Competition Lead in Swindon

This is the Internal Only Recruitment Site for UK Research and Innovation Staff for roles within Innovate UK (UKRI). Please apply for jobs via this site only if you are employed by UK Research and Innovation. If you wish to apply for the position below, please ensure that you comply with the requirements of the recruitment process by submitting both a full CV and application letter. Ideally, you should also advise your manager of your application.

Applications must be submitted by 05-06-2026. The Competition Lead will lead a team to efficiently deliver the end-to-end processes of competitions from the initial inception of the competition idea to its completion in supporting successful applicants in receiving their grant offer letter and subsequently starting their project.

The Team: The Competitions Delivery Team is part of the Operations Directorate. It is responsible for ensuring that all Innovate UK competitions are delivered effectively and according to agreed processes; to the satisfaction of its customers at a minimum of administrative overhead.

You will lead the team with responsibility to deliver, monitor and review core funding mechanisms. You will work closely with other teams in the operations directorate for financial, contract, legal and State Aid advice as necessary.

Job Purpose: The Competition Lead will lead a team to efficiently deliver the end-to-end processes of competitions from the initial inception of the competition idea to its completion in supporting successful applicants in receiving their grant offer letter and subsequently starting their project. A key requirement of the role is the ability to work as part of a team but to also work independently to achieve results and complete tasks to a high standard within specified timeframes.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Manage the daily operations of the teams supporting the end-to-end process, allocating work to the individual team members, ensuring training across all activity is in place to maintain a fully functional team.
• Deputise for the Customer Relationship Manager and help inform policy decisions and continuous process improvement.
• Take ownership of your team's decisions and focus on delivering exceptional service through all pre-award activities.
• Support other areas of Operations i.e. Customer Support Services and the Post award teams in understanding the specifics of a competition to enable them to maintain high levels of support to applicants.
• Work with the Customer Relationship Manager to produce regular reports on all pre-award activities to track performance and service levels.
• Act as the escalation point for any queries which cannot be resolved by a team member, collaborating with other Operations management team members for assistance on resolution as necessary.
• Define and create realistic SLAs to measure team performance.
• Ensure that your team is successfully completing all activities within agreed SLA’s.
• Perform regular quality assurance checks and reviews with team members to ensure high levels of customer service.
• Monitor the delivery of competitions to ensure they are delivered on time and at the appropriate quality.
• Manage and mentor all your direct reports, including conducting regular 1-2-1’s and ensuring that PDRs are conducted with associated objectives set.
• Ensure high quality internal and external customer service is maintained by your team.
• Oversee the competition process for all competitions, to ensure equity across all applicants from initial application through to final offer.
• Be a strong advocate of the core values of UKRI and Innovate UK.

Person Specification:

• Essential – Degree level academic qualification or equivalent experience.
• Management experience within a changing, fast paced, administrative team in a customer facing environment.
• Proven ability to build effective working relationships with administrative teams and stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Experience leading to an understanding and commitment to the values of accountability, probity, openness and diversity.
• Strong communication skills.
• Ability to make decisions and operate independently.
• Exceptional influencing, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

Travel Requirements: Swindon-based: There may be the occasional requirement for national 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.

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, and access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes.

Applications must be submitted by 05-06-2026.