Senior Innovation & Growth Specialist

East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire); Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 53,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional business support organization is seeking a Senior Innovation & Growth Specialist in the UK to lead innovation initiatives and manage a high-performing team. The role involves strategic engagement with clients, overseeing innovation support, and ensuring compliance with business objectives. Ideal candidates will have experience in investment finance, leadership, and knowledge of innovation domains such as Net Zero and digital technologies. Competitive salary and excellent benefits offered.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

8% non-contributory pension scheme

Wellbeing support including health plan

Life assurance scheme

Flexible working practices

Learning and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in leading and managing high performing teams.
• Knowledge of the business support landscape and funding options.
• Critical appraisal of bids for innovation funding.

Responsibilities

• Define team delivery plans and manage resource allocation.
• Provide strategic support for key client relationships.
• Report client activity and project progress to Senior Management.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic engagement

Client relationship management

Knowledge of investment finance

Experience in innovation domains

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Job description

East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) is a well-respected and award winning membership, representation and business support organisation that aims to enhance businesses and communities in the three cities and three counties. With more than 4,100 members and working with 12,000 businesses each year, we have established a reputation as the voice of the region’s business community.

Job title: Senior Innovation & Growth Specialist
Salary: £53,000 to £55,000 per annum
Based at: Derby, Leicester or Nottingham with agile working. Additional travel required
Contract: Fixed term until 31 March 2026, full time (35 hours per week). Could be extended subject to funding

WHY THE POST EXISTS

Have you got an understanding of investment raising and UK Government Future Economies? Do you have experience as a successful team leader? Are you passionate about supporting businesses to succeed? If so, you could be our next team member.

The Chamber’s partnership with Innovate UK, is pivotal to the dispersion of support to the regions innovative, high growth businesses. To support this workstream you will operate as an experienced coach, mentor, critical friend, and champion for a group of clients. Knowledge of UK Government Future Economies is vital, as is an understanding of investment raising.

In addition, you will support the development of our Innovation and Growth Specialists, and the delivery of Innovate UK Business Growth support.

This contract is funded through Innovate UK.

THE KEY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Help define team delivery plans, resource allocation and feedback on impact measures.
• Manage a team of multi‑disciplinary innovation and growth specialists, adopting a client‑centric approach to ensuring the client receives a full wrap‑round support service including managing individual performance, goal setting and completing appraisals.
• Provide senior level strategic engagement and support for key client relationships.
• Ensure that team members have a balanced portfolio of companies, and that interactions and support is provided to the highest standard.
• Understand and optimise team strengths and ensure the best support is provided for the client, where necessary cross‑referencing to other Innovation and Growth Specialists.
• Resolve queries, problems or challenges in collaboration with the team, where necessary assuming responsibility to provide swift and effective resolution through the escalation process to ensure optimum client satisfaction.
• Ensure process and operation compliance and reporting internally and externally across the team.
• Accountable for regularly reporting client activity and project progress and performance against pre‑determined key performance indicators to Senior Management.

IDEALLY APPLICANTS WILL POSSESS

• Experience in leading and managing high performing teams. Worked with and influencing at C‑Suite level high growth and R&D focused businesses.
• Experience working in or across the following innovation domains: Net zero, healthy living and Agritech, digital and technologies.
• Knowledge and awareness of working in emerging markets.
• Demonstrable interest in and understanding of investment finance and business sustainability issues.
• Critical appraisal of bids for innovation funding.
• An understanding of the business support landscape together with funding and support available through Innovate UK.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN RETURN

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays each year (pro rata for part time).
• 8% non‑contributory pension scheme.
• Wellbeing support including access to Westfield Health plan, Mental Health First Aiders, self‑help toolkits, discounts and more.
• Your Birthday off plus an extra day of leave after 5 and 10 years' service.
• Life assurance (death in service support scheme) for your beneficiaries.
• Dress for the day policy and agile working practices (role dependent).
• 2 CSR days to take per year (volunteering activity).
• Access to tax‑free childcare and Bike2Work schemes.
• Special leave for bereavement, compassionate leave & dependent related time off.
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Flexibility to take unpaid leave, paid study leave & special leave for territorial army.
• Recognition and engagement schemes.
• Tax free 45p per business mile for cars (up to 10,000 miles per year).

HOW TO APPLY

If you have an enthusiastic approach to your work and feel you could make a significant contribution to our organisation, we would like to hear from you.

Please visit East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) job vacancies website.

The closing date for applications is 9am on 1 December 2025.

COMPANY STATEMENT

East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) is an equal opportunities employer and Disability Confident Leader. All suitably qualified people are encouraged to apply for vacancies regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. Applicants require current eligibility to live and work in the UK, they must also disclose any unspent convictions or cautions and company director disqualifications in their covering letter. Please inform [e-mail] of any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process. The business is dedicated to retaining talent and therefore it may decide to prioritise and support internal applicants. For information about how we process your data please visit our website.