Innovation Funding Lead

Siemens; Congleton; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Siemens Congleton is seeking an organised Innovation Funding Lead to identify UK funding opportunities, coordinate bid preparation and support the delivery of funded projects. You will work with engineers, universities and industry partners to turn technical ideas into funded collaborations, align proposals with technology priorities and manage governance across projects.

Based at Congleton with occasional travel to Newport and Germany, the role offers exposure to government-funded programmes

Qualifications

• Experience in innovation funding, grant applications, business development, project management or a related area.
• Knowledge of, or an interest in, the UK public funding and innovation landscape.
• Background in electronics, electrical engineering, manufacturing or another engineering‑related field.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and identify UK government funding opportunities.
• Maintain a forward-looking funding and opportunity pipeline aligned with Siemens technology and business priorities.
• Work with engineers and technology teams to identify suitable project ideas and develop funding concepts.
• Coordinate the preparation of funding applications and consortium bids.
• Develop and maintain bid schedules and deadlines to ensure submissions are delivered on time.
• Support the development of project plans, business cases, technical narratives and budgets.
• Engage with potential industry, academic and research partners to support collaborative bids.
• Coordinate project administration, including meeting coordination, actions, reporting, documentation, milestones and governance activities.
• Maintain appropriate records of funding opportunities, submissions and awards.
• Support project kick-offs, steering meetings and periodic project reviews.
• Work with project teams to identify follow‑on funding and future collaboration opportunities.
• Contribute to improving Siemens Congleton's funding processes, templates and governance

Skills

Grant writing

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Analytical skills

Organisational skills

Technical understanding

Education

Engineering background

Job description

Accelerating Growth. Strengthening UK Industry

Siemens Congleton, part of the Digital Industries Automation business, is a flagship manufacturing and technology site for Siemens UK, with a heritage spanning more than 50 years. Today, the site is a globally recognised centre of excellence, producing around 1.5 million electronics power converters each year for customers across international markets. Congleton brings together a unique end-to-end capability spanning technology innovation, product development, manufacturing, certification testing and sustainability, making it a powerful platform for developing and scaling the technologies that will shape the future of electrification, automation and digitalisation.

We are increasingly working with government, industry, universities, research organisations and technology centres to secure external funding that accelerates technology development, strengthens UK industrial capability, supports future products and manufacturing, creates high-value jobs and contributes to UK economic growth and Gross Value Added (GVA).

The Innovation Funding Lead will support this activity by identifying relevant funding opportunities, coordinating the development of funding proposals and supporting the successful delivery of funded projects. The role will help turn technical ideas and business priorities into well-structured funding proposals and collaborative projects.

The Role

The role will focus on identifying and developing UK funding opportunities that align with Siemens Congleton technology, product and manufacturing priorities. You will monitor the UK funding landscape, identify relevant calls and opportunities, work with technical teams to develop project concepts, coordinate bid preparation and support the administration and delivery of funded projects.

The role combines funding opportunity identification, bid coordination, project administration and stakeholder management, supported by a basic technical understanding of engineering and technology.

You will be part of the Technology & Innovation team at Siemens Congleton, working closely with engineers, technology specialists and business stakeholders. The role will also involve collaboration with universities, Catapults, research organisations, government bodies and industrial partners.

The role is based at Congleton, with regular travel to the Power Electronics Innovation Hub in Newport and occasional travel to Siemens headquarters in Germany, universities, research centres and other partner organisations.

What You Will Do

• Monitor and identify relevant UK government funding opportunities.
• Maintain a forward-looking funding and opportunity pipeline aligned with Siemens technology and business priorities.
• Work with engineers and technology teams to identify suitable project ideas and develop funding concepts
• Coordinate the preparation of funding applications and consortium bids
• Develop and maintain bid schedules and deadlines to ensure submissions are delivered on time.
• Support the development of project plans, business cases, technical narratives and budgets.
• Engage with potential industry, academic and research partners to support collaborative bids
• Coordinate project administration, including meeting coordination, actions, reporting, documentation, milestones and governance activities.
• Maintain appropriate records of funding opportunities, submissions and awards
• Support project kick-offs, steering meetings and periodic project reviews.
• Work with project teams to identify follow‑on funding and future collaboration opportunities.
• Contribute to improving Siemens Congleton's funding processes, templates and governance

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for an organised, proactive and commercially minded individual who enjoys finding opportunities, bringing people together and turning ideas into funded projects.

You should have:

• Experience in innovation funding, grant applications, business development, project management or a related area.
• Knowledge of, or an interest in, the UK public funding and innovation landscape.
• Some background in electronics, electrical engineering, manufacturing or another engineering‑related field.
• The ability to understand technical concepts and work effectively with engineers
• Strong coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple opportunities, deadlines and stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, particularly the ability to turn technical information into clear and compelling proposals.
• Good analytical skills, with the ability to assess funding opportunities and determine their relevance to Siemens.
• The ability to build effective relationships with internal teams and external organisations.

Nice to have, but not essential:

• Experience with Innovate UK, UKRI, government or other UK grant funding programmes.
• Experience developing or coordinating R&D or innovation funding applications.
• Experience working with universities, Catapults, research organisations or industry consortia.
• Knowledge of advanced manufacturing, power electronics, AI, semiconductors, industrial automation or related technologies.
• Experience supporting the delivery or administration of grant‑funded projects.
• Experience with project management tools, financial tracking or funding management systems

Why join us?

This role offers the opportunity to play a hands‑on part in helping Siemens Congleton turn innovative ideas into funded projects that accelerate technology development, product innovation, manufacturing and sustainability.

If you are passionate about innovation, enjoy finding opportunities, bringing people together and turning ideas into action, we would like to hear from you.

We are fully committed to providing equal opportunities and building an inclusive workplace where a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives thrive. We embrace the many ways people think, learn, and experience the world—because we know that diverse minds drive innovation. So that we can support you to be your best during the application and interview process, please let us know if you have any specific requirements

Are you ready to turn ideas into business impact?