Join to apply for the Head of CEO's Office role at Innovate UK

2 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Join to apply for the Head of CEO's Office role at Innovate UK

Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.

Salary:£68,525 Per Annum

Hours:Full Time

Contract type:Open Ended

Location:Swindon or London. (Candidate will need to be flexible and able to travel for a minimum of 2/3 days per week, including occasional international travel)

Grade:UKRI Band G

Closing Date:Sunday 14thSeptember 2025

Security

As a minimum, due to the nature of this role, candidates must be eligible for clearance in line with UK National vetting guidelines and willing to undertake the process. Please indicate eligibility in the written submission. Candidates not meeting this level of clearance will not be considered

The level of clearance required is Developed Vetting. For further information please visitDV - Guidance Pack for Applicants - GOV.UK

Job Overview

The Head of the CEOs office directly supports the UKRI CEO Professor Sir Ian Chapman and leads the CEOs Private Office function.

This is a high profile, demanding position at the very heart of the organisation, providing the post-holder with exposure across UKRI, its stakeholder communities and Government partners.

Directly reporting to the CEO, 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 CEO, the organisation, and its key stakeholders, you will represent the CEOs views, facilitating the flow of decisions and advice to and from the Chief Executive,enabling an efficient, multi-way movement of information.

The post holder will also work closely with UKRIs Executive team including the Chief of Investment Planning and Strategy, and leaders of each of UKRIs nine Councils.

With responsibility for the UKRI Chairs Private Office you will also have regular interaction with UKRIs Chair, ensuring that their office functions efficiently and effectively to meet their needs.

The post-holder will collaborate with the UKRI Secretariat Function, using their position tomaintain a strong overview of the key priorities across UKRI and drawing on this understanding to support the effective functioning of the UKRI Board, Executive Committee, and their sub-committees as a collective system for better decision-making.

This is a key leadership role, in addition tomanaging the wider CEOs Office team, the successful candidate will interact with the wider Investment Planning and Strategy (IPS) Directorate and will also provide leadership of the Private Office profession across the wider organisation.

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.

This role will provide you with unique experience and the opportunity to influence strategic priorities and decision making at highest levels. As such, it would suit an ambitious candidate looking to develop their own career towards the most senior leadership roles in the future.

If you are an outstanding leader who enjoys working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, collaborating closely with colleagues right across the organisation to further research and innovation for public benefit, then this is a job for you.

Key Responsibilities

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 CEO and Chair 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 CEO, Executive Committee, and Board.
• Identifying emerging trends or issues which could impact on the CEO or the Offices ability to support them and working with team members and colleagues across the organisation to harness or mitigate these as appropriate.
• Driving forward CEO priorities, including taking ownership of discrete projects and pieces of work as required by the CEO.
• Providing advice to the CEO, Chair, and colleagues across UKRI, drawing upon the cross-cutting awareness of organisational activity that will be built and maintained.
• Leading on the CEOs engagement with particularly high-profile and sensitive topics, including Ministerial engagements, fiscal events, national security matters, and senior recruitment.
• Fostering and maintaining effective and collegiate working relationships across all UKRIs Private Offices, and in particular with those that support members of UKRIs Organisational Leadership Team (OLT). Encouraging and embedding a culture and structures that support a joined-up, cohesive way of working and effective intelligence sharing.
  
  

• 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 Developed Vetting (DV) clearance in accordance with UK National Security Vetting guidelines. (S)
  
  

• Experience of covering or working in an office of a senior leader. (S)
• Knowledge of the Research and Innovation landscape. (S & I)
  
  

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme
• 30 days annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent)
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice
• Flexible working options
  
  

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Executive

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Administrative

• Industries

  Administrative and Support Services

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Innovate UK by 2x

Get notified about new Office Associate jobs in Swindon, England, United Kingdom.

Swindon, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Witney, England, United Kingdom 2 months ago

Kintbury, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago

Personal Assistant and Receptionist (12 Month FTC)

Marlborough, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago

Barnsley, England, United Kingdom 1 month ago

South Cerney, England, United Kingdom 4 weeks ago

Barnsley, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Newbury, England, United Kingdom 3 days ago

Abingdon-On-Thames, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Hungerford, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Didcot, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Stroud, England, United Kingdom 5 days ago

Stroud, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Barnsley, England, United Kingdom 1 month ago

Didcot, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Stonehouse, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Corsham, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Abingdon-On-Thames, England, United Kingdom 5 days ago

Brize Norton, England, United Kingdom 3 weeks ago

Harwell, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Head of CEO's Office, UK RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Swindon, England, United Kingdom 1 day ago

Abingdon-On-Thames, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Swindon, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

Swindon, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Cirencester, England, United Kingdom 2 days ago

Abingdon-On-Thames, England, United Kingdom 1 week ago

Chippenham, England, United Kingdom 2 weeks ago

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.