Innovate UK
Funding Assurance Officer
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Funding Assurance Officer
Band: UKRI Band D (UKRI Ts & Cs)
Salary: £37,841 gross per annum
Reports to: Post Award Manager
Location: Swindon (Hybrid Working)
Contract: Permanent
Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements.
Job Purpose:
At Innovate UK, project assurance has two important purposes: to ensure appropriate management of public money; and to track and hold project partners to account for maximizing the successes, outcomes and impacts of projects we support. The focus of this role is primarily to ensure that the funding assurance framework is adhered to, and project claims are reviewed as per the risk-based approach and that any internal investigations and site audits are conducted as requested by project finance and the wider business.
We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:
- Provide funding assurance to a portfolio of Innovate UK’s projects.
- Support and provide expert advice to internal and external stakeholders across a portfolio of projects within a series of Programmes and act as a key contact representing funding assurance.
- Support in resolving often complex, sensitive, and high-profile cases.
- Attend meetings at each of the project phases to represent Innovate UK’s interests regarding funding assurance.
- Use gathered insights to identify project activity risk by conducting analysis of claim trends and behaviours together with continuous review of spend profiles/forecasts to identify, understand and manage funding risks.
- Document key summary of issues and possible mitigations for review/approval where needed including change to participant or project risk ratings.
- Support on-site applicant audits, where necessary, to investigate unresolved issues identified through financial review by making pertinent enquiries and obtaining the evidence required to ensure a thorough investigation.
- Review and approve Project Change Requests to ensure project costs and claims remain in line with compliance and eligibility requirements.
- Conduct a detailed review of project partner financial claims including but not limited to:
- Validation of supporting evidence to ensure compliance with Innovate UK and State Aid requirements using the risk-based approach.
- Ensuring claims adhere to the approved eligible costs.
- Diligent scrutiny of all supporting information records (e.g., timesheets, invoices, goods-in notes, asset register), using appropriate investigative techniques with particular attention to identification of fraud.
- Effective liaison with claimants to resolve issues identified through financial review by making pertinent enquiries and obtaining the evidence required.
- Support other ad-hoc business requirements as necessary.
- Contribute to and support the delivery process improvements as part of ensuring an efficient, effective funding assurance framework, whilst working with other teams to ensure efficient end-to-end processes for Innovate UK and our customers.
- 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.
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Shortlisting criteria
(S) – Assessed at shortlisting
(I) – Assessed at interview
(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview
Person Specification:
We are looking for someone with a positive ‘can do’ attitude as well as the following qualifications and experience.
Experience & Qualifications:
- Educated to degree-level or relevant equivalent experience (S)
- Hands-on experience of working within a process-driven, service-orientated competitive procurement environment (I)
- Financial management and analytical review experience with focus on quality and attention to detail balanced with cost-effectiveness (I)
- Experience articulating complex issues to non-experts (I)
- Financial acumen and rigor with a healthy level of skepticism (I)
- Audit experience (I)
- Fraud awareness and understanding (I)
- Knowledge/awareness of State Aid regulations (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:
Swindon-based: There may be the occasional requirement for national 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, health 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.
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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 here.
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.
Artificial Intelligence:
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
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;
12-08-2026
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