Project Manager - Ofgem Team (Maternity Cover)

Innovate UK has the following secondment opportunity available for employees of Innovate UK Business Connect. Applications must be submitted by 31-01-2026.

Band: UKRI Band E (UKRI Ts & Cs)

Salary: £46,743 gross per annum

Reports to: Programme Manager – Strategic Innovation Fund

Location: Field based

Contract: Fixed Term Until 01/02/2027

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

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 operate within the Innovate UK Ofgem Team which is part of the Net Zero Directorate. Innovate UK is Ofgem's delivery partner for the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF). This £1 Billion, ten‑year programme supports the gas and electricity transmission and distribution networks as well as the Electricity System Operator. The SIF is part of the price control system managed by energy regulator Ofgem and is funded by a very small proportion of the payments received from energy consumers. SIF accelerates innovation to transition the electricity and gas networks to net zero at lowest cost to consumers. The programme connects innovators with energy network operators and supports the best ideas towards commercialisation. We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.

Job Purpose

The Project Manager will support the wider Ofgem Team in delivering a range of interventions within the OFGEM programme; including programme development, delivery, evaluation and reporting. As a key member of the Programme Management Team you will develop excellent relationships with internal and external partners to deliver a responsive & agile programme based on insights. We expect the individual to be an excellent project manager with a validated track‑record, used to working without close direction and able to lead multiple streams of work. They will be highly flexible, capable of identifying the right approach to the challenge(s) in hand and translating that approach into effective delivery.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Delivering a quality service at pace and utilising agile methodologies to deliver continuous improvement across the programme.
• Day‑to‑day project management of an agile programme throughout the full lifecycle from development through to evaluation, working closely with the team, and in collaboration with Innovate UK / UKRI / Ofgem operations and development teams.
• Coordinate multi‑disciplined teams, both internal and third party, to achieve project delivery to schedule, to budget and to the required quality.
• Ensuring project documentation including project plans, governance documents, and programme reports are maintained.
• Generation of accurate, relevant and timely reporting.
• Work closely with the Innovation Leads, Data Analysts and Comms & Engagement Manager to produce delivery insight reports, suitable for use throughout UKRI, Ofgem and with external partners.
• Embed monitoring, evaluation, impacts and benefits realisation within the programme and ensure a focus on continuous improvement of the Ofgem project monitoring arrangements.
• Undertake and lead quarterly review meetings and associated activities with the Ofgem SIF delivery partners, ensuring delivery is in line with expectations and governance requirements, and support outcomes are being met and communicated.
• Work collaboratively with a team of Project Managers, supporting each other's roles & responsibilities where required.
• Delivering ad‑hoc project work as advised by senior managers.

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

• Educated to Undergraduate degree level or with substantial proven experience. (S&I)
• Experience of Innovate UK Competition processes and systems. (S&I)
• Programme management or project manager certification (awarded or in progress) from a recognised body, such as Prince 2, MSP, Agile and/or Lean Six Sigma methodologies. (S&I)
• Considerable experience of leading or playing a key role in delivering projects within a programme structure and working in a high‑pace environment. (S&I)
• A clear‑track record of delivering multiple outputs to agreed quality, cost and timescales. (S&I)
• Successfully engaging and handling multiple partners with conflicting demands and priorities, achieving results through influencing skills rather than direct control. (S&I)
• Significant experience of supporting cross functional teams to lead change and delivering process improvements into operations. (S&I)
• Experience of successfully monitoring, recording and reporting the outputs and outcomes of projects. (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 listed in the person specification.

Travel Requirements

Field‑based: There will be 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, health 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 a 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.

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.

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.