Rodeo
Get started

Innovate UK

Delivery Operations Lead - Business Growth (Maternity Cover)

Swindon
£58.6k/yr
Posted about 16 hours ago
Sign up to applySee more jobs like this
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever

How your CV stacks up

1Upload CV
2Analyse CV
3Improve CV

Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role

?%

Delivery Operations Lead – Business Growth (Maternity Cover)

Overview

Innovate UK has the following secondment opportunity available for employees of Innovate UK Business Connect. This role is part of the senior team within the Innovate UK Business Growth Team, reporting to the Head of Operations & Impact and overseeing the operational delivery and fit with the wider Innovate UK group and responsible for mobilising our data as a strategic asset.

Application Deadline

Applications must be submitted by 14-10-2026.

Job Details

Title

Delivery Operations Lead – Business Growth (Maternity Cover)

Band

UKRI Band F (UKRI Ts & Cs)

Salary

£58,589 gross per annum

Reports to

Head of Operations & Impact – Business Growth

Location

UKRI sites: Swindon, London, Harwell, Daresbury, Keyworth, Cambridge, Edinburgh

Contract

Fixed Term (Extended maternity cover, 18 months c. asap – Feb 2028)

Job Context

The role holder will operate within the Innovate UK Business Growth Team, which sits within the Director of Business Growth & Global’s team.

Innovate UK Business Growth is a key part of the UK innovation agency’s investment in the innovative businesses that drive economic growth. Innovate UK is being reshaped to provide an integrated, end-to-end offer built around the needs of each business, not a one-size-fits-all intervention.

Innovate UK Business Growth is remaining part of the offer, engaging in the development of Velocity and continuing to provide expert growth support, mentoring, strategic advice, and hands-on guidance from people who understand the technology and the market.

Job Purpose

The ‘Delivery Operations Lead - Business Growth (Maternity Cover)’ post will form part of the senior team within the Innovate UK Business Growth Team, reporting to the Head of Operations & Impact; overseeing the operational delivery and fit with the wider Innovate UK group and responsible for mobilising our data as a strategic asset. The postholder will work closely with the other Delivery Operations Lead, other parts of the Business Growth team, and a range of internal Innovate UK & UKRI stakeholders (e.g. domain teams, operations, IUK IT, governance, compliance, legal) to ensure relevant interfaces and interdependencies are managed effectively.

In addition, the role will oversee the development of the Innovate UK Business Growth CRM and its integration with other data/survey tools (e.g. Survey MonkeyÔ, GROWTHmapperÔ, Beauhurst); data collection, management, and quality assurance, including the provision of guidance and training; the development of reporting processes, dashboards, and outputs that demonstrate our impact; the handling and consistent response to data requests; management of our current external evaluation; the smooth operation and improvement of Innovate UK beneficiary triage process through which Innovate UK award holders are offered business growth support; and handling of complaints, and working with Innovate UK Business Growth consortium partners, domains teams and the Innovate UK and UKRI complaints teams.

The role will also work closely with the Business Growth Team’s Innovation Leads and Service Design Leads to ensure delivery of the Business Growth service is accurately captured by the data collected and the impact of the Innovate UK Business Growth portfolio is captured, communicated, and reported to key stakeholders, both internally and externally. The ‘Delivery Operations Lead - Business Growth (Maternity Cover)’ will also support the Deputy Director - Business Growth in harnessing our data as a strategic asset.

Reasons to use Rodeo

I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?

Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.

Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.

Start with a chat, not a search bar

Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.

P

Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme

PwC·London, UK
£35,000/yr

Why you're a good match

Strong

Your economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.

See breakdown
Save jobNot relevant
View details

It searches the market for you

Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.

Why you're a good match

You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.

See breakdown
Strong

Experience fit

Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.

See breakdown
Strong

Only hits

No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.

