Innovate UK has the following secondment opportunity available for employees of Innovate UK Business Connect: Applications must be submitted by 04-04-2025 Innovation Lead - Creative Industries As an Innovation Lead, the role holder will be responsible for leading Innovate UK’s activities in the Creative Industries. Please note this advert will close on the 3rd of April 2025 at 23:59pm. Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here. Title: Innovation Lead - Creative Industries Band: UKRI Band F (UKRI Ts & Cs) Salary: £56,745 gross per annum Reports to: Head of AI & Data Economy Programmes 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: This post is based within Innovate UK’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Economy (AIDE) team. AIDE team members work to identify, support and accelerate high growth-potential innovation in the UK, based on cutting-edge digital research, technology and approaches. The team works with innovators across a range of technology and end-use sectors including the Creative Industries. As well as engaging directly with innovators, the team works closely with innovation stakeholders in the public and private sectors including Government departments (BEIS and DCMS in particular), the Office for AI, trade and industry bodies and research groups. We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role. Job Purpose: As an Innovation Lead, the role holder will be responsible for leading Innovate UK’s activities in the Creative Industries. They will need to ensure that appropriate innovations can be developed and exploited by UK creative businesses to generate growth in response to industrial challenges and commercial opportunities. The Creative Industries as defined by DCMS include: Advertising, Architecture, Fashion, Film & TV, Music, Publishing, and Video Games. Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Contribute to the development and promotion of the Innovate UK strategy in the creative industries based on a good understanding of relevant creative sub-sectors, their business models, technologies and their wider innovation infrastructure. Lead on the implementation of the strategy to enable the UK creative industries to develop and commercialise new products, processes, business models and services. Build strong relationships with relevant bodies and networks such as businesses, trade associations, Catapults, government departments and agencies, private investors, regulatory bodies and research organisations. Ensure that UK activity is set in an international context and recognises regional strengths across the UK. Work with Innovate UK and UKRI colleagues and networks to ensure that decisions made in this area make sense in the context of the wider organisation, strategically and operationally. Represent Innovate UK and UKRI at events (such as conferences, meetings, workshops) and in the media as appropriate. Support colleagues with the AIDE directorate on key strategic activities. 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. Shortlisting criteria (S) – Assessed at shortlisting (I) – Assessed at interview (S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview Person Specification: This position requires a person with commercial awareness who can manage competing priorities in a complex stakeholder environment. The role holder will need to make sense of multiple data sources to establish underlying patterns and articulate a clear and compelling vision of what needs to be done. A good team player, willing to share knowledge on the creative industries with others and to learn from them. Able to self-start when needed. Experience & Qualifications: Essential – Degree or post-graduate qualification in a relevant discipline or relevant equivalent experience (s) Up-to-date experience of working with the creative industries (S&I) Direct experience of the innovation processes in the creative industries. (I) Practical experience of using artificial intelligence, as well as an understanding of its applications within the creative industries. (S&I) Understanding of other digital technologies (including, advanced connectivity, distributed ledger technologies, immersive, etc.), as well as their applications with the creative industries. (I) Knowledge and director experience of the commercial supply chains, including production, distribution and consumption, within one, or more, of the creative industries’ sub-sectors (I) Understanding of the impacts of external variables to the creative industries, including exiting the EU, coronavirus and climate change. (I) Appreciation of the wider industrial landscape in the UK. (S&I) Familiarity with the wider research environment. (S) Desirable – Post-Graduate qualification in the Creative Industries and/or digital technologies (S) At least 2 years’ experience of working in the creative industries (S) Experience of delivering an innovation funding programme for a specific sector, (S) Knowledge of design and developing business cases, logic models and/or theory of change (S&I) 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 Some of the above competencies will be assessed at interview stage, in addition to the criteria’s listed in the person specification. Travel Requirements: Field-based: There will a requirement to travel, mostly national, and there is some flexibility in this. 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; 04-04-2025