PSO Impact Lead - Maternity Cover

Innovate UK; Swindon; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave

Public and privilege days

Flexible working hours

Defined benefit pension

Support networks and discounts

Parking: Limited (Swindon)

Job summary

Innovate UK in Swindon is seeking a PSO Impact Lead on a maternity cover, hybrid working. You will develop and drive the Benefits Management approach across Growth Sector and IAAS, aligning with UKRI frameworks and delivering real-time benefits across programmes.

You will build key relationships with Growth Sector, IAAS teams and UKRI, provide guidance on business cases, and act as a partner to project teams through assurance and approvals processes.

Qualifications

• Managing Benefits Practitioner (S).
• MSP Practitioner or working towards (S).
• Degree level or equivalent qualification or previous relevant experience (S).
• Significant experience delivering benefits realisation planning and execution – within large/complex portfolios (S&I).
• Significant experience of data management – data identification, gathering and analysis (S&I).
• Significant experience of programme management in multi-organisation environments (S&I).
• Experience of working on multiple projects/programmes concurrently (S&I).
• Experience building rapid relationships with stakeholders (S&I).
• Experience developing approaches to measuring benefits (S&I).

Responsibilities

• Lead development and consistent implementation of benefits management across Growth Sectors and IAAS.
• Support Growth Sector and IAAS teams to take clear ownership of benefits.
• Develop real-time tracking for IUK.
• Collaborate with Strategy teams to update and publish relevant frameworks.
• Develop and maintain key stakeholder relationships across Innovate UK and UKRI.
• Support delivery of Business Cases through the Business Case Oversight Team.
• Review the ISCF Fund-Level Value for Money Evaluation.
• Assist the Impact Management Team in analysis and reporting of benefits and impact data.
• Provide ad-hoc benefits management support as needed.
• Develop networks with PPM professionals across IUK and UKRI.
• Lead the Impact and Performance Manager Community of Practice.
• Support the PSO Core Team to adopt core PPM practices across Growth Sectors and IAAS.

Skills

Benefits management

Programme management

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Benefits realisation

Cross-organisation work

Relationship building

Education

Degree level or equivalent qualification

Job description

Job Details

• Title: PSO Impact Lead - Maternity cover
• Band: UKRI Band F (UKRI Ts & Cs)
• Salary: £58,589 gross per annum
• Reports to: Portfolio Manager PMO
• Location: Swindon (Hybrid Working Available)
• Contract: Fixed Term Until (30/09/2027)
• Application deadline: 26-10-2026

Job Purpose

The PSO Impact Lead will focus on developing the Benefits Management approach across IUK’s Growth Sector and Innovation As A Service (IAAS) Teams. The role is responsible for ensuring this approach fits within IUK frameworks and aligns with the broader UKRI and DBIST approaches. The role is essential to enabling Innovate UK to understand the real-time benefits of the programmes of work it is delivering, ensuring that there is a consistent approach adopted across the teams. As such, the role holder will have significant programme benefits experience. The Impact Lead will build and maintain key relationships across Innovate UK and UKRI. They will work closely with Growth Sector and IAAS Portfolio Managers and Programme Teams to support the adoption of coherent and consistent benefits management practice, which the Impact Lead will deliver and champion in collaboration with the IUK Impact Group. The Impact Lead will be a core member of the Business Case Oversight Team. They will act as a business partner to teams developing Business Cases, providing guidance and support as well as liaising with UKRI and DBIST colleagues in relation to the assurance and approvals processes. We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Lead the development and consistent implementation of benefits management practice across the Growth Sectors and IAAS.
• Support Growth Sector and IAAS teams to take clear ownership of benefits.
• Support activity to develop real-time tracking for IUK.
• Collaborate with the IUK Strategy teams to update and publish relevant IUK Frameworks.
• Develop and maintain key stakeholder relationships across Innovate UK and UKRI.
• Support the delivery of Business Cases through membership of the Business Case Oversight Team.
• Support the review and scrutiny of the ISCF Fund-Level Value for Money Evaluation.
• Assist and support the Impact Management Team in the development of analysis and reporting of benefits and impact data.
• Provide ad-hoc benefits management support as requested and agreed within Innovate UK and across UKRI.
• Develop strong working relationships/networks with PPM professionals across IUK and UKRI, including the Project Profession and Benefits Management SIG.
• Lead the Impact and Performance Manager Community of Practice, or its successor.
• Support the PSO Core Team to develop core PPM practices and processes, and with the consistent adoption of these practices and processes across the Growth Sectors and IAAS.

Person Specification

Experience & Qualifications

• Essential – Managing Benefits Practitioner (S).
• Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner or working towards (S).
• Degree level or relevant equivalent qualification or previous relevant experience (S).
• Significant experience of delivering benefits realisation planning and execution – ideally within a large and/or complex portfolio or cross-Council programmes (S&I).
• Significant experience of data management – identification, gathering and analysis of data (S&I).
• Significant experience of programme management, working in a complex multi-organisation environment with varying cultures (S&I)
• Experience of working on a range of projects/programmes concurrently (S&I).
• Experience of building rapid and robust relationships with key internal and external stakeholders (S&I).
• Experience of developing and delivering approaches to understanding and measuring benefits where this has not previously been done (S&I).

Competencies

• Thinking and Problem Solving
• Stakeholder management
• Communication skills
• Influencing
• Self-awareness/self-management
• Strategic awareness
• Working with others
• Project management

Travel Requirements

Swindon-based: There may be occasional requirement for national travel.

Immigration

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager.

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, heath 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 information. In confidence, Innovate UK will then review your application for adjustments and provide support as required.

Employee Benefits

• 30 days’ annual leave
• 10.5 public and privilege days
• flexible working hours
• an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme
• access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes
• Parking: Limited parking subject to waiting list (Polaris House, Swindon only)

Developing Talent

We are committed to developing employees in their roles throughout their career. Learning and development plans enable employees to continue their professional development through training and development opportunities such as e‑learning, classroom training and on‑the‑job experiences. We encourage our employees to share their learning across teams and organisations.

Additional Information

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 http://www.ukri.org/. 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. If you feel that the way our selection methods/assessments are structured, could benefit from being adjusted, to help you convey your suitability, please let us know so that we can discuss your requirements with you. If you require any assistance or adjustments please contact [e-mail] who will be happy to help.