Innovate UK has the following secondment opportunity available for employees of Innovate UK Business Connect: Applications must be submitted by Title: Regional Manager – East of England Band: UKRI Band F Salary: £54,043 gross per annum Reports to: Deputy Director – Place and Levelling Up Location: Field based Contract: Permanent Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency. We live to drive economic growth by: · Inspiring innovators with a shared vision of the future economy · Involving diverse talents, companies, investors and local/national stakeholders in innovation through our programmes and campaigns · Investing resources, including R&D grants, loans and advice on skills, fundraising and scaling-up We are passionate about our commitment to making equality, diversity and inclusion a key part of everything we do, to ensure our organisation reflects our users and that in our workplace, everyone has a voice, and everyone can develop their potential. Context: Innovation has the power to create a future of prosperity, good health, respect for our planet and environment – and a future of fairness, diversity, and equality. This role will help to ensure that the East of England region realises those benefits, by driving business impact through innovation. This is a vital role for Innovate UK that will keep us connected to stakeholders across the region, finding opportunities to work together, increasing the impact of our wide innovation offer, and ensuring we are working in harmony with local programmes and goals. With greater emphasis on devolution, city deals, and local economic growth, we are seeking more positive alignment between UK and local innovation strategies, and to explore opportunities for co-development and co-investment in innovation programmes. Job Purpose: The key purpose of the role is to act as Innovate UK’s senior ambassador to the East of England. Leading on local stakeholder management and working with the region’s leadership to deliver a more coherent local-to-national innovation strategy. A key priority for this role will be to lead the implementation of the New Anglia Local Action Plan. Also working across the wider region to ensure other parts are connected strategically to our support. The individual will also contribute to delivery of the Launchpad Programme. The role will require very senior level engagement with senior officials, local authorities, and their agencies, including with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and its Business Board, the Norfolk & Suffolk Innovation Board, Hertfordshire Futures, the Essex Innovation Leaders Forum, and others. The job holder will also work to raise the profile and awareness of Innovate UK in the region more widely, and to improve the take-up of our programmes by those businesses who can gain the most benefit from working with us. This will require leading and convening our support across the whole Innovate UK system of IUK Business Connect, IUK Business Growth, and our Catapults. You will feel comfortable working at all levels within government, across the public and private sector, and have an excellent knowledge and experience of business-led innovation and the innovation landscape in the region. The post-holder will be based in or near the region and will work closely with the managers who cover the other English Regions, and their counterparts in the Devolved nations, to ensure a coherent and joined up approach at a UK-wide level. You will be part of an exciting team, making an important contribution to Innovate UK’s Strategic Delivery Plan and local economic growth. The role is flexible and highly mobile and will cover and engage with stakeholders throughout the region. Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements. We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role. Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Work with key partners within the region to drive business impact through Innovate UK programmes and initiatives, and increase local business awareness, engagement and take-up. Further develop, implement and refine our strategic plan and stakeholder map for working with stakeholders across the region, influencing innovation policy and identifying opportunities for collaboration and co-funding. Support and lead the delivery of the New Anglia Local Action Plan. Build strategic relationships with senior public and private sector leaders and agencies within the region and ensure that Innovate UK’s strategic priorities are recognised and reflected in local strategies and activities. Represent Innovate UK in senior level meetings and events in the region and ensure effective connections between regional senior officials and the Innovate UK Senior Leadership Team. To lead local elements of delivery of the Innovate UK Launchpad for Eastern England in collaboration with local leadership partners. Build effective links and lead connections with the wider Innovate UK system within the region (Innovate UK Business Growth, Innovate UK Business Connect, and Catapults) to help drive greater innovation impact. Identify / generate opportunities for strategic & tactical engagement by the Innovate UK CEO, Directors and other senior Innovate UK staff. Act as a focal point of information and expertise within Innovate UK on all matters relating to the region and help ensure that the needs and regional opportunities are taken into account in Innovate UK strategies and delivery. Collaborate with the wider team of Innovate UK Regional Managers, to develop and implement relevant UK and local policies and approaches. Manage ad-hoc project work as directed by the Line Manager This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to undertake any other duties across the wider directorate, commensurate with the Band and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the key experience and/or training. Person Specification: Qualifications: The candidate will be educated to degree level or have an equivalent vocational qualification. Experience: Essential Ability to initiate and build relationships, and communicate impactfully with people at all levels in both the public and private sector Sound understanding of the innovation process, barriers, drivers and opportunities Good understanding of the UK’s innovation and business support system, the current strategic environment and context and the role of key private and public sector players Excellent understanding of Innovate UK, how it is structured and operates, what it does and delivers and how its programmes and networks support business Knowledge and understanding of the region and its principal political and economic drivers and related issues Desirable Experience of working in, or closely with, a regional innovation system Existing contacts within the region Technical expertise relevant to the region’s innovation strengths (but not essential) Skills: Ability to manage often conflicting demands of multiple stakeholders whilst protecting the integrity and ownership of our relationships in the region The ability to respond calmly under pressure and to make impartial and well-considered judgments in complex situations as and when required Proven team working skills Analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to quickly understand new and complex issues and to apply solutions Good presentation skills and an engaging manner Self-organisation skills and a demonstrable ability to manage and prioritise a workload in order to meet tight deadlines Strong communication (both written and oral) skills, and the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate presentations and written documents Competencies: All team members demonstrate compatibility with and capability against our Core Competencies: Thinking and Problem Solving – Stakeholder management – Communication skills – Influencing – Self-awareness/Self-management – Strategic awareness – Working with others– Project management Travel Requirements: Field-based: There will a requirement to travel, mostly within the region and occasionally national, and there is some flexibility in this. It will also be important for the post-holder to keep in touch with and abreast of developments across the Innovate UK system, so there will be occasional visits to meetings/ events typically in London or at Innovate UK headquarters in Swindon. The post holder may have four to six nights away from home per month on average to attend conferences and events. Innovate UK staff make extensive use of telepresence tools for meetings to minimise unnecessary travel. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Innovate UK is a diverse workforce of people. We believe that encouraging these differences and drawing the best from them will build a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where talents are fully utilised and in which organisational goals are met. Underpinning this is a belief that it is a fundamental right for everyone to be treated equally, with fairness, respect and dignity. We will act directly and use our influence to ensure that this right is promoted and upheld; we encourage applications from all those who meet the criteria set-out in our role profiles. Equal Opportunities: We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to employing any person who meets the criteria for our roles. When undertaking recruitment we may require applicants to undertake certain tests or assessments, some of which will be online and others may be in-person. If you have a disability, heath condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia then you may be entitled to support with undertaking this type of assessment exercise. Where you feel that reasonable adjustments are required to support you, we ask that you advise your recruitment point of contact in a timely fashion, providing further information. In confidence, Innovate UK will then review your application for adjustments and provide support as required. UK Research and Innovation: Innovate UK is partner organisation within UK Research and Innovation. If successful in securing the position, your employer will be UK Research and Innovation. More information can be found online http://www.ukri.org/ Employee Benefits: We offer a benefits package crafted to provide an excellent work/life balance. This includes 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege days, flexible working hours, an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme, and access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes. Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Flexible Working: We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants. Pre-employment Screening: To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a comprehensive pre-employment check on successful applicants as part of the recruitment process. The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment. UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider how this aligns with your personal values or beliefs. To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as a crucial part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check. Applications must be submitted by;