Innovation Lead - Medicines Manufacturing
| Posting date: | 17 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £58,589 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 04 May 2026 |
| Location: | UK |
| Remote working: | Fully remote |
| Company: | Innovate UK |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | JR4371 |
Summary
Context:
The Innovation Lead will operate within the Innovation as a Service Directorate, in the Life and Land team.
Building on the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and Life Sciences Sector Plan, the Life and Land team deliver managed programmes spanning the discovery, development manufacturing and supply of therapeutics and vaccines with the objective of securing continued investment and growth of the UK’s biotech and pharmaceutical industries.
We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.
Job Purpose:
The role holder will be an Innovation Lead in the Life and Land team, working with the Deputy Challenge Director to successfully deliver the medicines manufacturing managed programmes and portfolio of projects. Responsibilities include, but are not limited, to those listed below.
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:
Maintain a deep understanding of the UK pharmaceutical industry / sectors / technologies including UK strengths and global opportunities, to contribute to Innovate UK and UKRI strategy and priorities, and to provide thought leadership to stakeholders and the wider ecosystem
Work closely with organisations in receipt of funding from medicines manufacturing managed programmes to support successful delivery of projects, acting as a point of contact for project leads and project Monitoring Service Providers
Provide industrially relevant subject matter expert support to impact and benefit analysis for medicines manufacturing managed programmes
Enable knowledge dissemination across life sciences programmes and between external organisations, taking a leading role in Communities of Practice established by the programmes.
Build strong relationships with businesses, trade associations, Catapults, government departments and agencies, private investors, medical charities, regulatory bodies and research organisations.
Support international activities to ensure that UK medicines manufacturing and supply innovation activity is set in an international context.
Work with Innovate UK and UKRI colleagues to keep medicines manufacturing managed programmes aligned with other initiatives.
Represent the Life and Land team at conferences, meetings, workshops and in the media as appropriate.
Work across Innovate UK’s life sciences teams and a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded across life sciences activities.
Input into the development and implementation of Innovate UK's strategy and funding for future medicines to enable industry to develop and commercialise new products, processes, business models and services.
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:
This position requires a person with a broad understanding of the UK pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, ideally gained within industry. They will understand the pathway to commercialisation for novel medicines, the key challenges that companies in this sector face, the technologies involved, and a passion to see the UK achieve further success in the area. They need to be technically literate, business savvy, with strong interpersonal skills. They should be capable of leading the thinking in their particular area of domain expertise, inputting to the creation and implementation of national strategies. They should be able to work within a team but be equally comfortable and confident to work on their own initiative. They should be motivated to achieve goals that enable the success of others (colleagues and UK companies).
Experience & Qualifications:
Essential –
Degree or post-graduate qualification, in a science or technical subject relevant to medicines manufacturing, or relevant equivalent experience. (S)
Strong business experience in a decision-making capacity (S&I)
A sound, up-to-date and broad-based knowledge of medicines manufacturing and related disciplines (regulatory affairs, process economics, quality assurance) in the UK and globally, ideally gained within drug substance and/or drug product development and/or manufacturing environment. (S&I)
Proven ability to develop, implement and deliver major and complex programmes and projects to time, cost and required quality. (S&I)
Strong experience in managing relationships with various internal and external stakeholders. (S&I)
Experience of managing a portfolio of activities or investments and tracking related impacts. (S&I)
Knowledge of the UK government and wider stakeholder activities in small molecule medicinal products, biotherapeutics, advanced therapies, regenerative medicine, and related areas. (I)
Demonstrated ability to inspire and facilitate cooperation/partnership working, and to work across boundaries, whilst still maintaining impact. (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:
Field-based: There will a requirement to travel, mostly national, and there is some flexibility in this. Innovate UK staff make extensive use of telepresence tools for meetings to minimise unnecessary travel.
The Innovation Lead will operate within the Innovation as a Service Directorate, in the Life and Land team.
Building on the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and Life Sciences Sector Plan, the Life and Land team deliver managed programmes spanning the discovery, development manufacturing and supply of therapeutics and vaccines with the objective of securing continued investment and growth of the UK’s biotech and pharmaceutical industries.
We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.
Job Purpose:
The role holder will be an Innovation Lead in the Life and Land team, working with the Deputy Challenge Director to successfully deliver the medicines manufacturing managed programmes and portfolio of projects. Responsibilities include, but are not limited, to those listed below.
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:
Maintain a deep understanding of the UK pharmaceutical industry / sectors / technologies including UK strengths and global opportunities, to contribute to Innovate UK and UKRI strategy and priorities, and to provide thought leadership to stakeholders and the wider ecosystem
Work closely with organisations in receipt of funding from medicines manufacturing managed programmes to support successful delivery of projects, acting as a point of contact for project leads and project Monitoring Service Providers
Provide industrially relevant subject matter expert support to impact and benefit analysis for medicines manufacturing managed programmes
Enable knowledge dissemination across life sciences programmes and between external organisations, taking a leading role in Communities of Practice established by the programmes.
Build strong relationships with businesses, trade associations, Catapults, government departments and agencies, private investors, medical charities, regulatory bodies and research organisations.
Support international activities to ensure that UK medicines manufacturing and supply innovation activity is set in an international context.
Work with Innovate UK and UKRI colleagues to keep medicines manufacturing managed programmes aligned with other initiatives.
Represent the Life and Land team at conferences, meetings, workshops and in the media as appropriate.
Work across Innovate UK’s life sciences teams and a broad range of stakeholders to ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion is embedded across life sciences activities.
Input into the development and implementation of Innovate UK's strategy and funding for future medicines to enable industry to develop and commercialise new products, processes, business models and services.
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:
This position requires a person with a broad understanding of the UK pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, ideally gained within industry. They will understand the pathway to commercialisation for novel medicines, the key challenges that companies in this sector face, the technologies involved, and a passion to see the UK achieve further success in the area. They need to be technically literate, business savvy, with strong interpersonal skills. They should be capable of leading the thinking in their particular area of domain expertise, inputting to the creation and implementation of national strategies. They should be able to work within a team but be equally comfortable and confident to work on their own initiative. They should be motivated to achieve goals that enable the success of others (colleagues and UK companies).
Experience & Qualifications:
Essential –
Degree or post-graduate qualification, in a science or technical subject relevant to medicines manufacturing, or relevant equivalent experience. (S)
Strong business experience in a decision-making capacity (S&I)
A sound, up-to-date and broad-based knowledge of medicines manufacturing and related disciplines (regulatory affairs, process economics, quality assurance) in the UK and globally, ideally gained within drug substance and/or drug product development and/or manufacturing environment. (S&I)
Proven ability to develop, implement and deliver major and complex programmes and projects to time, cost and required quality. (S&I)
Strong experience in managing relationships with various internal and external stakeholders. (S&I)
Experience of managing a portfolio of activities or investments and tracking related impacts. (S&I)
Knowledge of the UK government and wider stakeholder activities in small molecule medicinal products, biotherapeutics, advanced therapies, regenerative medicine, and related areas. (I)
Demonstrated ability to inspire and facilitate cooperation/partnership working, and to work across boundaries, whilst still maintaining impact. (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:
Field-based: There will a requirement to travel, mostly national, and there is some flexibility in this. Innovate UK staff make extensive use of telepresence tools for meetings to minimise unnecessary travel.