Innovation Lead

NHS; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 53,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading NHS Trust as an Innovation Officer, where you will support high-quality clinical care through innovative collaborations. Utilizing your Masters-level education, you will drive the Trust's strategy to enhance research, funding, and training efforts across multiple healthcare disciplines.

Qualifications

• Educated to Masters level or equivalent experience required.
• Significant experience in both research and innovation needed.
• Ability to lead operational activities in NHS environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop partnerships with industry and universities.
• Produce innovation case studies and facilitate technology adoption.
• Ensure governance systems and increase Trust staff awareness.

Skills

Understanding of intellectual property rights

Innovation process support

Technology appraisal

Market opportunity assessment

Leadership and supervision

Organisational skills

Excellent written communication

Education

Masters level education or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office software

Job description

Job summary

A particular and significant task of this post will be to support the Innovation Director, Managing Director of Research & Innovation and Associate Director Research & Innovation in implementing the Trust Research & Innovation Strategy.

The particular objective is to ensure that innovation activity addresses the needs of the Clinical Directorates in delivering the highest quality clinical care. This will require the active development of new collaborations and relationships and the on-going effective management of such.

The Clinical Research & Innovation Office (CRIO) support the institutions to:o Enable their strategy of developing high quality research, significant funding and capacity building in the continual drive for research and innovation excellence and success.o Provide a supportive, researcher-centred streamlined approach for the stimulation, training, support, governance, costing and contracting of translational, clinical and health services research activity across the two institutions.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will work with a range of local, regional and national partners to facilitate development, implementation and delivery of innovative solutions, and help develop a range of SMART measures to assess performance. Key areas to include:

Develop partnerships with Industry and Universities.Produce Innovation case studies.Facilitate technology adoption.Ensure that effective information, support and governance systems in place.Increase Trust staff awareness and engagement in our innovation activities.Improve our capability and capacity for growth in innovation.Ensure the exploitation of innovation opportunities.Develop effective monitoring of relevant and useful Key Performance Indicators.

About us

You will be working for an organisation which values and respects all of its staff and the community it serves. The Trust is a leader in the NHS and research sectors and provides excellent benefits for its staff. This includes commitments to professional development but also many policies to support employees in balancing their personal and professional lives.

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK's biggest providers of integrated hospital and community-based healthcare providing a comprehensive range of local and tertiary services to the residents of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Mid Yorkshire and North Derbyshire and also some highly specialist services to all parts of England. We have a history of delivering high quality care, training and developing high calibre multidisciplinary health professionals, clinical excellence and innovation in medical research.

The Trust and Faculty of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield have a large and expanding clinical research and innovation portfolio with significant joint Trust-University of Sheffield research and innovation programmes, academic directorates, UK and EU Centres of Excellence and extensive collaborations in the UK.

Details Date posted

06 June 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year per annum pro rata for part time staff

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

190-0420-DIR

Job locations

Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Glossop Road

Sheffield

S10 2JF

Job description Job responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.

Job description Job responsibilities

Please view the attached Job Description and Person Specification documents for full details regarding this post.

When completing your application please ensure that you clearly demonstrate how you meet the role criteria.

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Educated to Masters level or with equivalent post-graduate health-related research and innovation experience.

Experience Essential

• Understanding of intellectual property rights and of the value that can be assigned to IP
• Knowledge/experience in innovation process support, technology appraisal (functionality, USPs etc.), market opportunity assessment for novel products/services and at least basic aspects of intellectual property protection, management, and commercialisation
• Experience of leading operational activities in a specific area/functional unit and/or acting as a point of escalation
• Significant experience of developing high quality, customer focused services, contributing to their strategic direction
• Significant experience of working in partnership and building strong links with managers at all levels both within the organisation and with external partners, providing expert advice to inform decision making e.g. developing consortia for funding bids, managing on-going R&D relationships on behalf of the Trust
• Experience of writing, reviewing and disseminating policies including IP and related commercial activities.
• Experience of working with colleagues to inform commercialisation sections of external funding proposals
• Significant experience of leading effectively in an environment of complex regulations and procedures (e.g. patents and intellectual property; confidentiality agreements and similar; funding guidance and contracts)
• Significant experience of providing expert advice and guidance to senior managers and internal/ external stakeholders to inform complex decision making
• Experience of carrying out a range of highly complex administration activities
• Experience of developing, organising, supporting and delivering events/ projects/training
• Experience of staff supervision/mentoring
• Management experience in the NHS, academic or commercial environment

Desirable

• Experience of commercialisation project management and practical use of intellectual property between parties, including undertaking due diligence and negotiating terms
• Experience and track record of processes for registering and protecting intellectual property including UK and international patent protection

Further Training Essential

• Knowledge of innovation funding sources
• Proven highly effective organisational and planning skills
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office software, especially Word, Excel and Power Point

Special Skills/Aptitudes Essential

• Experience of committee servicing, including note taking and follow up actions
• Highly organised, with the ability to develop long term strategic plans
• Ability to work independently
• Demonstrable attention to detail
• Excellent written communication skills
• Proven ability to develop effective working relationships with staff at all levels
• Proactive in fulfilling needs of researchers

Person Specification Qualifications Essential

• Educated to Masters level or with equivalent post-graduate health-related research and innovation experience.

Experience Essential

• Understanding of intellectual property rights and of the value that can be assigned to IP
• Knowledge/experience in innovation process support, technology appraisal (functionality, USPs etc.), market opportunity assessment for novel products/services and at least basic aspects of intellectual property protection, management, and commercialisation
• Experience of leading operational activities in a specific area/functional unit and/or acting as a point of escalation
• Significant experience of developing high quality, customer focused services, contributing to their strategic direction
• Significant experience of working in partnership and building strong links with managers at all levels both within the organisation and with external partners, providing expert advice to inform decision making e.g. developing consortia for funding bids, managing on-going R&D relationships on behalf of the Trust
• Experience of writing, reviewing and disseminating policies including IP and related commercial activities.
• Experience of working with colleagues to inform commercialisation sections of external funding proposals
• Significant experience of leading effectively in an environment of complex regulations and procedures (e.g. patents and intellectual property; confidentiality agreements and similar; funding guidance and contracts)
• Significant experience of providing expert advice and guidance to senior managers and internal/ external stakeholders to inform complex decision making
• Experience of carrying out a range of highly complex administration activities
• Experience of developing, organising, supporting and delivering events/ projects/training
• Experience of staff supervision/mentoring
• Management experience in the NHS, academic or commercial environment

Desirable

• Experience of commercialisation project management and practical use of intellectual property between parties, including undertaking due diligence and negotiating terms
• Experience and track record of processes for registering and protecting intellectual property including UK and international patent protection

Further Training Essential

• Knowledge of innovation funding sources
• Proven highly effective organisational and planning skills
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office software, especially Word, Excel and Power Point

Special Skills/Aptitudes Essential

• Experience of committee servicing, including note taking and follow up actions
• Highly organised, with the ability to develop long term strategic plans
• Ability to work independently
• Demonstrable attention to detail
• Excellent written communication skills
• Proven ability to develop effective working relationships with staff at all levels
• Proactive in fulfilling needs of researchers

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details Employer name

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Glossop Road

Sheffield

S10 2JF

Employer's website

https://www.sth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details Employer name

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Hallamshire Hospital

Glossop Road

Sheffield

S10 2JF

Employer's website

https://www.sth.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)