Location London or Milton Keynes Reporting to Built Environment and Urbanism Director Working hours Full time (9day Fortnight companywide) Contract type/duration Permanent Band: 4.3 Salary: £80,000 - £89,000 Closing date: 26th May 2025 About CPC: Connected Places Catapult is the UK’s innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, cities and local growth. We are on a mission to create better connected places across the UK and beyond. A connected place is where living, working and moving are improved by innovation in the systems, infrastructure, and economy of a place. These places will be more sustainable, regenerative and resilient, with prosperous economies, and thriving communities. We believe that innovation is the key to unlocking the potential of our towns, cities, and transport systems, making them more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous for everyone. By acting as a catalyst in the domains in which we work, we accelerate the innovation lifecycle for new products and services that address societal challenges and unlock economic growth. We work with businesses, knowledge partners, and public bodies to bridge the gap between discovery and the market so that the opportunities of innovation can be adopted and scaled in communities, towns, and cities across the country. The role: We are looking for a bold and energetic leader to join us as Head of Built Environment and Urbanism Engagement. You will play a pivotal role in scaling the UK’s innovation capabilities in the built environment. This is a role for someone who sees urban complexity as opportunity, and who is excited by the challenge of influencing systems and unlocking value at the intersection of technology, place, and people This role sits within our Built Environment and Urbanism Directorate, which leads on the physical and spatial aspects of place - planning, construction, housing, real estate, infrastructure and the operation of buildings and public spaces. We take a whole-systems approach, working across the entire life cycle of the built environment to improve how places are planned, designed, delivered, sustained and regenerated in response to cultural, environmental and economic change. You will shape how we engage with these sectors to drive more connected, inclusive and sustainable places. This is not a traditional sales role – it’s about creating meaningful partnerships that drive innovation and adoption. You will collaborate across Government, industry, academia, and SMEs to shape projects and programmes that advance decarbonisation, digital transformation, citizen co-creation, and economic growth enabled by the built environment. You’ll provide the leadership and structure needed to help a talented team reach its full potential. Working across Government, industry, academia, and SMEs, you’ll shape programmes that advance decarbonisation, digital transformation, citizen co-creation, and economic growth. You’ll help drive client engagement, generate leads, and support our sales pipeline through market intelligence, relationship-building, and content creation. You’ll work closely with the Director of Built Environment and Urbanism and Managing Director for Built Environment and Local Growth, building strategic partnerships and structuring how we engage with the market. This is a unique opportunity to shape a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable built environment – reimagining the systems that shape our lives. If you're a curious, driven leader committed to impact, we’d love to hear from you. Key Responsibilities: Strategic Engagement and Market Development Drive strategic engagement in the built environment, aligned with government priorities, CPC strategy and market challenges. Identify, prioritise and develop strategic partnerships with stakeholders across government, industry, and academia. Act as a visible thought leader— Represent CPC at national and sector events, contributing to policy debates, media, and public engagement Develop a deep understanding of market trends, client needs, and the evolving competitive landscape. Share market intelligence to inform directorate strategy and identify emerging opportunities and disruptors. Business Development & Account Leadership Identify, qualify, and secure new business opportunities that contribute to organisational KPIs and revenue targets. Work with internal teams to build successful proposals and propositions and work with clients to negotiate and close the opportunities. Lead pipeline management for accounts and business development, Own and maintain the CRM system for accurate pipeline and opportunity tracking. Lead the development of collateral that translates insight and market intelligence into compelling go-to-market propositions and value-driven offerings. Create and maintain a structured, rigorous approach to sales, engagement, and market development. Team Leadership & Capability Building Empower colleagues across disciplines to identify opportunities, nurture relationships, and shape compelling value propositions. Champion a collaborative, outward-facing mindset, embedding systems-thinking and strategic awareness into everyday practice. Foster a supportive, innovative team environment, including mentoring junior staff and nurturing future leaders. Work closely with technical teams across the organisation to ensure engagement strategies are aligned with delivery capabilities. Seek, encourage and create the conditions for continuous improvements in processes, systems, behaviours and ways of working Manage performance through effective goal setting based on business and role objectives and development needs or desires. Requirements Experience & Domain Expertise Proven experience in senior engagement, sales, partnerships, or business development in the built environment, cities, infrastructure, planning, or real estate. Strong domain knowledge across the Built Environment sector in areas such as planning, urbanism, construction, infrastructure, “smart cities”, housing or placemaking. Demonstrated success in developing commercial and grant-funded bids, leading strategic accounts, and closing multi-partner deals. Financially literate with the ability to assess commercial risk, structure deals, and identify value-creation opportunities. Skilled at navigating ambiguity, anticipating market trends, and creating structure in emerging areas. Excellent research and analytical skills, with the ability to gather and interpret market intelligence. Successful customer strategy development and account planning. Leadership & Influence A confident, people-first leader with a track record of building and motivating high-performing teams. Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, confident networker with a collaborative and inclusive leadership style. Driven to push boundaries, challenge convention, and inspire new thinking within teams and across sectors. Communication Excellent communicator and presenter with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and engage diverse audiences. Skilled at translating complex technical concepts into compelling narratives and value propositions. Passionate about storytelling and shaping public narratives around innovation, place, and systems change. Confident networker with strong interpersonal skills, able to engage with senior stakeholders. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience creating presentations and sales collateral. Desirable: Experience working with or within Government, and understanding of public procurement processes and funding mechanisms Knowledge of SME and academic sectors as collaborators in innovation ecosystems. Familiarity with urban tech domains such as PropTech, ClimateTech, PlanTech, or sustainable construction. Understanding of digital technologies and their application in the built environment Benefits 9 day fortnight for everyone, we have a full company shutdown every other Friday. 23.5 holiday entitlement for everyone, with pro-rata calculations for part-time employees, along with a Christmas shutdown period for additional days off. Competitive pension, up to 10% company contribution to help you save for your future. Two paid days of volunteering leave per year (pro-rata for part-time employees) to support charitable activities. Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing 24/7 confidential work/life support services to you and your immediate family members. Cycle to Work Scheme encouraging a healthy and sustainable commute. Cash Health Plan, offering reimbursement for a wide range of essential and everyday healthcare expenses, promoting your well-being. Payroll Giving scheme, allowing regular charitable contributions from pre-tax income, maximizing the impact of your donations. Discounts and offers from a wide variety of retailers, enhancing your purchasing power and providing savings opportunities. Mortgage Advice benefit, delivered in partnership with Charles Cameron & Associates – provides employees with free, expert mortgage advice and end-to-end mortgage support from the application process through to completion. Employment here is based solely upon individual merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. We strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by law. We also make all reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under laws protecting the rights of the disabled.