Innovate UK has the following secondment opportunity available for employees of Innovate UK Business Connect: Applications must be submitted by 22-10-2024 Vacancy for Horizon Europe National Contact Point for Climate and Global Innovation Lead Be a lead in Horizon Europe on exciting topic areas such as future cities, batteries and climate resilience Please note this advert will close on the 21st October 2024 at 23.59pm. Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here. Title: Horizon Europe UK National Contact Point for Climate and Global Innovation Lead Band: UKRI Band F (UKRI Ts & Cs) Salary: £54,043 gross per annum Reports to: Head of Urban Systems Location: Field based Contract: Permanent Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements. Context: The role holder will operate within the Innovate UK Urban Systems team, reporting directly to the Head of Urban Systems as well as regular working into the global team through the National Contact Point network. The Urban Systems team is part of our Net zero domain and sits within the systems domain theme. The vision of our net zero domain is for the UK to prosper from being the fastest transitioning economy to net zero. We are working with businesses, supply chains, places, investors, and the research base to build a greener future and unlock the £multi-trillion investment opportunity for net zero products and services. Our focus in the systems domain theme is to accelerate demand for net zero solutions, address the barriers to scaling those solutions, and create better products that people and places will need and want. We deliver through innovation programmes in our four core areas of heat and power, make and use, mobility and systems. We invest in high potential innovation projects that focus on areas of UK innovation excellence and strong global opportunity. We enable industry to develop products and services for a clean and resilient future to accelerate UK business growth and deliver economic and social benefit to the UK. We aim to help the UK become a global leader in transitioning to a Net-zero economy by building a coherent, supportive environment enabling people and businesses to innovate. We work with organisations across government, academia and business, both nationally and internationally, including funding the Connected Places, Energy Systems, and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapults. National Contact Points (NCPs) work to increase and promote successful UK engagement and participation in Horizon Europe programme, including answering queries, supporting partner and funding identification, and support throughout the application and assessment process. There are 20 NCPs in the UK, who sit across UKRI, the Research Councils, and Innovate UK. 14 of the 20 UK NCPs sit within Innovate UK, positioned throughout the relevant domain or global teams. The network of NCPs is the main structure through which Member States and countries associated to the Horizon Europe programme influence priorities and provide essential guidance, practical information and assistance on all aspects of participation in Horizon Europe. The objective being to increase UK engagement and success in the programme. Job Purpose: The purpose of this role is to influence and support UK businesses and the research community in securing partnerships and funding through European and global programmes, particular through Horizon Europe and our global team innovation programmes. The focus for this role will be around climate related and international place-based areas such as mission cities, batteries, and climate resilience. There will be strong links to other teams e.g. the global team within the organization and across UKRI through this broad technical role. An NCP is a European Commission-recognised technical expert with privileged access to Commission officials. This is achieved by helping ensure future calls for proposals are informed by UK interests and priorities, proactively identifying key UK organisations that could benefit from engagement in the programme, and by enabling UK entities to navigate and identify the most suitable opportunities and partners to take forward their research and innovation priorities. As an NCP, the role holder will be responsible for supporting and dealing with cross-cutting activities across the whole Horizon Europe NCP portfolio. You will support applicants to Horizon Europe to identify and maximise opportunities as well as resolve cross-cutting queries on the EU’s Horizon Europe programme. The role holder will be the UK’s focal point for the Climate opportunities within the EU’s Horizon Europe programme as the Horizon Europe UK National Contact Point (NCP) for Climate. The Climate programme sits within the Energy and Mobility Cluster and brings together elements such as The Cities Missions, European Battery Value Chain, Citizen Science and Engagement, and Ecosystem Modelling and Restoration. Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Continue to support UK participatipion in European Programmes by helping UK entities understand and navigate the matrix of opportunities across the domestic and international landscape, being the subject matter expert for the UK on European programmes in the climate area. Work with the global team and innovation teams to establish and deliver globally significant innovation activities Influence and shape future priorities for the climate aspects of the Horizon Europe programme, through engaging with relevant European Commission officials, UK Government and other delegates to the Programme Committee as the nominated UK representative attending meetings online, in Brussels, and elsewhere as necessary Develop a strong understanding of UK capabilities and their requirements of international partners with a view to identifying the most relevant partners Work to develop a strategy for the area, and focus their efforts on the highest potential opportunities that delivers optimum results for the UK R&I community through proactive outreach to stakeholders looking to benefit from the opportunity of European and global programmes Build strong relationships with relevant bodies and networks such as businesses, research organisations, trade associations, government departments (e.g. DESNZ, DEFRA) and agencies/local authorities, private investors, and regulatory bodies Support relevant programmes beyond those run by the EU, drawing on corporate resources such as Innovate UK Business Connect, Catapults and our Business Connect and Growth services Support impact analysis of UK participation and outputs of engagement with climate focused programmes This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to undertake any other duties across the wider domain area, 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: Degree or post-graduate qualification in relevant science, engineering or related discipline, or equivalent experience Experience: Essential – Knowledge of European Framework programmes e.g. as participant, adviser, or National Contact Point Stakeholder management experience, including working with senior level individuals managing conflicting demands and priorities Knowledge and experience of innovation in a commercial environment and a good broad understanding of the support businesses need to develop and deploy new technology Communication and presenting experience, including online Working within a cross-functional team requiring time and resource management Desirable – Up-to-date and broad-based knowledge of innovation in climate themed applications Appreciation of the wider innovation landscape in the UK, including the key businesses and initiatives relevant to climate themed programmes Familiarity with the wider research environment, both in the UK and globally Skills: The ability to respond calmly under pressure and to make impartial and well-considered judgments in complex situations, when required The capability and gravitas to engage effectively with senior representatives from business, UK and other Governments, and the EU. Excellent presentation skills with the ability to hold an audience large or small in your specialist role Strong written report writing and oral communication skills in developing papers/reports for Innovate UK and others Highly developed team working skills, able to form effective working relationships both internally and externally Self-starter, able to work unsupervised and on own initiative with the ability to prioritise and multitask Excellent interpersonal skills, including tact, discretion and experience of liaising with senior stakeholders and staff High competency of ICT skills/ IT systems and applications including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access Competencies: All team members demonstrate compatibility with and capability against our Core Competencies such as: 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 national, but this role also will have a travel requirement for EU and global travel. Innovate UK staff make extensive use of telepresence tools for meetings to minimise unnecessary travel. In general, teams meet once every month in one of our UKRI sites (usually London and sometimes Swindon) or at other venues in our innovation ecosystem. You may have four to six nights away from home per month on average to attend conferences and events. 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; 22-10-2024