Head of Emerging and Enabling Technologies
Head of Emerging and Enabling Technologies
Emerging and Enabling Technologies Team
Our Emerging and Enabling Technologies team’s core purpose is to connect innovators with new partners and to develop new opportunities in a collaborative effort. The team is dedicated to identifying and supporting the development of cutting-edge, cross-sector technologies that have the potential to transform the UK’s economy and society. Embracing a broad range of technologies that represent a step change from those that already exist, the team is passionate about staying at the forefront of innovation and constantly exploring the horizon looking for the latest breakthroughs and trends, future scoping to create space for emerging technologies in the relevant market ecosystems and landscapes. The team also works to unpack the required improvements in performance of enabling technologies so they can be brought to full utility.
We work closely with businesses, academia, policy makers, regulators, and other innovation partners to provide expertise, connections to help turn game-changing ideas into successful commercial products and services, and access to funding and investment opportunities.
Purpose of the Role
The role provides strategic direction and capability in Emerging and Enabling Technologies. The key purpose of the role is to lead and manage a team, and to develop a portfolio of activities in support of growing the UK economy. The role will have an important external presence for IUK Business Connect, recognised as a thought leader in innovation in emerging areas with the ability to understand and articulate challenges and opportunities and recognise the links between technologies and application sectors.
As the Head of Emerging & Enabling Technologies, you will develop, co-ordinate and lead a portfolio of activities which establish IUK Business Connect as a leader in knowledge sharing and networking programmes and activities in the emerging and enabling technologies area.
As a Head of programmes, you will establish and maintain key strategic relationships and develop external networks to enable fulfilment of IUK Business Connect’s ambitions to accelerate innovations in new and emerging areas.
As a Team Leader at IUK Business Connect you will be managing project teams to deliver knowledge transfer and company support and successfully achieving the IUK Business Connect strategic commitments.
As a Senior Manager you will manage a team of highly skilled people and their development as individuals and as IUK Business Connect employees and ensure compliance with company deadlines and procedures. You will also contribute to change programmes as a member of IUK Business Connect’s Senior Management Team and work with other Head of teams to deliver multi-disciplinary and multi-sector projects.
Roles & Responsibilities
- To develop and deliver IUK Business Connect’s Emerging and Enabling Technologies project portfolio, including managing the Emerging & Enabling Technologies team to effectively deliver existing projects and programmes and generating new opportunities for IUK Business Connect.
- To develop and deliver an annual Emerging and Enabling Technologies work programme, developing new areas for future business opportunities.
- To exploit synergies across the Emerging and Enabling Technologies area, seeking and exploiting cross-cutting opportunities from other sectors and technologies.
- To support external networks across the Innovate UK system and the UKRI family to develop and embed innovations in Emerging and Enabling Technologies capabilities for UK benefit.
- To contribute as a member of the senior management team, providing strategic guidance and challenge to the Director and Executive on the future direction of IUK Business Connect, promoting our values and behaviours and delivering change programmes.
- To help set the direction of our work in collaboration with the Director and maintaining high attention to support for businesses with high growth potential.
- To develop and manage a high performing team, well engaged with IUK Business Connect values and to a level where they can act with (agreed) autonomy in meeting project goals.
- To champion diversity and inclusion in all we do so that people feel supported and valued.
- To maintain strong relationships with relevant counterparts at Innovate UK and other key stakeholders.
- To support career development of staff, with particular emphasis on experience across communities and maintaining or enhancing technical, market or functional capability.
- To work collegiately with colleagues to deliver best practice in areas such as knowledge transfer, innovation, events delivery, communications, project management.
- To be responsible for good financial practice, ensuring timely input of timesheets, invoices etc. and delivering to an agreed external budget, observing team expenses claims.
- To support KPI delivery and provide regular reporting of activity and outcomes.
Experience & Skills
- Higher degree or equivalent, with relevant experience and clear ability to work across technology and application sectors.
- Demonstrable experience and understanding of delivering technology innovations across sectors and industries.
- Significant experience of working in a technical management role.
- Demonstrable experience of managing muti-talented teams, programmes, and projects with active stakeholder engagement.
- Demonstrable experience of leading and developing high performing teams located remotely across more than one site.
- Demonstrable skills in working with industry, academic and government stakeholders, to co-develop and deliver projects whilst creating engaging external communications and profile raising.
- Demonstrable experience gained in senior positions in business, across a range of roles or functions involving innovations in emerging technologies, and markets.
- A creative and innovative mindset and thorough understanding of the tools, approaches and methodologies that can be effectively deployed to accelerate innovation across multiple sectors.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate confidently and build effective relationships .
- Team player with good relationship building and influencing skills; enjoys working in a collaborative manner in an open, honest, and diverse environment.
- Being well networked across Emerging & Enabling Technologies stakeholders with strong personal connections to senior figures.
- Empathetic and empowering team management to deliver agreed targets on individual and team performance.
- Flexible, able to spot opportunities and open minded.
- Demonstrable track record of managing multiple concurrent events, projects, and programmes.
Benefits & how to apply
- This role has a salary of £63,954 to £65,000 pa
- 28 days annual leave plus 10.5 bank and public holidays
- Enhanced Pension Plan
- Life Assurance
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Wider Wallet employee benefits high street discounts scheme
- Opportunities for continuous professional development as part of our Talent & Development Programme
The postholder will be home based (UK) or out of our London, Harwell or Edinburgh offices with frequent UK travel.
About Innovate UK Business Connect
We connect ideas, people, and communities to drive innovation that changes lives.
Innovation is complex. The journey from idea to market is not straightforward and requires a diverse range of know-how, investment, market knowledge and research. Innovate UK Business Connect exists to connect innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking – accelerating ambitious ideas into real-world solutions.
The future holds both challenges and opportunities. We are passionate about working with innovative businesses to overcome these challenges and shape the opportunities and solutions that follow.
Our vision is to create a network of innovators so powerful its ideas will change the world.
While business is at the heart of our work, our diverse connections span government, funders, research and the third sector. This unrivalled overview and connectivity enable us to be a trusted guide through a complex global landscape of research, development, and innovation.