Innovate UK
Director of Activation- Strategy to Delivery
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Director of Activation- Strategy to Delivery
Vacancy: Director of Activation – Strategy to Delivery
Overview
This is the Internal Only Recruitment Site for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) staff to apply for roles within Innovate UK.
About the Role
Position Title
Director of Activation – Strategy to Delivery
Band & Terms
- Band: UKRI Band X (UKRI Terms & Conditions)
- Salary: £94,931 gross per annum
- Reports to: Executive Chair – Innovate UK
- Location: Field-based (primary base typically in Swindon)
- Contract: Fixed Term (15–18 months)
- Flexibility: UKRI encourages requests for flexible working arrangements
Closing Suggestion: applicants should advise their manager of their intent and submit CV + application letter by 12 July 2026 (23:59 on the prior day, UK time).
About Innovate UK
Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency, driving innovation through:
- Inspiring collaborative visions for the future
- Supporting diverse businesses, investors, and stakeholders
- Risk-sharing funding (via R&D grants, loans, and support)
- Scaling-up and commercialisation priorities
Innovate UK prioritises equality, diversity and inclusion, including accessible funding for social change, SMEs, and public value-driven projects.
pre-employment check applies, covering:
- Security vetting
- Extreme organisation affiliation checks
Job Purpose
The Director of Activation leads end-to-end change enablement for Innovate UK’s strategic transformation. Accountabilities:
- Align operational shifts with UK Research and Innovation’s “Shaping Our Future” Programme.
- Formulate org design, governance processes, cybersecurity, and leadership alignment.
- Deliver digitally enabled infrastructure for grants, portfolio management, and AI.
- Navigate risks at enterprise level across funding systems, data integrity, and reputational security.
- Partner with other UKRI groups and affiliated entities.
This is high-impact, disruption-shaping work with heavy responsibility for programme risks, financial accountability, and inter-departmental relationships.
Key Responsibilities
1. Enterprise Transformation Leadership
- Lead Innovate UK’s organisation-wide activation programme, integrating alignment across:
- People, processes, digital, governance, and stakeholder ecosystems
- Maintain accountability for realised outcomes and delivery assurance
- Cascaded a prioritised transformation portfolio across 3 functions:
- scoping, sequencing, and trimming organisational elements to protect strategic priorities
- Act as a confidant for quick enterprise-level choices
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2. Organisational Design & Operating Model
- Design a fit-for-purpose, scalable operating system
- Redesign core roles, priorities, and accountability matrices
- Improve sponsorship and leadership alignment through consultative planning
- Ensure transformational ownership within the Orchestrated Key Results model
3. Digital & AI-Enabled Delivery
- Partner with technology leadership to ensure data-application security
- Oversee discourse linked to company platforms (e.g., customer RFPs, grants management)
- Secure alignment with national cyber standards and data transcoding needs
4. Governance & Risk Management
- Advise Executive Leadership Board, Council, Business Assurance Panel
- Own enterprise risks:
- Orchestration performance, compliance, financial health, reputational integrity
- Monitor adherence to UK Research & Innovation governance policies and subsidy control standards
- Provide risk mitigation guidance to stakeholders
5. Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
- Caoncilliate outreach across UKRI councils, DSIT, trusted industry partners
- Serve as primary representation proxy for enterprise decisions
6. Leadership & Cultural Development
- Demonstrate civil servant leadership exemplar credentials
- Champion transparency, evidence-based craftsmanship, and sustainable improvement
- Act as CMMi-aligned HR sponsor for high-payoff decodes
Travel
- Swindon office attendance: waxings once weekly
- Field trips: cedar 4-6 nights/month ( companywide conference season may vary)
- Virtual meetings encourage keeping select travel occasions
Mill(__)
Critical Person Specifications
Competencies
Core competencies include
- thought leadership, PSST cross-roads development
- agile performance
- Organisational instinct, crossboard networking dos & don'ts
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Prove
Your Experience must Include:
- At least 10+ years in director-level change management
- Evidence of successfully realising cross-system transformation - people, processes, tech
- Proven ability to handle strategic ambiguity and complex decision architecture
Minimum skills:
✅ Handled multi-departmental operator nuclear R&D authored frameworks ✅ Navigated sustained digital transformation leveraging legacy systems ✅ Developed robust cross-functional stakeholder buy-in strategies
Competition
Compete in structured pre-assessment phases (shortlisting ➝ interview):
| Surplus | Toughness | Prioritisation | Allocation to Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise | Cancellation | Outlook | Judgements |
Supported D ≥I
Accessibility & Fairness Commitments
- Directly retain commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
- Incorporating legacy Academic Access Plan & completion Mandate
- Compliance with UKRI policy
Duty-to-consider employees family introductory stick: Perfect collaboration / art school employees teaching /partnered supporter support teams and Oscar North subjects like terminalways exact joypace?
Adjustments available for assessments/testing under the Equality Act: don't hesitate to disclose via our diversity lead (BRIATEQT)
Hence
✅ 30 days holiday + 10.5 concession days (public/relief) ✅ Pension with privileged defined-Benefit option ✅ Flex malumorCommerce ▪ Westminster senior business drawback programs ✅ Support Umbrella prevents social justice continue aims and diversity aspirations
Disclaimer: Security acquisition requisition entitlement
Final Notes
- Online info shared with similar roles recruiting within Innovate UK.
- Limited storage parking spaces at Swindon HQ ( Polaris House Boolean subscription basis )
- Interest in messaging? Provide Video in relation: link
Remaining questions/support Contact: Recruitment@ukri.org
All reflection of obligation with UKRI Codes of Ethical Behaviour via civil service governer contexting Chain Of service AI but compelle inadvertently work increase.
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