Innovation Manager

Civil Works Alliance; Nacton; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Market leading salaries

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Flexible benefits

Job summary

Civil Works Alliance seeks an Innovation Manager to shape Sizewell C’s delivery via innovative solutions. You will lead end-to-end innovation initiatives, develop business cases, run workshops and coordinate across engineering, procurement and operations. Strong stakeholder engagement and a track record in complex civil projects are essential.

Join a collaborative, safety‑critical environment with opportunities to influence culture, implement new tools, and realise benefits across the programme.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Civil/Industrial Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Project Management, or related field; master's preferred.
• Experience delivering innovation in large-scale, complex projects.
• Experience in regulated environments (nuclear/energy) is desirable.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive cultural change in multicultural environments.
• Professional certification in Innovation Management or Change Management preferred.
• Strong digital literacy with emerging technologies like AI, automation and data-driven solutions.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the CWA Innovation Strategy and delivery roadmap.
• Identify and prioritise innovation opportunities aligned with CWA and Sizewell C priorities.
• Manage a portfolio of innovation initiatives from identification through benefits realisation and scale-up.
• Develop robust business cases and value propositions for initiatives.
• Support governance, ensuring initiatives are evaluated, approved and monitored.
• Track and report innovation KPIs, benefits realisation and ROI.
• Conduct horizon scanning of emerging technologies relevant to nuclear and civil infrastructure.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops and sprints to identify problems and develop solutions.
• Collaborate with engineering, construction, digital, commercial, procurement and operations teams to pilot and scale innovations.
• Ensure activities consider safety, quality, cybersecurity and regulatory requirements.
• Engage supply chain to identify opportunities and promote knowledge sharing across partners.
• Identify opportunities for external funding and collaborative R&D programs.
• Support teams in applying innovation and problem-solving methodologies.
• Champion a culture of collaboration, experimentation and continuous improvement.

Skills

Influencing stakeholders

Change management

Data-driven decision making

Facilitation & workshops

Collaboration across boundaries

Digital literacy

Education

Bachelor's degree in Civil/Industrial Engineering or related field

Tools

AI awareness

Digital engineering knowledge

Job description

Help Shape the UK’s Energy Future

Innovation Manager Opportunity with the Civil Works Alliance (CWA), Supporting Sizewell C

As part of the CWA (Civil Works Alliance), you will support the building of Sizewell C. Sizewell C will be a 3.2-gigawatt power station generating low-carbon electricity for around 6 million homes and will play a key role in our energy future, supplying reliable, clean electricity for at least 60 years. This role will be within the CWA Wide Section.

What will you do?

The Innovation Manager will support the development and delivery of the CWA Innovation Strategy, identifying, evaluating and implementing innovative solutions that improve safety, productivity, quality, sustainability and programme delivery. The role will manage a portfolio of innovation initiatives from opportunity identification and assessment through trial, implementation and benefits realisation and scale-up.

Working across the Alliance and wider Sizewell C ecosystem, the Innovation Manager will collaborate with project teams, supply chain partners, academia, start-ups and technology providers to identify and deploy solutions that support the successful delivery of Sizewell C and maximise opportunities for smart replication.

The role will also support the development of an innovation culture and capability across CWA through engagement, workshops, coaching and the application of structured innovation tools and methodologies. This role requires proven expertise in innovation within large and complex civil engineering infrastructure, strong analytical skills, and the ability to work collaboratively across organisational boundaries.

Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the CWA Innovation Strategy and delivery roadmap.
• Identify and prioritise innovation opportunities aligned with CWA and Sizewell C strategic priorities, including safety, productivity, sustainability, quality, cost and programme performance.
• Manage a portfolio of innovation initiatives, providing end-to-end oversight from opportunity identification and evaluation through business case, trial, implementation, benefits realisation and scale-up.
• Develop robust business cases and value propositions for innovation initiatives, including expected benefits, costs, risks and implementation requirements.
• Support effective innovation governance, ensuring initiatives are evaluated, prioritised, approved and monitored through defined processes.
• Track and report innovation KPIs, benefits realisation and return on investment/value delivery.
• Conduct horizon scanning of emerging technologies, industry trends, research and regulatory developments relevant to nuclear and civil infrastructure.
• Facilitate cross-functional innovation workshops, challenges and sprints to identify problems, generate ideas and develop solutions.
• Collaborate with engineering, construction, digital, commercial, procurement and operational teams to pilot, evaluate, implement and scale successful innovations.
• Ensure innovation activities appropriately consider nuclear safety, health and safety, quality, cybersecurity, data protection, regulatory and assurance requirements.
• Engage the supply chain to identify and develop innovation opportunities and encourage knowledge sharing across Alliance partners.
• Build relationships with academia, start-ups, technology providers, industry bodies and innovation organisations to access external expertise and solutions.
• Identify opportunities for external innovation funding and collaborative R&D programmes, where appropriate.
• Support project teams in the application of innovation and problem-solving methodologies.
• Champion an innovation culture that encourages collaboration, experimentation, learning and continuous improvement.

What are we looking for?

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Project Management, or a related field. A master's degree is preferred.
• Experience in innovation, transformation, continuous improvement or technology implementation within construction, infrastructure or a related complex engineering environment.
• Proven track record of delivering innovation in large-scale, complex projects.
• Experience within nuclear, energy, infrastructure or another highly regulated environment is desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive cultural change in multicultural environments.
• Professional certification in Innovation Management, Change Management, or similar (preferred).
• Strong digital and data literacy, with an understanding of emerging technologies such as AI, automation, digital engineering and data-driven solutions and their application within infrastructure delivery.

Key Competencies

Innovation & Role Competencies

• Innovation portfolio and project management
• Opportunity identification and problem definition
• Business case development and benefits realisation
• Technology assessment and implementation
• Stakeholder engagement and influencing
• Facilitation and workshop leadership
• Commercial awareness
• Data-driven decision making
• Change management and adoption
• Collaborative working across complex organisational boundaries

What we will offer you?

The CWA is a single delivery organisation made of up of the client (Sizewell C) and three parent companies - Balfour Beatty, Bouygues and Laing O'Rourke - which offer industry leading packages including market leading salaries, generous annual leave entitlements, pension scheme and other flexible benefits.

About Us

The CWA celebrates the creativity and innovation that comes from a diverse workforce, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds — especially those from under-represented communities. Our project is built on five core values: Humility, Positivity, Respect, Solidarity, and Clarity.

By joining us, you'll be encouraged to bring your whole self to work, speak up, and share your ideas. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

We are committed to protecting your privacy. If you decide to apply, please avoid including sensitive personal data in your CV.