Stakeholder Relationships Lead (FTC)

Job Title – Stakeholder Relationships Lead

Contract – Fixed term until 31st March 2025

Hours – Full time (37.5 hours)

Location – Home based (UK)

Salary – £46,367 to £50,000

Purpose of the Role

Innovate UK Business Connect works with strategic partners across the ecosystem to ensure that innovation is driven from a more diverse base that supports better innovation outcomes and helps the UK become a leading nation in innovation nationally and globally.

This role will help develop and deliver a stakeholder strategy to ensure Innovate UK BC builds and maintains these relationships with the public and private sector. This position will manage stakeholder relationships through a CRM system and identify opportunities and gaps as well as monitoring existing relationships.

This role will contribute to Innovate UK BC’s success by working with colleagues on cross-sector collaboration projects, meeting KPIs, supporting the development of bids and proposals and engaging with Innovate UK, UKRI and other relevant government departments, research councils, and leadership bodies around the UK.

Roles & responsibilities

• Develop a stakeholder strategy that delivers against IUK BC’s Company Plan
• Build and maintain a wide range of stakeholder relationships across the UK on behalf of IUK BC
• Lead on stakeholder strategy on key programmes such as the No Limits programme.
• Build and maintain a good rapport with key stakeholders, including private and public organisations
• Work across IUK and IUK BC teams and senior leadership to provide intelligence on important emerging stakeholder relationships
• Act as a network facilitator within and across communities
• Work with the IUK BC CRM system to capture and promote diverse networks and individuals for engagement across all IUK BC sectors and UK regions
• Identify new opportunities with potential and existing partners to secure projects that align with IUK BC work
• Undertake reporting obligations in line with IUK BC goals for impact measurement
• Deliver key business metrics agreed with the line manager, and track progress, capturing outcomes and success stories
• Lead on workshops/programme delivery, with high levels of company seniority or complexity
• To lead and be a team member who supports innovation and business growth, through developing partnerships

Essential experience

• Experience and aptitude in business and public-sector stakeholder engagement at all levels, with a good professional profile and network
• A strong general understanding of political and policy environment around innovation
• Experience of working with a diverse range of stakeholders and utilising tools such as a CRM
• Strong personal network of senior figures in many companies/public bodies/organisations and demonstrable reputation for representing their organisation at conferences and workshops.

Skills

• A self-starter, able to demonstrate high levels of initiative and motivation
• Strong business orientation and alignment with company values
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate confidently and build effective relationships
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate confidently and build effective relationships
• Team player with good relationship building and influencing skills; enjoys working in a collaborative manner in an open, honest, and diverse environment
• A good communicator with well-developed written and verbal skills, able to translate complex topics for broad audiences, including both business and policymakers
• Good understanding of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion challenges
• Excellent organisation, prioritisation, and project management skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Diplomatic sensitivity

Leadership

• Strong leadership capability with the ability to motivate and inspire others
• Ability to look continuously for opportunities for improvement and to develop strategies for change to influence and shape the future direction for activities and programmes

About Innovate UK Business Connect

We connect ideas, people, and communities to drive innovation that changes lives.

Innovation is complex. The journey from idea to market is not straightforward and requires a diverse range of know-how, investment, market knowledge and research. Innovate UK Business Connect exists to connect innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking – accelerating ambitious ideas into real-world solutions.

The future holds both challenges and opportunities. We are passionate about working with innovative businesses to overcome these challenges and shape the opportunities and solutions that follow.

Our vision is to create a network of innovators so powerful its ideas will change the world.

While business is at the heart of our work, our diverse connections span government, funders, research and the third sector. This unrivalled overview and connectivity enable us to be a trusted guide through a complex global landscape of research, development, and innovation.

Benefits

• This role has a salary of £46,367 to £50,000
• 28 days annual leave plus 10.5 bank and public holidays
• Enhanced Pension Plan
• Life Assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Wider Wallet employee benefits high street discounts scheme
• Opportunities for continuous professional development as part of our Talent & Development Programme

This is a fixed term contract until 31st March 2025.

This advert will close on Wednesday 5th June though some circumstances may require us to close earlier, so early application is advised.

First stage interviews to be held w/c 10th June

Second stage interviews to be held w/c 17th June and 24th June

Please apply by submitting a tailored cover letter outlining your suitability with specifics relating to the requirements of the role, and your CV outlining your experience.

Applicants must have the existing right to work in the UK without restrictions as sponsorship for visas is not provided. Unfortunately, owing to the high number of applications received, we can only provide feedback to applicants selected for interview.

Should you wish to discuss this opportunity further, please contact the Recruitment Team by email to [email protected].

Innovate UK Business Connect strives to be a diverse and inclusive place where we can all be ourselves. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in the industry: people of colour, LGBTQ+ community, women, disabled people, people of any age or family status. We know that diversity makes us stronger and we strive to create a working environment that is inclusive, and ensures everyone can be heard and valued for their contributions.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status. We are committed to removing barriers for individuals with conditions, illnesses or disabilities and we will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process, and in their future role.

If you would like to request any reasonable adjustment, for any part of the recruitment process (including application), please let us know by emailing [email protected].