Evaluation Specialist

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Applications must be submitted by; 23-06-2026 Evaluation Specialist Reporting to the Lead Specialist for Innovate UK Core Evaluation, this role supports the design, coordination, and delivery of Innovate UK's core and managed evaluation portfolio. *Please note this advert will close on the 22nd of June 2026 at 23.59pm. Watch our video "Why Join Innovate UK?" here . Title: Evaluation Specialist Band: UKRI Band E (UKRI Ts & Cs) Salary: £46,743 gross per annum Reports to: Lead Specialist - Innovate UK Core Evaluation Location: Field based Contract: Fixed Term Until (31/05/2028) 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. Context: The Economic Appraisal and Evaluation (EA&E) 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 through economic appraisal and evaluation to inform Innovate UK's decision making. This evidence will inform the development of effective programmes, build understanding of impact, and assess the overall performance and balance of Innovate UK's portfolio We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role. Job Purpose: Reporting to the Lead Specialist for Innovate UK Core Evaluation, this role supports the design, coordination, and delivery of Innovate UK's core and managed evaluation portfolio. The postholder will work closely with programme teams across Innovate UK to embed robust, proportionate evaluation approaches that align with Green Book and Magenta Book standards. This includes providing expert advice, sharing best practice, and supporting teams to commission and manage complex evaluation activities that demonstrate the impact and benefits of Innovate UK's investments in the innovation landscape. Combining hands-on project delivery with strategic input, the role has a strong focus on organisational learning and improving the use of evaluation evidence to inform strategy, policy, and programme delivery. The postholder will contribute to the ongoing development of Innovate UK's evaluation framework in a dynamic and evolving context. They will collaborate with colleagues across Innovate UK, UKRI, and DSIT to embed evaluation activities and ensure key insights are used to shape future direction. The successful applicant will be proactive, professional, and ambitious in driving the creation, development, and delivery of evaluation projects through a range of communication channels. They will be confident working across busy, multi-organisation teams, managing a variety of tasks, and building strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Lead the delivery and support of specific evaluations, including managing externally commissioned work and ensuring evaluations meet quality, relevance, and value-for-money standards. Support Strategy and Programme teams to design and implement monitoring and evaluation plans, ensuring clarity of purpose, outcomes, and evidence needs. Support the commissioning of external evaluation contractors, including raising Purchase Orders, monitoring procurement activities. Manage elements of Innovate UK's evaluation portfolio, including workplans, documentation, and reporting, ensuring effective oversight and progress tracking. Synthesise insights from across Innovate UK's evaluation portfolio, identifying key messages and translating them into evidence-informed narratives for internal and external stakeholders. Work closely with the Lead Specialists within the team and colleagues across the Economic Appraisal & Evaluation team to refine and communicate Innovate UK's evaluation tools and practices. Support and deliver evaluation training and events to build Innovate UK's internal capability. Maintain awareness of current and emerging good practice in innovation evaluation, supporting Innovate UK to remain at the forefront of evaluation thinking. Communicate technical evidence clearly and accessibly, adapting content for different audiences, and highlighting key findings, implications, and limitations. Manage Innovate UK's Evaluation Evidence Library, ensuring evaluation findings are accessible and used to inform ongoing work. Operate autonomously, delivering high-quality work across multiple priorities and contributing to cross-organisational evaluation capability and ma