Director of Growth - Science and Technology

The Director of Growth - Science and Technology will lead Plexal’s commercial engagement and growth with the UK government’s science and technology community and across the UK’s priority technology areas. In addition to leading Plexal’s strategy and engagement with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), this role will be responsible for public sector customer engagement, proposition development and shaping and executing commercial strategies that expand Plexal’s advisory and consulting footprint across UK government over the next 3 years.

Working at the intersection of innovation, technology, and public‑sector transformation, this role would suit a commercially astute, relationship‑oriented consulting leader. Success in this role will require the ability to understand the UK’s frontier technology and industrial strategy priorities, in order to shape and commercialise a focussed portfolio of services and propositions that address UK government policy needs. This role will be required to interpret and integrate complex customer needs, commercial ambition and delivery and account oversight. You will be accountable for driving business development and growth in the public sector through securing multi‑year contracts, pursuing strategic opportunities and establishing coalitions and partnerships which position Plexal as the UK’s leading organisation for government innovation and delivery.

What You’ll Do

• Government Sector Growth Leadership
  • Identify, prioritise and lead the pursuit of major growth opportunities across UK government in support of key priorities such as frontier technology development, sovereign technology, economic growth and technology adoption.
  • Shape and develop Plexal’s position and thought leadership on critical national technology issues.
  • Build and execute go‑to‑market strategies that deliver long‑term, sustainable revenue growth through multi‑year contracts and partnerships.
• Strategic Relationship Management
  • Develop and maintain strong relationships with senior civil servants, officials and influential ecosystem partners.
  • Position Plexal as a trusted advisor, thought leader and long‑term strategic partner on cross‑cutting technology and innovation priorities.
  • Represent Plexal at high‑level government engagements, policy roundtables, and industry forums.
• Opportunity Development & Commercial Leadership
  • Own the full public sector commercial cycle—from early opportunity shaping through to pursuit, contracting and onboarding and renewal.
  • Shape Plexal’s long‑term commercial positioning and development of routes to market, including identifying framework opportunities, direct pursuits and partnering models to drive Plexal’s growth.
  • Develop and iterate Plexal’s value propositions across a range of strategic technologies (e.g. cyber, AI, quantum, advanced communications) and objectives (e.g. security, resilience, public good, economic growth).
  • Oversee the creation of tender responses, bids, proposals, challenge books, and commercial models.
  • Work with delivery leaders to ensure proposed solutions are feasible, compelling, and aligned to customer outcomes.
• Customer Success & Account Ownership
  • Ensure exceptional customer experience across all government accounts.
  • Proactively monitor customer KPIs, contract performance, and long‑term satisfaction.
  • Lead account reviews and ensure consistent communication with key stakeholders.
• Internal Leadership & Collaboration
  • Work closely with senior leaders across Innovation Services, Product, Marketing, Delivery, and People & Culture.
  • Contribute to broader organisational development, including new proposition development, talent development, culture and operational excellence.
  • Mentor, develop and line‑manage team members supporting government accounts and critical campaigns.

Essential - Your Experience

• Consulting or industry experience gained in a technology or advisory environment with demonstrable experience in delivering customer impact in the UK public sector.
• Proven experience in leading relationship‑based pursuits, business development, or commercial teams/functions within a UK public sector context.
• Previous exposure to working with large consulting organisations and developing joint propositions.
• Strong understanding of public‑sector procurement, compliance, and funding mechanisms.
• Track record of securing and managing multi‑million‑pound government contracts.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills at senior levels.
• Ability to navigate complex political and organisational environments.
• Strong commercial acumen and experience designing go‑to‑market strategies.

Desirable

• Domain experience in frontier technology areas such as AI, quantum or advanced communications.
• Experience working in innovation, start‑up or defence sectors.
• Exposure to multi‑partner programmes or consortia.

Who You Are

• Strategic thinker with entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for technology, innovation and societal impact.
• Mindset and drive to execute end‑to‑end.
• Ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast‑paced environments.
• Collaborative, inclusive, and values‑driven approach.
• Excellent communication, presentation, influencing and relationship management skills.
• Willingness to undertake regular national travel (>40%) and occasional international travel.
• Open to UK Nationals who hold or are eligible for Security Check (SC) clearance.
• Commitment to Plexal’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Why us?

• Plexal’s Values
  • Mission: We inherit the mission of UK government and deliver it in an agile and creative fashion.
  • Collaboration: We believe in the power of working together.
  • Equality: We strengthen ourselves as a team by embracing the different.
  • Care: People are at the heart of what we do; we care about our customers, members and colleagues.

As a start‑up, we thrive in a dynamic and fast‑paced work environment dedicated to empowering innovators. We embrace individuals who leverage technology and creativity to tackle our greatest challenges head‑on. We strongly advocate for maintaining a harmonious work‑life balance, our goal is to ensure every member of our team can authentically be themselves and live their best lives. We firmly believe that innovation and creativity flourish when we cultivate a diverse workforce, comprising highly skilled individuals with a wide range of perspectives to contribute.

In Return We Will Offer You

• Annual bonus scheme
• A generous pension scheme (with a company contribution of up to 10%)
• Private healthcare, life assurance and critical illness cover
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Volunteering day

Plexal is an equal opportunities employer and we actively encourage applicants from individuals from all backgrounds. We are a Disability Committed employer and are willing to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

About Us

Plexal is the innovation and growth company helping to strengthen the UK’s technology capabilities through collaboration. With teams in London, Manchester and Cheltenham, we work closely with government, industry, startups and academia to drive economic growth and reinforce national security. Founded by Delancey in 2017, Plexal delivers four core services: creating workspaces for innovators, running innovation programmes and consultancy, building regional tech clusters and helping SMEs scale strategically. By closing the gap between early‑stage and established organisations – across the public and private sectors at home and abroad – we’ve impacted over 1,200 businesses, added £731m to the UK economy and helped create 9,400 jobs. Headquartered at Here East on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Plexal partners with organisations including the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the National Cyber Security Centre, Airbus, Amazon, Barclays Eagle Labs, Google Cloud, TfL, The Alan Turing Institute and the University of Oxford.