Head of executive office

This is the Internal Only Recruitment Site for UK Research and Innovation Staff for roles within Innovate UK (UKRI). Please apply for jobs via this site only if you are employed by UK Research and Innovation (employees with access to Innovate UK's Workday system may apply via the "Careers" application within the system). If you are not a current UKRI employee you can view vacancies at the externally advertised stage at the links given in the "About Us information on the right". If you wish to apply for the position below, please ensure that you comply with the requirements of the recruitment process by submitting both a full CV and application letter. Ideally, you should also advise your manager of your application. Applications must be submitted by 11-04-2026 Head of Executive Office This is a high profile, demanding position at the very heart of the organisation, providing the post-holder with exposure across Innovate UK, UKRI, its stakeholder communities and Government partners. *Please note this advert will close on the 10th April 2026 at 23.59pm. Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here. Title: Head of Executive Office Band: UKRI Band G (UKRI Ts & Cs) Salary: £70,752 gross per annum Reports to: Executive Chair Innovate UK Location: Field based Contract: Fixed Term Until ( 25/01/2027 ) Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place. Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements. Purpose: The Head of IUK Exec office directly supports the Innovate UK Executive Chair – Tom Adeyoola – and leads Innovate UK’s Executive Office function. This is a high profile, demanding position at the very heart of the organisation, providing the post-holder with exposure across Innovate UK, UKRI, its stakeholder communities and Government partners. Directly reporting to the Executive Chair, you will act as a trusted advisor, building and maintaining strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders across the research and innovation sector, business, and Government. Acting as the interface between the Executive Chair, the organisation, and its key stakeholders, you will represent the Executive Chair’s views, facilitating the flow of decisions and advice to and from the Executive Chair, enabling an efficient, multi-way movement of information. The post holder will also work closely with Innovate UK’s Senior Leadership Team and other senior leaders across the organisation and key partners such as the IUK Catapult Network. In addition, with responsibility for the Innovate UK Managing Director’s Exec Office you will also have regular interaction with IUK Managing Director, ensuring that their office functions efficiently and effectively to meet their needs. The post-holder will collaborate with the IUK Secretariat Function, using their position to maintain a strong overview of the key priorities across IUK and drawing on this understanding to support the effective functioning of Senior Leadership Team, Innovate UK Council, and their sub-committees as a collective system for better decision-making. This is a key leadership role, in addition to managing the wider Executive Chair’s Office team, the successful candidate will play a vital role in connecting organisational change, strategic communications, and on-going strategy development work with the rest of the organisation. To do this, the candidate must understand Innovate UK’s new strategy, vision, and mission. The successful candidate will be able to use their initiative and good judgement, should be calm under pressure, and will be able to handle challenging situations with diplomacy and tact. You will need to possess integrity and understand the need for, and exercise, discretion, and confidentiality. We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role. Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Your key responsibilities may vary over time to adapt to changing business needs. They currently include: Ensuring the effective day-to-day operation of the Executive Chair and Managing Director Offices. As part of this: Developing positive relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to ensure that high-quality advice and papers are provided in a timely fashion to the Executive Chair, Managing Director, and Senior Leadership Team. Identifying emerging trends or issues which could impact on the Executive Chair or the Office’s ability to support them and working with team members and colleagues across the organisation to harness or mitigate these as appropriate. Driving forward Executive Chair priorities, including taking ownership of discrete projects and pieces of work as required by the Executive Chair. Providing advice to the Executive Chair, Managing Director, and colleagues across Innovate UK, drawing upon the cross-cutting awareness of organisational activity that will be built and maintained. Leading on the Executive Chair’s engagement with particularly high-profile and sensitive topics, including Ministerial engagements, fiscal events, internal and external Board representation, and senior recruitment. Managing a small, high-performing Exec Office team, continuously looking to improve the effectiveness and productivity of the team. This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to 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. Shortlisting criteria (S) – Assessed at shortlisting (I) – Assessed at interview (S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview Person Specification: Experience & Qualifications: Essential – In-depth understanding of Innovate UK, its mission and purpose, and key stakeholders it works with. (S&I) Experience of convening various elements of the Innovate UK ecosystem to deliver strategic goals for a senior leader (S&I) Experience of working with UK Government, Ministers, or Members of Parliament (S) A proven track record working in a fast-paced, complex, and changing organisational environment. (S) Successful influencing and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. (S&I) Ability to see the bigger picture, whilst being comfortable with detail; considering the wider landscape and range of stakeholder perspectives. (S&I) Ability to make effective decisions by pragmatically weighing the complexities involved against the need to act in a fast-paced environment. (S&I) Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills. (S&I) Outstanding written and oral communication skills to be able to operate at all levels of the organisation. Experience of providing advice to the most senior levels of an organisation. (S&I) Demonstrable experience in leading and motivating a team, including building an effective and supportive team culture. (S&I) Must be eligible to obtain Security Check (SC) clearance in accordance with UK National Security Vetting guidelines. (S) 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: Field-based: There will 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. 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, heath 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. 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 http://www.ukri.org/. 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. 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; 11-04-2026