[Hiring] Head of Smart Electronics Platforms @Innovate UK

Role Description

This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of a strategy to grow the UK as a prosperous, safe and vibrant place to live and work. The primary purpose of this role is to provide leadership for your team, work in collaboration with other Heads of roles, and support the Director for Secure and Resilient Growth. The role will actively contribute to the directorate vision to deliver secure and resilient growth for the UK, focusing on the advanced connectivity technologies and systems.

• Responsible for the strategic plan, financial planning, and delivery of interventions required to build capability in foundational technologies.
• Identify, create the business case for, and deliver interventions that connect capabilities to grow the UK business landscape.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Deliver leadership for the Directorate as part of the Director Leadership team.
• Lead on the benefits realisation for the Directorate objectives.
• Communicate the vision to advocate for, enable and deliver action.
• Build momentum for and deliver strategic outcomes across the UK.
• Provide clear thought leadership for team objectives.
• Accountable for delivering intervention strategies for funding research and innovation.
• Advise and deliver robust, transparent and open programmes.
• Manage the day-to-day financial forecasting for the Foundational Technologies programme.
• Work with the senior leadership team to manage and develop a high-performing programme team.
• Maintain financial forecasts and updates for various programme activities.
• Manage multiple programme interventions.
• Ensure Programme Board and Advisory Group are well informed and enabled to take action.
• Contribute to the running and future development of the programme.
• Lead on future potential proposals to develop necessary technologies and solutions.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree-level in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience.
• A deep understanding of multiple technologies and solutions in Smart Electronic Platforms.
• Knowledge across technology and solutions in electronic platforms and their components.
• Demonstrable achievement of results through influencing skills.
• Successful management of multiple senior and executive stakeholders.
• Effective management of significant budgets.
• Experience of innovation or research, business competitiveness, and technology policy.
• Experience of influencing high-performance teams across multiple locations.

Competencies

• Thinking and Problem Solving
• Stakeholder management
• Communication skills
• Influencing
• Self-awareness/self-management
• Strategic awareness
• Working with others
• Project management

Travel Requirements

• Field-based with a requirement to travel, mostly national.
• Extensive use of telepresence tools for meetings to minimize unnecessary travel.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Innovate UK is a diverse workforce. We believe that encouraging differences and drawing the best from them will build a productive environment where everyone feels valued.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to employing any person who meets the criteria for our roles.

Employee Benefits

• 30 days’ annual leave.
• 10.5 public and privilege days.
• Flexible working hours.
• Exceptional defined benefit pension scheme.
• Access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes.

Pre-employment Screening

Comprehensive pre-employment checks will be conducted on successful applicants.

Applications must be submitted by: 21-05-2026