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Role details

UK Research & Innovation Chief Executive Officer

Application deadline 2 April 2024

Summary

• Organisation: UK Research and Innovation
• Sponsor department: Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Professional, Scientific and Technical
• Skills: Business, Commercial, Technology / Digital, Major Projects
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 5 day(s) per week
• Length of term: 3-4 years
• Application deadline: Midday on 2 April 2024

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   20 February 2024

2. Application deadline

   Midday on 2 April 2024

3. Sifting date

   3 May 2024

4. Interviews expected to end on

   31 May 2024

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the role

Role description

During your tenure as Chief Executive Officer, you will ensure:

• UKRI remains an agile and responsive funder, with a calibrated portfolio of investments to meet current and future global research challenges;
• Successful delivery of UKRI’s organisational transformation programmes and that UKRI is equipped to deliver the government’s science and innovation objectives;
• Locations across the UK have flourished through local R&D collaborations, and regional clusters of expertise are nurtured;
• The UK’s pipeline for R&D talent remains strong, within an exceptionally competitive global marketplace;
• Effective, long-term relationships are built with industry and private sector R&D investors to ensure that UKRI’s investments both deliver economic benefit and enhance UK productivity; and,
• The continued confidence of the people and organisations that undertake and invest in research and innovation.

Role Responsibilities

• As Accounting Officer for UKRI you will be responsible to Parliament for ensuring that a budget of £9bn per annum of public funds is spent in line with Government priorities, achieving value for money and managing the associated risks.
• Lead and manage an expert, innovative and evidence based UKRI in successful pursuit of its objectives, providing the outstanding leadership, drive and vision necessary to deliver the high quality of outputs across the portfolio in support of Government objectives in relation to the UK as a global Science and Technology Superpower.
• Develop deep and broad relationships with key decision-takers, nationally and internationally, in R&D-intensive businesses and the venture capital community, using every opportunity to attract and grow private sector innovation in the UK, contributing to Government ambitions for rapid productivity growth.
• Continue to develop, enhance and grow UKRI’s relationship with the academic community across universities, institutes and charities.
• Set the strategic direction for all pan-UKRI services across UKRI, taking an executive role in managing these, and where necessary, implementing swift and effective change throughout the organisation.
• Develop and lead an exceptional executive team and work with the DSIT Secretary of State to identify and recruit high quality candidates for the UKRI Executive Chairs. Support these individuals whilst holding to account for their own delivery.
• Provide strategic oversight of capital and asset management for UKRI including its significant investments into science and technology infrastructure. In doing so, leverage expertise across all of UKRI to achieve synergies from acting as a single organisation.
• Promote a collective, sophisticated understanding of the research and innovation landscape through development and maintenance of enhanced analytical capability and research data management systems. This should be coupled to new, open and innovative approaches to funding research and innovation.
• Work with the UKRI Chair and Board to advise the Secretary of State and Ministers on the case for investment in research and innovation at key decision points including spending reviews and funding allocations to priority areas and ringfences.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• An inspirational leader who can energise and empower staff and senior leaders, with a track record of leading one or more large and complex organisations through corporate change, implementing a sustainable culture of continuous improvement.
• The ability to operate effectively in a government environment, forging relationships, influencing stakeholders, being comfortable in working through ambiguity and making credible, persuasive evidence-based arguments with ministers and other stakeholders.
• A strong communicator able to inspire UKRI staff and build credibility and respect with academic, business and government communities with empathy, confidence and resilience.
• The ability to deliver transformation of UKRI as an organisation and support an internationally regarded science and innovation ecosystem.
• The ability to understand and balance overlapping, competing and sometimes ambiguous priorities and requirements to drive meaningful, practical progress on key research and innovation agendas.
• Prior experience of operating at Board Level or its equivalent.

Application and selection process

How to apply

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to UKRI on this appointment.

Candidates should apply for this role through our website at www.saxbam.com/jobs using code AAYIO.

Click on the ‘apply’ button and follow the instructions to upload a CV and cover letter and complete the application and equal opportunities monitoring* form.

The closing date for applications is midday on 2 April 2024.

The equal opportunities monitoring online form will not be shared with anyone involved in assessing your application. Please complete as part of the application process.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

TBC

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria', we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert. When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact publicappointments@ukri.gov.uk in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

Contact details

For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference AAYIO.