Description
Salary: £56,745
Hours: Full Time / Part Time (Min 0.8 FTE)
Contract Type: Open Ended
Location: Polaris House, Swindon
Grade: F
Closing Date: Wednesday 18 June 2025
Job Overview:
The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) is a new, targeted UKRI programme designed to support the Government’s strategic objective of fostering regional economic growth.
The Local Innovation Partnership Fund aims to drive regional economic growth by investing in innovation clusters—collaborative, place-based ecosystems that bring together strong local leadership, research institutions, and businesses with entrepreneurial capacity.
These ecosystems thrive in city regions or similar economic geographies, where the concentration of talent, infrastructure, and governance supports innovation diffusion and job creation. The initiative encourages cross-boundary collaboration to maximise regional impact and resilience and is used to promote regional economic growth, innovation, and resilience by leveraging the interconnectedness of urban and suburban areas.
The Programme Design Lead will work alongside the Programme Director in shaping the strategic design of the LIPF programme. This role will provide leadership in developing a compelling business case for future investment, including the Regional Innovation Fund, and ensuring alignment with national and regional innovation priorities.
Key Responsibilities:
- As a core member of the LIPF Senior Leadership Team, you will support the Programme Director with the overall design and direction of the programme, with a particular focus on long-term sustainability of the programme.
- Lead the development and implementation of the LIPF strategy and Delivery Plan in collaboration with the Programme Director.
- Ensure strategic alignment with UKRI’s broader goals and government priorities for regional innovation and economic development.
- Translate the Programme Director’s vision into actionable strategic options and work with delivery leads to operationalise these plans.
- Lead the development of a robust, evidence-based business case for future funding, including the proposed Regional Innovation Fund.
- Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to gather insights, data, and evidence that support the case for investment, ensuring compliance with the Green Book standard.
- Oversee the preparation of high-quality documentation and proposals for government and other funding bodies.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across government, academia, industry, and local authorities.
- Foster partnerships with innovation leaders, cluster organisations, and regional policymakers to ensure the programme reflects local needs and opportunities.
- Represent the LIPF at high-level meetings and events, advocating for the role of place-based innovation in national growth.
Key Relationships:
- LIPF Senior Leadership Team (SRO, Programme Director and Head of Engagement)
- UKRI Council Delivery Leads
- Regional innovation stakeholders and cluster leads
- DSIT and other government departments
- Oversight and advisory boards
- Specialist advisors supporting the Regional Innovation Fund design
Person Specification:
(S) – Shortlisting Criteria (I) – Interview Criteria (S & I) - Shortlisting Criteria & Interview Criteria
Essential
- Degree level qualification (S)
- Proven experience in strategic planning and delivery within complex, multi-stakeholder environments. (S & I)
- Demonstrated ability to develop high-quality, evidence-based business cases for government (S & I)
- Strong understanding of innovation ecosystems, clusters, and the drivers for unlocking innovation-led growth. (S & I)
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with experience working across sectors and regions. (S & I)
- Experience in designing or supporting the development of innovation funds or investment mechanisms. (S & I)
- Strong leadership and team collaboration skills, with the ability to inspire and align diverse partners. (S & I)
- Exceptional project management and organisational skills, with a track record of delivering results. (S & I)
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and persuasively. (S & I)
Desirable
- Familiarity with UKRI, DSIT, or similar public sector innovation programmes. (S & I)
Application Guidance:
How to evidence the criteria:
You are encouraged to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in the cover letter to evidence your ability to meet the ‘person specification’ criteria in the job description. Cover letters should be no more than two sides of A4 (minimum font size 11). For examples of the STAR method, please visit: The STAR method | National Careers Service’
Qualifications
About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
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.
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
