Horizon Europe Guarantee Post Award Manager

Innovate UK; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research organization in the UK is seeking a Horizon Europe Guarantee Post Award Manager in Swindon. The role involves managing post-award tasks, leading a team of Delivery Executives, and ensuring exceptional customer service. Candidates should have a degree, management experience, and strong communication skills. Benefits include a robust package with 30 days of leave and flexible working options. This position offers an opportunity to contribute to Horizon funded projects and work in a collaborative environment.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Flexible working hours

Defined benefit pension scheme

Qualifications

• Operational/project management experience in a fast paced customer service environment.
• Experience setting SMART objectives for direct reports.
• Ability to build effective relationships with teams and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage the daily operations of the Post Award Delivery Executives.
• Conduct monthly 1-2-1s with all team members.
• Produce regular reports on post-award activities.

Skills

Operational/project management experience

Strong communication skills

Customer service orientation

Team management

Education

Degree level qualification

Job description

Title

Horizon Europe Guarantee Post Award Manager

Band

UKRI Band E (UKRI Ts & Cs)

Salary

45272 gross per annum

Reports to

Horizon Europe Post Award Lead

Location

Swindon (Hybrid Working)

Contract

Fixed Term until (30 / 09 / 2026)

Context

The Post Award Team are responsible for managing all of the post award tasks namely claims assurance and PCR processes successfully and robustly within the specified timeframes. You will work closely with other Pre and Post-Award teams and Sector teams to provide support and knowledge to successful applicants ensuring the post‑award processes are completed efficiently. We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under‑represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.

Job Purpose

The Manager will lead a team of Post Award Delivery Executives who act as an inbound agent primarily responsible for supporting the management of claims and assurance checking processes across all Horizon funded projects. A key requirement of the role is the ability to work as part of a team but to also be capable of working independently to achieve results and complete tasks to a high standard within a specified timeframe.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Manage the daily operations of the Horizon Post‑Award Delivery Executives allocating work to the individual team members ensuring training across all activity is in place to maintain a cross trained team.
• Conduct monthly 1‑2‑1s with all team members managing each person to objectives in line with their performance development reviews.
• Deputise for the Horizon Post Award Lead and help inform policy decisions and continuous process improvement. Acting as an SME to help inform interpretation and application of rules and regulations.
• Take ownership of your team and focus on delivering exceptional service through all pre‑award activities.
• Support other areas of Horizon Operations (i.e. Customer Support Services) with their call or email traffic should the need arise through facilitating cross training across the department and ensuring maintenance of knowledge gained.
• Work with the Post Award Lead to produce regular (weekly / monthly) reports on post‑award activities to track performance and service levels particularly in regards to volumes / values of claims being approved and timeframe taken to do so. Presented in such a manner to be shared with Senior Stakeholders.
• Act as the escalation point for any customer queries which cannot be resolved by a team member collaborating with other Operations management team members for assistance on resolution as necessary.
• Ensure that your team is successfully completing all post‑award activities within agreed SLAs.
• Ensure that all internal approval steps within post‑award are completed and that your team issue correct payments with the relevant assurance steps taken.
• Perform regular quality assurance checks and reviews with team members to ensure high levels of customer service.
• Represent the team at Operations management meetings in absence of Post Award Lead.
• Work in an agile manner to respond to demands for change as the business needs.
• Monitoring and payment of claims for all live grants is delivered on time and at the appropriate quality.
• Manage and mentor all your direct reports including conducting regular 1‑2‑1s and ensuring that PDRs are conducted with associated objectives set.
• Ensure high quality internal and external customer service is maintained by your team.
• Be a strong advocate of the core values of UKRI and Innovate UK.
• This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to undertake any other duties across the wider directorate commensurate with the Band and level of responsibility of this post for which the post holder has the key experience and / or training.

Person Specification

The post‑holder should have operational / project management experience in a fast paced and customer service oriented environment. They must be passionate about customer service and have an engaging and encouraging manner for mentoring their teams.

Experience & Qualifications

Essential

• Degree level qualification or equivalent experience.
• Management experience within a changing fast paced administrative team in a customer facing environment.
• Proven ability to build effective working relationships with administrative teams and stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Experience leading to an understanding and commitment to the values of accountability, probity, openness and diversity and a significant grasp of public accountability and the associated obligations.
• Experience of working in a managerial role in a funding assurance or related discipline.
• Experience of working with procurement regulations.
• Experience of working to strategic goals.
• Experience of setting smart objectives for your direct reports.
• Strong communication skills.

Desirable

• Commercial acumen developed in the private‑sector or at the public / private‑sector interface.

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.

Shortlisting criteria

(S) Assessed at shortlisting

(I) Assessed at interview

(S&I) Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

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 these differences and drawing the best from them will build a productive environment in which everyone feels valued where talents are fully utilised and in which organisational goals are met. Underpinning this is a belief that it is a fundamental right for everyone to be treated equally with fairness respect and dignity. We will act directly and use our influence to ensure that this right is promoted and upheld; 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 will be online and others may be in‑person. If you have a disability health condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia then you may be entitled to support with undertaking this type of assessment exercise. Where you feel that reasonable adjustments are required to support you we ask that you advise your recruitment point of contact in a timely fashion providing further confidence Innovate UK will then review your application for adjustments and provide support as required.

UK Research and Innovation

Innovate UK is partner organisation within UK Research and Innovation. If successful in securing the position your employer will be UK Research and Innovation. More information can be found online.

Benefits

We offer a benefits package crafted to provide an excellent work / life balance. This includes 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 required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re‑run security clearance as required during the course of employment. UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health agriculture and food security and bioscience for health which includes research on animals genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research you should consider how this aligns with your personal values or beliefs. To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a full and comprehensive pre‑employment check as a crucial part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check.

Key Skills

• Category Management
• Corporate Paralegal
• Access Control System
• FTP
• Channel Sales
• IT System Administration

Employment Type

Full‑Time

Experience

years

Vacancy

1