The role holder is currently responsible for managing three direct reports. A key part of the role is therefore the effective line management of the team, which consists of two Impact and Performance Managers and a Senior Data Analyst.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

  • Day-to-day portfolio management of the Business Growth service, working closely with the wider Business Growth team for adviser CRM/data capability development, data management, and impact measurement and reporting.
  • Management and development of our CRM, its data, and the generation of accurate, relevant, and timely reporting to enable progress to be tracked centrally, including the provision of concise commentary targeted to meet EMT and external stakeholder needs.
  • Oversee the embedding of monitoring, evaluation, and impact/benefits realisation for Innovate UK’s Business Growth Support.
  • Hold the Business Growth team’s relationship with IUK IT, including engaging with and representing Business Growth requirements on the Janus and Single Customer View projects.
  • Support the development of Velocity as required, including providing an account and data management perspective.
  • Line management responsibility for our Impact and Performance Managers and Senior Data Analyst, supporting their development and developing a high-performing team and with other members of the senior team sharing best practice and mentoring other members of the wider Business Growth team.
  • Stakeholder management across a complex and diverse partner and stakeholder network, including regular, appropriate, and timely communications, including effective management of relationships with internal and external suppliers, including co-chairing our consortium Data Excellence Community of Practice.
  • Delivery of process improvements and resource efficiencies as needed.
  • Support the other Delivery Operations Lead to develop and implement programme governance and effective coordination of all the partners within the wider offer and interfacing with the Consortium, Operations, and Advisory Board as directed.
  • Ad-hoc delivery of senior-level project work as directed by the Head of Operations and Impact and/or Business Growth Deputy Director.
  • Represent the Head of Operations and Impact and Business Growth Deputy Director as required at events and meetings, acting as a delegate during periods of absence as required.

Shortlisting Criteria

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting (I) – Assessed at interview (S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Person Specification

This effective and proactive individual will be an exceptional and experienced programme manager, used to working without close direction, provide effective line management, and able to manage multiple streams of work, with multiple teams.

The post-holder will be capable of identifying the right approach to the challenge in hand and translating that approach into effective delivery.

Able to develop and maintain effective working relationships with senior people across the breath of UKRI, the innovation ecosystem, and relevant government departments as well as with non-governmental stakeholders.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential –

  • Educated to undergraduate degree level or equivalent professional experience, line management experience, and with experience in a management function/role within a business support, innovation, economic development, or similar environment. (S)
  • Experience of working in and developing complex networks with multiple stakeholders, building productive relationships and influencing senior stakeholders across multiple organisations where priorities and objectives may conflict, using strong communication (written and verbal), negotiation, and presentation skills. (S&I)
  • Considerable experience of managing programmes and delivering a broad range of benefits, across the Public and Private sectors and the ability to translate strategic objectives into operational delivery plans with high attention to detail. (S&I)
  • Experience of developing and motivating a high-performing team across multiple locations to maintain a collaborative culture and efficiently deliver results through others. (S&I)
  • Experience of developing and implementing new processes, business critical changes, and organisational change in live operational environments, demonstrating resilience, adaptability, analytical thinking, and a commitment to continuous improvement. (S&I)
  • Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capability, including the ability to interpret complex information, identify key points and issues, and develop creative, practical solutions. (I)
  • Demonstrable digital and data literacy, including the use of management information, data governance principles, and maintaining data integrity within operational systems. (S&I)
  • Self-awareness, self-motivation, and good personal resilience as well as a high level of professionalism, discretion, and tact. A robust and flexible approach with the ability to thrive in an agile/changing environment taking the initiative where required, but equally able to take instruction and deliver results against a brief and to tight deadlines and a demonstrable ability to manage and prioritise workload across multiple work streams. (I)
  • Understanding UK government structure, its constituent agencies and brands, as well as the Devolved Nations and key UKRI partner organisations and how these interact to support business growth and innovation. (S&I)

Get help with your application

Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.

Get help applying for this job

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 the interview stage, in addition to the criteria listed in the person specification.

Travel Requirements

There will be 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.

Immigration Straplines

We do sponsor - Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org or Careers@ukri.org.

We do not sponsor - As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker

Trusted by 25,000+ job seekers

“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

Jessica, London

Get help applying for this job

Location

Swindon, England, United Kingdom

Sign up to applySee more jobs like this