed scope, outcomes and benefits.
• Lead external engagement and build partnerships across government, experts and industry in the net‑zero R&I landscape.
• Manage the £202m budget for 26/27–29/30, ensuring full compliance with UKRI processes.
• Maintain effective relationships with UKRI Councils, Executive Committee and Board.
• Broker collaboration across UKRI and external partners to strengthen the UK environmental science and engineering ecosystem and accelerate societal and economic impact.

Person specification

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

• Extensive leadership of large, multifaceted and cross organisational programmes, with a strong track record of driving coherence, alignment and impact.
• High credibility in the R&I community, supported by a PhD or equivalent experience and recognised expertise that secures senior stakeholder confidence.
• Strategic thinker able to turn long-term net zero priorities into rapid, systemwide plans that deliver measurable national outcomes.
• Proven ability to design and run effective governance, assurance and performance frameworks, including evaluation, risk management and stewardship of major public budgets.
• Strong senior level stakeholder networks and influence across complex environments, including government and industry.
• Deep understanding of the environmental and engineering innovation pipeline, from scientific and technological challenges to commercialisation and real-world impact

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £94,931, UK Research and Innovation contributes £27,501 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

INCENTIVES

UKRI can offer the successful candidate:

- Flexible Working

- 30 days annual leave + Public Holidays

- Access to Civil Service Pension Scheme

- Various everyday discounts through our dedicated provider

Visit our dedicated benefits webpage for more info:

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

Please click the link on this page or visit UKRI Jobs to see the full job description

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).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

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Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : seniorrecruitment@ukri.org
• Email : seniorrecruitment@ukri.org

Recruitment team

• Email : seniorrecruitment@ukri.org