Innovate UK has the following secondment opportunity available for employees of Innovate UK Business Connect: Applications must be submitted by 23-07-2025 Programme Manager - Drive 35 programme The role holder will work with colleagues in the Land and Maritime Transport team to support the delivery of Drive 35. *Please note this advert will close on the 22nd July 2025 at 23.59pm, Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here. Title: Programme Manager - Drive 35 programme Band: UKRI Band F (UKRI Ts & Cs) Salary: £56,745 gross per annum Reports to: Lead Programme Manager – Land Transport Location: Field based Contract: Permanent Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements. Context: The role holder will work with colleagues in the Land and Maritime Transport team to support the delivery of Drive 35. DRIVE 35 will have 3 pillars: DRIVE 35 – Innovation (similar to current APC programme activities) with IUK, APC and DBT delivering DRIVE 35 – Scale up. This is a new activity to deliver and extremely complex in how it has been developed. It will be delivered with IUK, APC and DBT. DRIVE 35 – Transformation (similar in framing to the ATF programme) and lead by DBT We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role. Job Purpose: The new Programme Manager will manage the new activity around DRIVE 35 Scale up, this will include: Running regular competitions (currently framed as having an open window for submission every 2 months) Deliver a new subsidy control regime Manage and monitor funded projects Deliver reporting for the new Grant Funding Agreements Ensuring that GFA T&CS are cascaded appropriately to the new investments. Work with, and provide updates to, the APC and DBT Build strategic relationships internally and externally with relevant organisations including where relevant with the Department for Business & Trade (DBT), APC, and our strategic partners Innovate UK Business Connect and Catapults Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Support the delivery of the DRIVE 35 programme which will run from summer 2025. This will include the final stages of set up for a complex programme involving multiple stakeholders and working inline with IUK and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) internal processes and ensuring comprehensive governance structures are in place. Reporting to and supporting comms work with DBT, APC and Innovate UK. Work with teams across Innovate UK to ensure the smooth delivery of the programme. The role involves significant engagement with DBT as funder and APC UK as another delivery partner so it is key to build strategic relationships internally and externally with relevant organisations, as well as our strategic partners Innovate UK Business Connect, Innovation UK Business Growth and Catapults. Work with stakeholders across the Automotive sector to promote and support the dissemination of results from the projects. Be an advocate and help to deliver the Land and Maritime Impact and evaluation framework for the programme. Support ongoing emerging international activity relating to the programme. Be a strong advocate of the core values of Innovate UK. Support with ad-hoc project work as directed by the Head of Team, Deputy Director or Executive Director for Net Zero Domain 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 – Programme Management or Project Management experience (S) Experience of elements of Innovate UK processes, from competitions to project closure (S&I) Experience working with and managing diverse stakeholders in complex environments (S&I) Being able to review and analyse complex information across multiple projects, presenting it simply to stakeholders/funders (S&I) Data analysis skills (S) Personal resilience and a confident approach, willing to apply good judgement to solve issues and find solutions independently (I) Compelling written and verbal communication skills and an engaging manner (I) Highly developed team working - able to form effective working relationships quickly particularly with individuals in other organisations (S&I) Good organisational skills, able to handle and prioritise own workload and deliver in a timely manner (S&I) Desirable – Degree level in relevant science, engineering or related discipline (or equivalent experience) (S) Up-to-date knowledge of innovation and/or product development in the automotive sector (S&I) Strong business experience, having worked in and/or with business in this sector (I) Experience of developing business cases for large programmes (I) Experience engaging with technical experts but also communicating clearly with non-technical experts (S&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: 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; 23-07-2025