AMS PSR

On behalf of Innovate UK, we are looking for an Interim Managing Director - (Inside IR35) for a 6-month contract based REMOTELY and regular travel (including office attendance in Swindon, London, and other UK locations)

About UKRI

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is the UK’s largest public funder of research and innovation, bringing together the UK’s seven research councils, Innovate UK and Research England. We work with partners across government, academia, business and charities to create the best possible environment for the UK to thrive through research and innovation.

About Innovate UK

The UK has one of the strongest research bases in the world. But we do not have as many globally scaled companies as that strength should produce. Why? What is stopping our big ideas from becoming big businesses?

The UK excels at making discoveries, generating intellectual property (IP), spinning out and starting up. Yet when it comes to scaling, too many innovative businesses fail, stall or move overseas. Innovation is in our blood. We must focus on industrialising that innovation, because fast growing businesses are built on innovation and are what drive real economic value.

That is the gap Innovate UK exists to close.

Our vision is a UK where breakthrough ideas, from research, from labs, from anywhere in this country, can become industry leaders. Industry giants. Where those with potential realise the potential. We are here to back the UK’s most promising innovators: to give them the support, validation, connections and capital pathways that, together with others, help them to start, scale and stay in the UK.

The world is becoming more uncertain and more competitive. But it is also filled with opportunities. The UK must seize the opportunities of the transformational technologies coming through today, not only using them, but creating and shaping them. Innovation, done right, can be the UK’s real strength.

That is what we are here to deliver.

This is the start of the next chapter for Innovate UK.

We are recalibrating. Read our latest strategy here:

https://www.ukri.org/publications/turning-breakthrough-ideas-into-the-uks-next-industry-giants/innovate-uk-turning-breakthrough-ideas-into-industry-giants/

The Role

Innovate UK is seeking an experienced and credible Interim Managing Director – Innovate UK to provide strong executive leadership during a critical period.

The Interim Managing Director will work closely with the Innovate UK Executive Chair, senior leaders in Innovate UK and across UKRI and senior stakeholders to ensure the effective delivery of Innovate UK’s mission, providing confidence, stability and clear leadership while the organisation goes through significant change

This role requires a leader with the expertise to operate at senior level within a complex organisation, with a strong delivery focus, and the ability to work effectively across government, industry and the wider innovation ecosystem.

As a Interim Managing Director - (Inside IR35), your main responsibilities will be:

• Accountable for the successful delivery of Innovate UK’s multi billion pound innovation portfolio, spanning key priority sectors including:
• Artificial Intelligence and digital technologies
• Clean energy and net zero
• Life sciences
• Advanced manufacturing
• Creative industries
• Defence
• Accountable for the Innovation lending portfolio, ensuring robust governance, stewardship of public funds and strong impact for UK businesses.
• Providing visible, authoritative leadership across Innovate UK, ensuring coherence, pace and clarity in delivery.
• Acting as a senior point of assurance and engagement for UKRI, government departments and other key stakeholders.
• Leading, aligning and supporting the senior leadership team to deliver against Innovate UK’s strategic objectives.
• Representing Innovate UK with credibility across the innovation, investor and policy landscape in the UK and internationally.

Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will bring:

• Proven experience operating at Managing Director / Executive Director level in a complex, high profile organisation.
• A strong track record of leading large scale portfolios, programmes or investment activity.
• Experience working with or within government, arm’s length bodies, or similarly regulated environments.
• High credibility with senior stakeholders, including boards, ministers, officials and industry leaders.
• The ability to operate effectively in a fast moving, ambiguous environment and deliver impact at pace.

Personal Attributes

• Confident, purposeful and calm under pressure.
• Delivery focused, pragmatic and outcomes oriented.
• Highly credible communicator, able to build trust quickly with senior and diverse stakeholders.
• Values led leader with a strong sense of public purpose.

This interim appointment offers a rare opportunity to lead Innovate UK at a pivotal moment, shaping the delivery of one of the UK’s most important innovation portfolios and helping to turn breakthrough ideas into globally significant businesses.

Essential:

• Proven people leadership experience,
• Demonstrated experience within a strategic leadership and organisational role
• Strong track record of setting, owning and delivering against strategic objectives and measurable outcomes.
• Highly personable and credible leader, capable of building trust, confidence and engagement across all levels of the organisation.
• Extensive stakeholder engagement experience
• Demonstrable experience of leading and governing large scale programmes
• Strongly results oriented and goal driven

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident 

As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, Innovate UK guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

DE&I Commitment

Innovate UKguarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant / commitment

Innovate UK guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".