Grants Project Manager Cambridge, UK

About us

Riverlane’s mission is to master quantum error correction (QEC) and unlock a new age of human progress. From advances in material and climate science to complex chemistry simulation for new drug design, quantum computers will help humanity solve some of its most important challenges. But without QEC, the industry’s defining technical challenge, such breakthroughs can never be achieved. Riverlane is the world leader in QEC technology. QEC is a complex problem that requires a range of skills, talent and passion. Having raised more than $125M in funding to date to accelerate our cutting-edge R&D in quantum error correction (QEC), Riverlane partners with many of the world’s leading quantum hardware providers and government agencies to make fault-tolerant quantum computing a reality. We’re making remarkable progress and growing fast.

About the role

Riverlane delivers a growing portfolio of collaborative R&D projects funded by Innovate UK and other public bodies, working alongside partners across industry, academia, and national institutions. Much of this will be driven by Proqure: Scaling UK Quantum Computing, Innovate UK's flagship programme for UK quantum computing, with projects starting autumn 2026. You will own delivery of five to ten of these projects in parallel, from grant award through to final reporting, as an individual contributor with no direct reports. This is not an administrative coordination role. You will write the quarterly technical reports yourself, sit close to the science and engineering teams, and be trusted to represent their work accurately to funders, including regular travel to partner sites and national laboratories such as Oxford. It suits someone with sound judgement on competing deadlines, a low ego working style that earns trust with technical teams, and the range to communicate confidently from engineers through to senior leadership. You will work alongside some of Riverlane’s most experienced quantum scientists, with genuine scope to build deep, practical quantum knowledge on the job, even without a quantum background.

What success looks like after 12 months:

• Every project in your portfolio, including those delivered through Proqure, is running to schedule, with the wider organisation consistently well informed on status, successes, and partner opportunities.

What you will do

• Manage a portfolio of five to ten concurrent grant funded projects, including Innovate UK collaborative R&D, maintaining plans, budgets, risk registers, and partner relationships for each.
• Write technical and scientific progress reports and presentations for funders as a core delivery output, translating the work of research and engineering teams into clear, accurate, and well-structured documents.
• Forecast resourcing across the portfolio and balance priorities between projects, working with technical leads to anticipate demand on people and equipment, surface conflicts early, and agree trade-offs before they become delivery problems.
• Run quarterly claims and financial reporting with the Finance team, ensuring full compliance with funder terms and conditions.
• Coordinate consortium activities: partner meetings, collaboration agreements, technical expectations, deliverable schedules, and monitoring officer reviews.
• Lead initial engagement with prospective partners to form new consortia and organise and host project workshops.
• Track dependencies between grant projects and the wider company roadmap, escalating conflicts early.
• Support new grant applications with project plans, work package definitions, budgets, and risk sections.

What we need

• At least three years’ experience managing a portfolio of three or more concurrent publicly funded R&D projects with a combined value of £3 million or more, ideally including Innovate UK, with direct responsibility for reporting, and monitoring officer relationships.
• Excellent technical writing, evidenced by a sample of your own work. You can take a conversation with a physicist or an engineer and turn it into a report a funder can assess. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a sample of technical or scientific writing they have authored, such as a funder report, technical paper, or grant proposal.
• A STEM degree or comparable technical background. You will not arrive knowing quantum error correction, almost nobody does, but you need enough scientific grounding to build that understanding quickly and ask the right questions as you go.
• Proficiency with Jira and proven experience delivering through hybrid delivery approach.
• Flexibility to work with distributed and remote teams across different time zones when necessary.
• Experience in quantum technologies, semiconductors, photonics, or another deep tech field.
• Familiarity with the Innovation Funding Service, UKRI funding rules, and collaboration agreements.

What can you expect from us

• A comprehensive benefits package that includes an annual bonus plan, private medical insurance, life insurance, and a contributory pension scheme.
• Equity, so that our team can share in the long-term success of Riverlane.
• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave.
• A diverse work environment that brings together experts in many fields (including software and hardware development, quantum information theory, physics and maths) and over 20 different nationalities.
• A learning environment that encourages individual, team and company growth and development, including a regular programme of learning events and training and conference budgets.

Everyone is welcome at Riverlane. We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from eligible and suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender reassignment, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity/paternity. Women and other underrepresented groups may be less likely to apply for a role unless they meet all or nearly all of the requirements. If this applies to you, we still encourage you to apply - you may be a great fit, even if you don’t meet every single qualification. We’d love to hear from you. If you need any adjustments made to the application or selection process so you can do your best, please let us know. We will be happy to help.

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