Head of Invention Fellowships & Translation

What you’ll do

• Provide strategic leadership for Chairs in Emerging Technologies and Green Future Fellowships, ensuring they remain relevant to user needs, aligned to Academy priorities and delivered to a high standard.
• Oversee a complex portfolio with long-term funding horizons, including an endowment‑funded model combining grants and convertible loans, ensuring robust governance and value for money within an appropriate risk framework.
• Lead continuous improvement across programme design and delivery, strengthening repeatability, scalability and system‑level impact, and embedding inclusive practice throughout.
• Build and maintain senior relationships across the engineering and innovation ecosystem (Academy Fellows, government departments, innovation agencies, universities, accelerators and business support organisations), representing the Academy externally as appropriate.
• Work closely with colleagues across enterprise, policy, communications, education, monitoring and evaluation, and EDI to deliver a joined‑up offer for awardees and maximise impact.
• Lead and develop high‑performing teams through two Senior Programme Managers, setting clear objectives, enabling delivery and supporting professional growth.

What you’ll bring

• Substantial experience leading translational research and innovation funding programmes, with strong strategic oversight and end‑to‑end delivery expertise.
• A track record of senior leadership, including line management and development of talented, diverse teams.
• Strong financial and commercial judgement, with experience managing multi‑year budgets and working within an appropriate risk framework.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with credibility and influence across the UK engineering, research, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• A broad understanding of the UK engineering and innovation landscape.
• A strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and to upholding high standards in governance, compliance and grant management.

Our location

Our light, spacious head office is based in a fantastic location in central London with views over St James’s Park and close to the West End. We operate hybrid, flexible working practices with a baseline for office based working of a mandatory weekly team day plus further days each week as required for the role and the Academy.

The Academy is committed to making reasonable adjustments to remove barriers that hinder applicants from applying or staff from working effectively and comfortably.

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