Innovation Lead - Agriculture & Food

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Applications must be submitted by; 08-06-2026 Innovation Lead - Agriculture & Food As an Innovation Lead you will be responsible for developing and delivering a vital range of interventions to support agri-food businesses to innovate and to help grow the UK economy, response to industrial challenges and commercial opportunities *Please note this advert will close on the 7th June 2026 at 23.59pm. Watch our video "Why Join Innovate UK?" here . Title: Innovation Lead - Agriculture & Food Band: UKRI Band F (UKRI Ts & Cs) Salary: £58,589 gross per annum Reports to: Interim Director - Agri-Food Location: Field based Contract: Fixed Term Until (31/03/2029) 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 UK Agriculture sector is a broad and highly dispersed industry, spanning horticulture, aquaculture, livestock, food and crops. Agriculture is the bedrock of the UK's largest manufacturing sector, food and drink, which contributes over £120 billion to the country's economy. Collaboration and strong relationships across the breadth of the UK's agricultural industries, research, UKRI and government are critical to driving the much-needed innovations to ensure this industry continues to thrive. The Agri-food team is responsible for significant innovation funding that includes a substantial managed programme in partnership with DEFRA. Regardless of the funding origin, the Agrifood programmes are focused on driving economic performance and the environmental sustainability of the sector. Developing new funding programmes as well as delivering impact from our current portfolio are key outcomes. We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role. Job Purpose: As an Innovation Lead you will be responsible for developing and delivering a vital range of interventions to support agri-food businesses to innovate and to help grow the UK economy, response to industrial challenges and commercial opportunities Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities: Collaborating in the development and promotion of our strategy in Agri-Food based on a good understanding of relevant industries and technologies and wider innovation infrastructure Designing, developing, and delivering funding competitions and other business support interventions for the agriculture sector, working effectively with the internal and external stakeholders to achieve a successful outcome, with specific focus on the continuous delivery of the Defra Farming Innovation Programme ADOPT competition pipeline Maintaining technical oversight for a portfolio of projects, tracking progress to ensure desired outcomes are achieved and ensuring that project challenges and successes are understood, captured and escalated as necessary Supporting funded projects to maximise the impact of our investment Developing relationships with business and innovators to create a deep understanding of opportunities from, and barriers to innovation in the sector Ensuring that UK activity is set in an international context and recognises regional strengths across the UK Working with Innovate UK and UKRI colleagues and networks on decisions made in your specialist area, to ensure they make sense in the context of the broader organisation, strategically and operationally Representing Innovate UK at leading industry events, raising awareness of innovation opportunities and successes 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: We are looking for someone with commercial awareness who can manage contending priorities and a sophisticated partner environment. You will be able to make sense of multiple data sources, to establish underlying patterns and articulate a clear and compelling vision of what needs to be done. A great teammate, a 'can do' attitude, willing to share knowledge and to learn from others. Experience & Qualifications: Essential - Degree level in a science engineering or technical field relevant to agriculture or equivalent experience (S) In depth technical and/or business knowledge of the agricultural sector, both here in the U