Chief innovation officer in London

Introducing Zinc Network. For over fifteen years, Zinc Network has been helping governments and businesses navigate the world's most complex challenges using communications, technology, and behavioural science. We work on some of the toughest briefs: protecting children online, strengthening democratic resilience, and preventing violent extremism.

Working in partnership with a global network of media outlets, communities, and influencers, we help clients understand complex issues, design and deliver behavioural interventions, create compelling campaigns, activate trusted grassroots networks, and evaluate impact. We're now building Kora — our AI-powered platform that systematises this expertise into scalable technology, enabling clients to work faster, more impactfully, and more cost-effectively.

We're looking for people who want to operate at the intersection of geopolitics, security, and technological disruption, and who are committed to building a safer, more secure world.

Outline of the job

Zinc is seeking a Chief Strategy Officer to lead our strategic, research, creative, and digital capabilities. Reporting to the Managing Director, the Chief Strategy Officer will oversee the Head of Research and MREL, Creative Director, Head of Digital, and a team of strategists, working closely with the Kora team to integrate AI and technology into our work. They'll lead the technical vision for business development, ensure technical excellence across all our project outputs, drive innovation in how we work, reinforce Zinc as a thought leader around the emerging issues of the day, and ensure Zinc remains at the forefront of behaviour change and strategic communications practice.

This role demands someone who combines deep expertise in intervention design, behaviour change, and strategic communications with the ability to lead multidisciplinary creative and insight teams. We are looking for a systems thinker who can translate complex problems into compelling solutions and build rigorous and scalable methodologies. We want someone motivated by delivering real impact for our clients, with an agile, campaigns mindset, who wants to win.

You will have experience leading the strategy function at an organisation or business that changes attitudes and behaviours, in fields such as communications, product/service design, or management consultancy. You will be able to direct and integrate research, strategic planning, digital marketing, and creative and production teams to deliver high impact, integrated campaigns and other interventions. You will have experience, or at least significant exposure to, developing and using innovative technology to change audience behaviours. You will have a strong and demonstrable interest in international affairs, security, and defence.

What you’ll be doing

• Technical Leadership and Innovation
  • Lead the Head of Research and MREL, Creative Director, Head of Digital, and team of strategists — ensuring these functions operate as a high-performing, integrated unit.
  • Drive technical excellence and innovation across all of our project delivery including strategy, research, evaluation, digital, and creative work.
  • Work closely with the Kora Director to advance our AI and technology capabilities, ensuring the teams use Kora to enhance how we deliver insight, design interventions, and measure impact.
  • Champion quality standards across all client deliverables.
  • Codify and continuously improve Zinc's methodologies across research and analysis, strategic planning, creative, digital, and campaigning.
• Technical Leadership for New Business
  • Lead and write technical sections of major bids and proposals, ensuring they are strategically sound, methodologically rigorous, and creatively ambitious.
  • Ensure programming and strategy teams are developing new opportunities with existing clients by providing a steady drumbeat of ideas for innovations and uplifts.
  • Work with our Head of BD to map future opportunities, based on emerging policy issues and priorities.
  • Design innovative methodologies that differentiate Zinc's offer and demonstrate our expertise to government clients.
  • Work with the Head of BD to identify opportunities where Zinc's technical capabilities create competitive advantage.
  • Identify and attend fora where Zinc can build its reputation and convert that into new clients and projects.
• Strategy, Research, and Measurement
  • Ensure tight integration between research, strategy, and MREL functions — so insights inform design, evaluation demonstrates impact, and learning is used to optimise our approach.
  • Oversee development of strategic frameworks and behavioural change approaches that advance Zinc's practice.