Lead specialist - appraisal and evaluation

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Applications must be submitted by; 08-06-2026 Lead specialist - appraisal and evaluation The purpose of this role is to manage the evaluation function across our portfolio of programmes. *Please note this advert will close on the 7th June 2026 at 23.59pm. Watch our video "Why Join Innovate UK?" here . Title: Lead specialist - appraisal and evaluation Band: UKRI Band F (UKRI Ts & Cs) Salary: £58,589 gross per annum Reports to: Head of Appraisal & Evaluation Location: Field based Contract: Permanent Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements. The Team: The Economic Appraisal and Evaluation team is part of the Strategy directorate in Innovate UK. Innovation is a key component of economic growth, and it is the team's role to ensure that appropriate evidence is collected and interpreted to inform Innovate UK's decision making through economic appraisal and evaluation. This evidence will show how the overall balance of Innovate UK's support may be best directed to achieve the benefits that are central to Innovate UK's strategy. Job Purpose: The purpose of this role is to manage the evaluation function across our portfolio of programmes. Coordinate and maintain high quality evaluative evidence across IUK. This will involve writing strategic and proportionate evaluation plans for IUK's growth areas. Ensure the successful delivery of process, interim impact, as well as final and economic impact evaluations. The Lead Specialist will help to build M&E plans and structure ITT's for external contractors as well as support procurement of these contractors. Provide evaluation thought-leadership in IUK. Develop and deliver training on evaluation to the wider organisation. You will lead the wider development of Innovate UK's capability to create, understand, and use evaluation evidence to inform strategic decision making and design future interventions. You will report to the Head of Economic Appraisal and Evaluation and will need to build close professional links to, and working relationships with, programme teams across Innovate UK and analysts from UKRI, DSIT and other government departments. Innovate UK is a non-executive public body, so this post offers the opportunity for the post-holder to work in an environment which faces both the public and private sectors. The post will require building an understanding of how businesses work, especially with regards to their innovation activities, and how the public sector analyses the impact of policy. The successful applicant will be proactive, professional and ambitious, always pushing to create, build and deliver projects through a mix of communications channels. You will have the confidence to operate across busy multi-organisation teams and have the skills to manage a variety of tasks, which will include building relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: You will lead the design of Innovate UK's evaluation strategy. You will manage a programme of process and impact evaluations for Innovate UK activities. You will have knowledge of a broad range of evaluation methodologies, identify which are most suitable for specific programmes, and oversee the delivery of evaluations by independent researchers. You will have a keen understanding of both the Magenta and Green Book which will allow you to easily unpack the validity of evaluation approaches. Activities will include: Drawing on best practice to scope and specify evaluations of Innovate UK programmes Assess proposals from independent researchers to select high quality evaluations Provide day-to-day management of evaluation projects being conducted by contracted researchers Provide constructive challenge to such contractors to ensure high standards and robust analyses are delivered Developing a coherent communication strategy to enhance the use of evaluations across Innovate UK. We expect this ought to include a range of material, training, community fora, and enhancements to access to evaluations (including through the use of AI). Consider how AI may be used responsibly and sustainably by programme teams and contractors to enhance the evaluation process while maintaining high quality standards. You will lead stakeholder engagements and undertake analysis that leads to the development of Monitoring and Evaluation plans for public sector business cases. In doing so you will have or develop a strong understanding of the rationale for public support for innovation, and the evidence informing the most effective means of delivering it. You will work with the IUK sector leads and their teams to develop sector-wide Monitoring and Evaluation plans which align with a rubric-based approach. You will be responsible for the development of a high quality IUK level Theory of Change with the Executive Leadership Board as well as an appropriate contractor. You will work with o