Lead - Innovation Partnerships and Delivery in London

This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of one of London’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP). QEOP is flagged as one of London’s three leading Innovation Districts in the London Growth Plan, playing a strategic role in London’s productivity and potential for inclusive growth.

As Lead – Innovation Partnerships & Delivery, you will play a pivotal role in driving forward the Park’s Innovation District—home to world-leading institutions including a growing cluster of universities, startups, corporates and public sector partners. The District is a testbed for how place-based innovation can tackle major societal challenges, from climate and urban systems to health and public service transformation.

At the heart of this role is the creation of the QEOP Adoption Lab—a new, high-profile initiative designed to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions in real‑world public service and urban environments. The Lab will bring together government, academia and industry to test, evaluate and scale new approaches, turning innovation into practical, deployable outcomes for Londoners.

Alongside this, you will establish and convene the QEOP Innovation Board, a senior cross‑sector forum to guide the strategic direction of the District and unlock new collaborative opportunities. This is a unique role that blends strategy, partnership development and hands‑on delivery—shaping new initiatives from concept through to implementation, and ensuring they generate tangible impact aligned to LLDC’s Inclusive Growth Framework.

What you’ll be doing:

• Leading the design and delivery of the QEOP Adoption Lab, from strategic case through to implementation
• Building and managing high‑value partnerships across public, private and academic sectors
• Securing funding and investment to support innovation initiatives and long‑term sustainability
• Convening and shaping the QEOP Innovation Board, driving a shared agenda for the District
• Coordinating complex, multi‑organisation programmes and aligning stakeholders around common goals
• Translating ambitious ideas into structured, deliverable programmes with clear outcomes and impact
• Supporting senior leadership with strategic insight, briefings and engagement

More about the Adoption Lab:

The QEOP Adoption Lab is a place‑based initiative designed to tackle a critical systemic issue: while innovative solutions are increasingly available and often proven, they are not being adopted or scaled within public services and urban systems. This “adoption gap” stems from barriers such as procurement complexity, fragmented systems, workforce constraints, and misaligned incentives—resulting in repeated pilots but limited real‑world impact. The Lab responds to this challenge by shifting the focus from innovation creation to innovation adoption, positioning the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as a live testbed where solutions can be embedded into everyday practice and scaled to deliver better outcomes for Londoners.

Built on the Park’s unique concentration of anchor institutions, public service partners, research assets and diverse communities, the Adoption Lab will act as a coordinated platform for cross‑sector collaboration, testing and implementation. It will bring together government, industry and academia to address real‑world use cases—such as remote patient monitoring, digital planning and housing retrofit—by identifying where adoption breaks down and actively intervening to overcome those barriers. Through structured pathways for piloting, evaluation and scaling, alongside alignment with policy and funding opportunities, the Lab aims to unlock demand for innovation, accelerate system change, and demonstrate how place‑based ecosystems can turn proven solutions into measurable, scalable impact.

More About the QEOP Innovation Board:

The QEOP Innovation Board is a senior, cross‑sector forum providing strategic direction and advocacy for innovation at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Its core purpose is to accelerate the development and scaling of innovation across the Park, the Growth Boroughs and London, driving inclusive and sustainable growth. The Board sets priorities across key themes—Habitat, Inclusive Talent, and Health & Wellbeing—while promoting the District to attract investment, talent and partners, and connecting local activity with wider London and national policy.

Bringing together leaders from public, private, academic and community sectors, the Board convenes collaboration, shapes pilots and scaling programmes, and supports funding and partnerships to enable delivery. It plays a key role in strengthening the Park’s position as a real‑world testbed, supporting clear pathways from research to adoption and contributing to a connected innovation ecosystem that delivers measurable benefits for east London. Membership includes LLDC, UCL, UAL, Loughborough University London, UEL, Here East, Plexal, Lendlease, Sadler’s Wells, V&A East and Hackney Wick and Fish Island Community Development Trust.

Is it for you?

You are someone who thrives in complex, fast‑moving environments and enjoys working at the intersection of strategy, partnerships and delivery. You will likely bring:

• Significant experience developing and delivering cross‑sector partnerships (public–private–academic)
• A track record of turning collaboration into tangible programmes, not just ideas
• Strong political awareness and the ability to navigate complex stakeholder landscapes
• Commercial acumen, including experience securing funding or developing sustainable models
• Confidence working with senior leaders across sectors
• Experience in innovation, placemaking, economic development or public service transformation

You are collaborative, pragmatic and delivery‑focused—comfortable shaping strategy while also driving execution. Most importantly, you are motivated by the opportunity to build something new and impactful within a globally recognised innovation district.

How to apply:

To apply for this post, please submit a supporting written statement (no more than 900 words) outlining how your skills and professional experience meet the requirements set out in the Job Specification. You must also attach your CV for reference. Please note: applications must include both a CV and a supporting written statement. CVs submitted without a supporting statement will not be accepted.

We would also appreciate it if you would take the time to complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring section. The information you give us will help us to refine our recruitment and employment practices and respond to the needs of the diverse range of people that our organisation comes in contact with. All details that you provide will be kept in strict confidence and will not be viewed by any member of the selection panel.

The closing date for applications is Monday 11th May 2026 at 11:59pm. Interviews will be taking place the week commencing 25th May 2026 and week commencing 1st June 2026 in person. The details of this process will be advised should you be invited to interview.

If you would like to discuss this role further or have any questions, please email our Talent Acquisition Team. If this all sounds good to you, we’d love to hear from you!

Benefits:

The salary for this post is £101,136 per annum. LLDC operates a performance‑based incremental pay scale. The probationary period for this post is for 3 months. Upon successful completion of the probation period, confirmation of employment will be given, and the notice period will be 3 months. This is a fixed term role for a period of 12 months. This is a full time position, working 37 hours per week. All employees are eligible to join our pension scheme, which is provided by the Local Government Pension Scheme. Annual leave entitlement is 32 days per year, plus.