Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to UKRI on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit www.saxbam.com/appointments using reference AAYIP. Alternatively telephone +44 (0)20 7227 0880 (during office hours). Applications should be received by noon on Monday 29th April.
Innovate UK Executive Chair
Application deadline 7 May 2024
Page contents:
Summary
- Organisation
- UK Research and Innovation
- Sponsor department
- Department for Science, Innovation & Technology
- Location
- Various
- Sectors
- Digital and Technology
- Skills
- Change Management, Technology / Digital, Transformation
- Number of vacancies
- 1
- Time commitment
- 5 day(s) per week
- Remuneration
- per annum
- Length of term
- 4 years
- Application deadline
- Midday on 7 May 2024
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Timeline for this appointment
-
Opening date
28 March 2024
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Application deadline
Midday on 7 May 2024
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Sifting date
12 May 2024
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Interviews expected to end on
31 May 2024
About the role
Introduction
This is an exciting moment for an inspirational leader to join Innovate UK and drive productivity and sustainable growth throughout the UK.
As the UK’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK has a central role in delivering growth through business-led innovation. If anyone is thinking of starting, growing or investing in an innovation or technology-centred business, we want them to do it in the UK because the UK offers the best possible place to make their vision happen.
As the Executive Chair – effectively the CEO - of Innovate UK you will draw on the UK’s globally recognised strengths in early-stage research; you will work with UKRI’s research councils, other public sector bodies, and businesses up and down the UK to unleash innovation and productivity across our economy and society. You will develop and deliver strategies for accelerating corporate R&D investment while scaling the UK’s most exciting and investable research and tech startups.
Introduction from the Secretary of State
Dear Candidate,
Just over a year ago, the Prime Minister created the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to help unleash the power of UK research and development and ensure that the UK cements its position as a Science and Technology Superpower, helping to grow our economy, create better jobs, and make bold discoveries which will enable us to live longer, healthier, happier lives.
Innovate UK is a vital part of DSIT’s ability to deliver on our Science Superpower ambition by taking forward the objectives we have set out in the UK Science and Technology Framework. Now a key part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency – working to support business-led innovation throughout the country and across all sectors.
As the Innovate UK Executive Chair, you will work with business and industry to support and bring forward pioneering new technologies and startups and maximise the unique talent in the UK research base. You will do this through managing and developing Innovate UK’s extensive portfolio of grants of loans and by promoting and nurturing networks across the research and innovation landscape. You will also play a central role as a senior leader and voice of enterprise and sensible risk taking within UKRI to ensure innovation is central to UKRI’s ways of working.
We encourage applications from outstanding leaders from a diverse range of sectors and backgrounds. I trust you will find the information enclosed in this job pack of interest, and we look forward to receiving your application.
Minister Andrew Griffith MP, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation
Role description
- Lead and manage Innovate UK and its staff in the successful delivery of its objectives, providing the inspirational and inclusive leadership and vision to maintain and develop the quality, outputs and impacts of its grants, loans and wider innovation support programmes;
- Be a core member of the UKRI Executive Team with a responsibility to deliver best value from the overall research and innovation funding and policy system and actively contribute to the development and implementation of UKRI’s strategy;
- Work collaboratively across UKRI’s Councils to foster interdisciplinary work, maximise innovation and build on collective capabilities, particularly in driving forward cross-UKRI commercialisation opportunities;
- Work in partnership across UKRI and with DSIT to develop Innovate UK’s strategic approach to innovation funding and delivery, joining up the innovation lifecycle and ensuring that the UK further enhances its position in championing business innovation;
- Set out a strategy and objectives for Innovate UK, focusing on transforming UK innovation and making the most of Government’s investment in business-led innovation across the UK;
- Deliver a high-quality service to the innovative businesses who access Innovate UK support, simplifying and streamlining that service offering to make it easier and faster for more businesses to access the help they need to innovate;
- Maintain close links with the business community, government, academia and international partners to develop and catalyse new ideas and communicate the strategic outputs; and
- Ensure that UKRI provides a strong, unified voice for science, research and innovation in the UK and globally, both in facilitating the dialogue with government and partners on the world stage
Organisation description
Innovate UK (IUK) is the UK’s innovation agency. Managing a funding programme of approximately £2.3bn per annum, IUK delivers products, services and money to the UK’s business community to help drive up innovation, accelerate productivity and seize global opportunities for UK Plc.
With a portfolio of investments up and down the country, and a keen eye for opportunities at the leading edge of technology, IUK helps key sectors such as manufacturing, biotech, agri-food and digital to seize the power of revolutionary research, and technologies such as AI, quantum and engineering biology.
IUK has an active network of 335,000 innovators and plans to grow this to one million during 2024. IUK supported 19,500 businesses last year, of which 8,000 were supported for the first time. In addition, IUK partnered with over 22 government departments/agencies, and operates a growing network of Catapult centres, across 50 locations up and down the UK, supporting over 5,000 SMEs. More information on IUK’s portfolio of activity is available here.
Innovate UK as a key part of UKRI
Innovate UK is an integral part of UKRI, the UK’s national funding body for scientific and technological research and development.
Capturing the full benefits of IUK’s leadership position on innovation within UKRI, you will have a platform to work in partnership with the UK’s world class research sector. This partnership is critical to ensuring that the UK’s considerable strength in generating early-stage research and innovation is captured, commercialised and anchored as economic and societal value for British businesses, investors and citizens. Making the most of HMG work on skills, scaleup and regulation, you will help deliver the UK’s goal to become a science and tech superpower by 2030.
The Government is committed to UKRI continuing to evolve, finding synergies and cross-cutting opportunities across the whole organisation. As well as being responsible for Innovate UK’s strategy and operations, you will have a critical role in leading commercialisation and business engagement across the wider scope of UKRI.
Regulation of appointment
Person specification
Essential criteria
- You are a respected senior executive of international standing with relevant experience of, and success in, leading significant business innovation, growth and transformation within technology, scientific or R&D-intensive industries.
- You possess an in-depth practical understanding of the business innovation landscape in the UK and overseas.
- You bring proven commercial acumen and financial management experience, with an in-depth understanding of investments, financial products and how to remove barriers to growth in young businesses.
- You have a proven ability to develop, lead and manage the delivery of strategies that deliver clear organisational outcomes and impact while prioritising value for money and return on investment.
- You have a thorough understanding of what it takes to move the dial on the live innovation discussions that are happening across the UK’s public and private sectors.
- You have experience of managing a large and complex organisation, inspiring and driving exceptional performance, building capability where needed, and inspiring and motivating people at all levels.
- You are a politically astute individual with excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, able to build working relationships with a wide range of partners.
- As a collaborative member of UKRI’s executive team, you are committed to delivering the Government’s overarching goals for UKRI as a more integrated and impactful organisation that integrates and unlocks the full potential of the UK’s world-leading research and innovation landscape.
Desirable criteria
- You will have operational experience in service delivery or equivalent evidence that demonstrates the capability to run Innovate UK effectively.
Application and selection process
Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.
The assessment process
Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.
An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.
At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.
Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.
The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.
Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.
Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.
Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.
- Panel Chair and DSIT Representative: Eleanor Taylor, Director, Science Research and Innovation, DSIT
- Representatives of Organisation: Nigel Toon, UKRI Board Member
- Senior Independent Panel Member: Charlotte Croswell, Chair of the Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT).
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)Additional information for candidates
- 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.
- 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;