PSO Impact Lead - Maternity Cover

Applications must be submitted by;

26-10-2026

PSO Impact Lead - Maternity cover

 

The PSO Impact Lead will focus on developing the Benefits Management approach across IUK’s Growth Sector and Innovation As A Service (IAAS) Teams.

 

*Please note this advert will close on 23.59 on the 25th October 2026.

 

Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here.

 

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)

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further information in the first instance.  If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.  

Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements.

 

Innovate UK works with businesses and stakeholders across every nation and region of the UK. As part of UKRI, our hybrid working approach is built around one simple principle: time should be spent where it delivers the greatest impact.  

 

This means working across three settings: UKRI sites, time on the ground with businesses, partners and stakeholders and time working from home. It's an approach designed to support collaboration, connection and impact. 

 

This role is in Tier 3, with 20-40% of working time typically spent at a UKRI site (Polaris House) On average 1 day per week in the office. Outside of this requirement, you can work from home.

 

Read the full UKRI Hybrid Working Policy  Hybrid Working at UKRI  

 

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.

 

This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to undertake any other duties across the wider directorate, commensurate with the Band and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the key experience and/or training.

 

Shortlisting criteria

 

(S) – Assessed at shortlisting

(I) – Assessed at interview

(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview

 

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:

All team members demonstrate compatibility with and capability against our Core Competencies such as:

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

 

Some of the above competencies will be assessed at interview stage, in addition to the criteria’s listed in the person specification.

 

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. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

 

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.

 

UK Research and Innovation:

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/.

 

Employee Benefits:

We offer a benefits package crafted to provide an excellent work/life balance. This includes 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege days, flexible working hours, an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme, and access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes.

 

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

 

Flexible Working:

We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants.

 

Artificial Intelligence:

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

 

Pre-employment Screening:

To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a comprehensive pre-employment check on successful applicants as part of the recruitment process.

 

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role.  UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

 

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. To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as a crucial part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check.

 

Applications must be submitted by;

26-10-2026