Competition Delivery Executive

Innovate UK; Swindon; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A national innovation agency is seeking a full-time Competitions Delivery Executive based in Swindon. The role involves executing administrative tasks for grant management, providing stakeholder support, and collaborating across teams for project efficiency. Candidates must have secondary academic qualifications and administrative experience. The agency offers a comprehensive benefits package and encourages applications from diverse backgrounds.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Flexible working hours

Defined benefit pension scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in a fast-paced environment and delivering competitions efficiently.
• Proven experience in administration and effective teamwork.
• Hands-on ability to work in a process-led environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead administrative tasks for assessing applications and processing invoices.
• Support internal and external stakeholders with the competition assessment process.
• Engage with grant recipients to collect necessary data.

Skills

Customer service orientation

Administrative skills

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Education

Secondary level academic qualifications

Further education or vocational training

Tools

Microsoft systems and databases

Job description

Innovate UK Secondment Opportunity

Innovate UK has the following secondment opportunity available for employees of Innovate UK Business Connect.

Applications must be submitted by

Competition Delivery Executive

Job Purpose

The Competitions Delivery Executive will play a vital role in the seamless execution of administrative tasks related to the efficient delivery of the assessment of applications, assessor invoice processing, project set‑up, bank account information approvals, and grant offer letter creation and completion. The role will collaborate closely with team members and actively monitor all project set‑up activities for grant recipients, facilitating the earliest possible project commencement while adhering to necessary checks by Innovate UK. This may involve contacting grant recipients to collect outstanding information and recording the status of activities for review by other teams across Operations and the wider organisation. The role will include approval of bank account information and creation of grant offer letters and procurement contracts using the details collected as part of project set‑up.

We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under‑represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Take the lead in executing administrative tasks associated with the assessment of applications and invoice processing, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process.
• Provide first‑line support for internal and external stakeholders in understanding the competition assessment process.
• Manage competition assessment and interview panels, including identifying issues, problem‑solving, and re‑allocating applications to avoid potential deadline breaches.
• Support KTP responsibilities and provide first‑line support to CSS for all assessor or competition related queries received via email, Salesforce query management system, or dedicated Microsoft Teams chat.
• Proactively monitor all activities related to the set‑up of awards projects for grant recipients, identify outstanding information, and engage with recipients to collect necessary data.
• Foster strong collaboration with other teams across Operations and the wider organisation, maintaining accurate records for easy access and visibility.
• Work with Innovation Leads to create grant offer letter templates using information gathered during set‑up, and provide ad‑hoc support where necessary.
• Review and approve bank account information for each grant‑funded participant in line with Innovate UK processes, liaising with Project Finance and escalating non‑standard accounts for additional review.
• Continuously seek opportunities to enhance existing processes and workflows, contributing to overall efficiency and effectiveness of project delivery.
• Exhibit excellent written and verbal communication skills to engage effectively with grant recipients and cross‑functional teams.
• Investigate and action the weekly payment run report, liaising with accounts, claims, and project finance teams to resolve issues and ensure timely payment.
• Demonstrate a proactive mindset, identify and resolve issues promptly, and work collaboratively in a customer‑centric environment.
• Utilise technology and software for efficient data management and reporting.
• Support and mentor team members to enable cross‑functional teamwork and development.
• Maintain high‑quality internal and external customer service, ensuring fair and well‑understood competition processes.
• Join our dynamic team as a Competitions Delivery Executive and contribute to the successful execution of our grant programmes, enabling innovation and driving impactful projects.

This is not an exhaustive list and you may be encouraged to undertake other duties across the wider directorate commensurate with the band and level of responsibility of this post.

Shortlisting Criteria

(S) Assessed at shortlisting
(I) Assessed at interview
(S&I) Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

Person Specification

The post‑holder should have proven experience in a fast‑paced, customer service‑oriented environment and be passionate about delivering competitions efficiently.

Experience & Qualifications – Essential

• Secondary level academic qualifications or equivalent (S)
• Further education or vocational training qualification, desirable (S)
• Interest / background / experience in innovation, research, business competitiveness and technology policy or delivery (S&I)
• General administration experience working with bespoke and Microsoft systems and databases (S)
• Demonstrable experience of working as part of effective teams preferably in an operational environment to deliver results (I)
• Proven hands‑on ability to work within a change and process‑led environment (I)
• Experience of working with multiple senior‑level stakeholders providing proactive customer / stakeholder support, managing multiple deadlines concurrently (S&I)

Competencies

All team members demonstrate compatibility with and capability against our Core Competencies such as: Thinking and Problem Solving, Stakeholder Management, Communication Skills, Influencing, Self‑awareness / self‑management, Strategic Awareness, Working with Others, Project Management.

Some of the above competencies will be assessed at interview stage in addition to the criteria listed in the person specification.

Travel Requirements

Swindon‑based. There may be the occasional requirement for national travel.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Innovate UK is a diverse workforce of people. We believe that encouraging differences and drawing the best from them will create a productive environment in which everyone feels valued and talents are fully utilised. Underpinning this is the belief that everyone is entitled to be treated equally with fairness, respect and dignity. We encourage applications from all those who meet the criteria set‑out in our role profiles.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer committed to employing any person who meets the criteria for our roles. When undertaking recruitment we may require applicants to undertake certain tests or assessments some of which may be online and others in‑person. If you have a disability, health condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, you may be entitled to support with undertaking this type of assessment exercise. Where you feel a reasonable adjustment is required we ask that you advise your recruitment point of contact in a timely fashion, providing confidence that Innovate UK will then review your application for adjustments and provide support.

UK Research and Innovation

Innovate UK is a partner organisation within UK Research and Innovation. If successful in securing the position your employer will be UK Research and Innovation.

Benefits

We offer a benefits package crafted to provide an excellent work/life balance, including 30 days annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege days, flexible working hours, an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme and access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes.

Flexible Working

We understand the importance of work‑life balance and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants.

Pre‑employment Screening

To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a comprehensive pre‑employment check on successful applicants as part of the recruitment process. The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re‑run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

Key Skills

• Electrical Engineering
• Clinical Research
• Corporate Sales
• Key Account
• AutoCAD Drafting

Employment Type

Full‑Time

Experience

Years – 1

Vacancy

1