At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead innovative projects with startups and emerging technologies in a dynamic environment.
- Company: Join Plexal, a fast-growing innovation company focused on collaboration and technology.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, annual bonus, private healthcare, and 25 days holiday.
- Other info: Flexible work culture that values diversity and work-life balance.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by shaping the future of technology and innovation.
- Qualifications: Experience in tech, innovation, or startups; strong relationship-building skills.
The predicted salary is between 65000 - 75000 € per year.
Overview
The Role\'s Purpose: As an Innovation Lead at Plexal, you will lead projects and accounts with the public and private sector clients, with a focus on startups and emerging technologies. You will play an important role in delivering excellence and growth in technology led innovation. We are a rapidly growing team and are actively looking to recruit exceptional individuals who want to work in an adaptive, fast moving, collaborative environment.
Responsibilities
- Managing teams of consultants and associates to design and deliver end-to-end projects for clients, with a focus on emerging technologies.
- Acting as a relationship manager, building partnerships and commercial relationships to help grow our initiatives and Plexal’s innovation services business
- Leading the creation of high-impact outputs that help clients make decisions on their emerging technology strategy
- Monitoring emerging technology trends and market needs to guide our work and shape our innovation strategy as we grow
- Consulting clients on the best way to engage with the emerging technology ecosystem
- Proactively managing regular interaction, communication and collaboration with external stakeholders
- Contribute to business development efforts, including public tenders and private sector proposals
Qualifications
- Engaging and accurate written work suitable for advising and making recommendations to senior leaders, using your own intuition and judgement
- Ability to work proactively - planning and organising your own work with reference to appropriate strategies, policies, processes and protocols
- Commercial awareness and an aptitude for building relationships, nurturing opportunities and structuring mutually beneficial business partnerships
- Excellent listening, facilitating and influencing skills, including influencing senior leaders and external stakeholders and negotiating to achieve desired outcomes
- Cybersecurity knowledge desirable: cyber risk management, threat landscape awareness, security architecture, governance, risk and compliance, incident response
Experience
- Proven experience working with or in a technology, innovation, venture or startup environment
- Previous experience of mentoring startups and innovators
- Programme management expertise, with solid organisational skills and a structured approach to delivery
- Experience with managing complex relationships and stakeholders
Who You Are
- A passion for and understanding of emerging technologies (e.g. AI, quantum, biotechnology, cyber, IoT) and the innovative startups that exist in this space
- Flexible when it comes to working within a matrix structure with changing organisational and operational requirements
- Personal resilience and the ability to remain focused on the overall objective, responding to challenges in a calm and measured manner
- Proven experience working with cyber businesses / sector is desirable
- Higher Education degree, or equivalent knowledge gained via work experience. (Essential)
- SC or DV clearance desirable
Why Plexal
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
- Salary: £65,000 - 75,000 depending on skills and experience
- 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 company solving society\'s challenges through collaboration with government, startups and industry. The business is closing the gap between organisations – small and large, local and global, private and public – and working towards a common goal: using science and technology to deliver national security and prosperity. It was founded in 2017 as the innovation centre at Here East and is owned by clients of specialist real estate investment advisory company Delancey. Providing bespoke consultancy services and state-of-the-art workspaces for over 1,000 innovators, Plexal sources the right partners from our ecosystem of 15,000 connections. It supports entrepreneurs, startups and scaleups building emerging technologies and operates across multiple sectors including cyber, healthcare, intelligence and defence, government, public safety, financial services and telecoms. Expanding on its existing presence in London and Manchester, Plexal acquired a majority shareholding in Hub8 – the Cheltenham network of co-working spaces for cyber-tech, digital and creative startups and SMEs. This is part of an ongoing mission to build the UK’s most connected cyber ecosystem, with GCHQ’s more than 70-year heritage in Cheltenham. Plexal delivers projects for key government departments and global tech companies including the National Cyber Security Centre, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Amazon Web Services and IBM. The NCSC For Startups alumni of over 60 companies has collectively raised over £430m and created over 700 jobs, while 72 cyber startups that have gone through Plexal’s LORCA accelerators have collectively raised over £300m, generated more than £68m in revenue and hired over 800 people.
Innovation Lead in Cheltenham employer: Plexal
Plexal is an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and collaborative work culture, empowering its team to drive innovation in emerging technologies. With a strong commitment to employee growth, Plexal offers generous benefits including a competitive salary, annual bonus scheme, and private healthcare, all while promoting a healthy work-life balance. Located in the heart of London and expanding into Cheltenham, employees have the unique opportunity to engage with a diverse ecosystem of startups and industry leaders, making a meaningful impact on society's challenges.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Innovation Lead in Cheltenham
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to potential colleagues on LinkedIn. Building relationships can open doors that a CV just can’t.
✨Tip Number 2
Show your passion for innovation! When you get the chance to chat with someone from Plexal or during an interview, share your thoughts on emerging technologies and how they can shape the future. Your enthusiasm can set you apart from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those tricky questions! Research common interview questions for roles like Innovation Lead and think about how your experience aligns with what Plexal is looking for. Practising your answers can help you feel more confident when it’s showtime.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Plexal team. Let’s make it happen!
We think you need these skills to ace Innovation Lead in Cheltenham
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your application for the Innovation Lead role. Highlight your experience with emerging technologies and how it aligns with Plexal's mission. We want to see your passion shine through!
Showcase Your Writing Skills:Since engaging and accurate written work is key, ensure your application is clear and concise. Use examples from your past experiences that demonstrate your ability to advise senior leaders effectively.
Be Proactive and Organised:We love candidates who can plan and organise their work! Share how you've managed projects or teams in the past, especially in fast-paced environments. This will show us you can thrive at Plexal.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and keep track of your application. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Plexal
✨Know Your Emerging Technologies
As an Innovation Lead, you'll need to be well-versed in the latest trends in emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and cybersecurity. Do your homework on these areas and be ready to discuss how they can impact Plexal's projects and clients.
✨Showcase Your Relationship-Building Skills
Plexal values collaboration and partnership. Prepare examples of how you've successfully built relationships in previous roles, especially with startups or in tech environments. Highlight your ability to nurture opportunities and create mutually beneficial partnerships.
✨Demonstrate Your Project Management Expertise
Be ready to talk about your experience managing complex projects. Use specific examples to illustrate your structured approach to delivery and how you’ve led teams to achieve high-impact outputs for clients.
✨Emphasise Your Adaptability
Plexal operates in a fast-paced environment, so it's crucial to show that you can adapt to changing circumstances. Share instances where you've successfully navigated challenges or shifts in strategy while keeping your focus on the overall objective.
