Centre for Global Equality
Inclusive Innovation Lead
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Inclusive Innovation Lead
Terms
- Role: Inclusive Innovation Lead
- Rate: £45,000 – £47,000 p.a. dependent on qualifications and experience, with benefits
- Basis: Full-time, 3-year contract with potential to become permanent, funding permitting
- Location: Cambridge, UK, (in person at least three days a week, flexible working for the remainder). Requires regular travel to countries in Africa.
- Eligibility: Must have the right to work in the UK on application
About CGE
The Centre for Global Equality (CGE) contributes to more equitable global economic development and environmental sustainability by making new knowledge and its benefits accessible to those who need this most. While cutting-edge research, novel science, and frontier technology could significantly change the world for the better, presently only a small amount of this potential is being realised. To address this lost opportunity CGE has developed an approach called Inclusive Innovation.
Made up of principles, practices, programmes, and partnerships, the Inclusive Innovation approach was developed in collaboration with researchers, innovators, implementers, and end-users in the UK and across the world.
Inclusive Innovation principles and practices ensure that impact-focused research and innovation are co-created collaboratively, based on mutual regard for different types of expertise, are integrated into existing ecosystems in ways that enhance the agency of local actors, and are delivered balancing fair recompense and sufficient return.
Implementing this approach generates innovations that are useable and used in resource-constrained environments because they are responsible, appropriate for the context, respond to a genuine need, add significant value, and are accessible to end-users.
Enabling environments are created through the establishment of inclusive innovation ecosystems made up of programmes that support the evolution of innovations from idea through research, co-creation, and venture-building to implementation and scaling for impact. Through the Cultivator, our specialist venture-builder for sustainable development, we support +30 start-ups focusing on food, energy, water, health, education, income generation, climate, and the environment.
CGE’s UK activities are run from our Inclusive Innovation Hub in central Cambridge, where the Cultivator is housed. Our contribution to research and teaching at the University of Cambridge is enabled through the Cambridge Centre for Inclusive Innovation based in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CEB). Other UK universities and research institutions we collaborate with include Imperial, UCL, Oxford, Loughborough, Strathclyde, NIAB, and the British Antarctic Survey.
CGE has a global network of partners in low- and middle-income countries. Presently, we work directly in the UK, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, Lao PDR, Vietnam, India, and Malawi. Our Cultivator ventures also work in Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Colombia, Madagascar, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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The Role
The Inclusive Innovation Lead is a key role in CGE’s core team at an exciting time in our evolution as an organisation. Having spent a decade bootstrapping the evolution of the inclusive innovation approach through a number of projects, we have recently been awarded funding from the Judith Neilson Foundation to deliver the framework in a programmatic manner through the establishment of Inclusive Innovation Hubs with two partner universities in Africa. The focus of these hubs will be innovating for better urban futures on the African continent.
Reporting directly to the CEO, the Inclusive Innovation Lead will co-develop and support the delivery of inclusive innovation programmes with partner universities in Kenya and Ghana. S/he will also lead the delivery of CGE’s inclusive innovation activities in the Cambridge ecosystem with a particular focus on making cities more liveable, and will build and support collaborations between researchers and innovators in the UK, Ghana, and Kenya. S/he will work closely with CGE’s leadership team, partners, and funder to ensure activities are delivered on time, within scope, and in line with agreed plans.
This is a highly collaborative role suited to someone who enjoys working across institutions, countries, and disciplines, and who is comfortable managing complexity, relationships, and detail in parallel.
Key Responsibilities
Programme Design and Delivery
- Co-design context-appropriate inclusive innovation programming with Hub Leads in Kenya and Ghana and support the drafting of three-year plans with budgets, key performance indicators, and milestones.
- Co-develop new programming to address key gaps identified.
- Lead the delivery of inclusive innovation activities in Cambridge and support the delivery of programming in Kenya and Ghana, particularly when collaboration with UK-based participants takes place.
Programme Management, Reporting, and Learning
- Establish regular management and coordination meetings with Hub Leads and key stakeholders.
- Organise international visits.
- Maintain clear, organised programme documentation and records.
- Work with the CGE Finance Team to monitor expenditure and maintain accurate financial reporting.
- Produce narrative reports monitoring progress against agreed objectives and milestones.
- Facilitate reflection and learning, recording insights and responses in narrative reporting.
- Draft case studies and examples of success.
Partnership Building and Network Development
- Identify researchers and innovators at the University of Cambridge and the wider Cambridge ecosystem doing work with the potential to impact positively on urban futures in Africa.
- Gauge the interest of such researchers and innovators in developing collaborations with partners in Africa and map the conditions for the success of potential partnerships.
- Make introductions, convene partnership building events, and support resulting collaborations.
- Develop and maintain a broader network of strategic relationships with universities, businesses, investors, development agencies, and international organisations.
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Planning for Sustainability
- Co-develop business plans to support the long-term financial and operational sustainability of inclusive innovation programming across the three hubs.
- Contribute to the growth of the programme by bringing in co-funding for allied initiatives.
- Develop relationships with potential funders and strategic partners, and prepare funding proposals.
Communications
- Draft narratives and collate visual material that exemplify progress and share insights.
- Publish updates on the programme across a range of media and publication contexts.
Person specification, qualifications, knowledge, and experience
Essential
- Be committed to CGE’s mission and inclusive innovation approach.
- Have a relevant Master’s degree and five years’ professional experience, or a Doctoral degree and two years’ relevant professional experience.
- Have experience managing programmes involving multiple stakeholders from different sectors, institutions, countries, and cultures.
- Have excellent interpersonal skills with a proven track record of communicating with and motivating others effectively.
- Be highly motivated with the ability to work alone and as part of a team.
- Be interested in capability building and supporting the growth of other people and their projects.
- Be willing to travel to countries in Africa.
Desirable
- Experience in the research-translation, knowledge-exchange, innovation, and enterprise ecosystem at the University of Cambridge or similar UK university.
- Experience building productive collaborations between people from different disciplines, sectors, and countries within a sustainable development context.
- Experience of university innovation and/or entrepreneurial ecosystems in Africa.
- Experience building a successful startup, and/or supporting the development of startups.
- Familiarity with the management of donor-funded programmes.
Terms and Conditions
- This post is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Employment of the Centre for Global Equality.
- The Centre for Global Equality is an equal opportunities employer.
- The right to work in the UK on application is required.
Application process
To apply for this role, please email your CV and a cover letter to Dr Lara Allen (recruitment@centreforglobalequality.org) by midnight on Sunday, the 11th of October 2026. Interviews will take place on the 15th and 16th of October 2026. The position is available from 1 December 2026.
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