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Innovation Lead – Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Innovate UK
Full-time
On-site
United Kingdom

Innovate UK has the following secondment opportunity available for employees of Innovate UK Business Connect:

Applications must be submitted by

27-11-2024

Vacancy for Innovation Lead - Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

This post is based within Innovate UK’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Economy (AIDE) team. The AIDE team members work to identify, support and accelerate high growth-potential innovation in the UK, based on cutting-edge digital research, technology and approaches. The team works with innovators across a range of technology and end-use sectors.

*Please note this advert will close on the 26th November 2024 at 23.59pm.

Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here.

Title:                   Innovation Lead - Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Band:                 Innovate UK Band 3 (UKRI Ts & Cs)**

Salary:               From £47,000 gross per annum*

Reports to:   Head of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Location:          Field based

Contract:          Permanent

**This role is also eligible for up to 10% performance related pay on base salary.

*Subject to Pay and Reward

Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements.

Context:

This post is based within Innovate UK’s Artificial Intelligence and Data Economy (AIDE) team. The AIDE team members work to identify, support and accelerate high growth-potential innovation in the UK, based on cutting-edge digital research, technology and approaches. The team works with innovators across a range of technology and end-use sectors.

As well as engaging directly with innovators, the team works closely with innovation stakeholders in the public and private sectors including Government departments (DSIT, DBT and DCMS in particular), trade and industry bodies and research groups. 

We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.

Job Purpose:

As an Innovation Lead, this role will be responsible for developing and implementing, with partners, the innovation strategy for UK with a specific focus on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to deliver economic and societal impact as well as leading day to day activities in the BridgeAI programme. This role will work closely with the Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to maximize the impact of our programs. This will involve working closely with internal and external partners to share intelligence on opportunities for and barriers to business innovation in AI and data. It will also include deploying expertise and resource within the team in the most effective way to meet strategic objectives.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning technologies make a direct and positive impact on economic growth, the environment and quality of life, via improved processes and products. Innovate UK is investing over £550m million annually across many technical areas to stimulate profitable technology exploitation in the UK. This role is fundamental in ensuring that innovative AI and ML solutions are employed to benefit UK businesses.

BridgeAI is an adoption and diffusion programme designed to stimulate the adoption of AI technologies in lower-AI-maturity UK sectors by increasing demand and supply side engagement, developing end-user driven AI technologies and addressing systemic barriers limiting adoption.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

  • Contributing to the development and delivery of Innovate UK’s innovation strategy for AI & ML and the wider AI and Data Economy strategy.
  • Leading the delivery of the BridgeAI programme, coordinating with key delivery partners, and internal Innovate UK programme operations teams to launch, execute and evaluate BridgeAI competitive funding opportunities for UK businesses.
  • Prioritising and coordinating tasks given stakeholder needs and available resources and ensuring the outputs of the work are high quality, and appropriately shared and promoted.
  • Leading business development activities and contributing to business cases for investment in areas of strategic opportunity.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with the BridgeAI delivery partners, as well as relevant bodies and networks to build truly UK-wide innovation programmes with significant ambition and delivery capability.
  • Working effectively with partners, across UKRI and externally, to share data and insight about digital innovation markets and capabilities and to identify cross-sector digital innovation opportunities.
  • Support colleagues within the AI and Data Economy team to deliver key strategic innovation programmes across a number of digital technologies and sectors.
  • Supporting the wider organisation to meet strategic objectives as appropriate.
  • Contributing to economic evaluations of BridgeAI and other relevant programmes.
  • Representing the team and organisation at meetings, workshops and conferences including giving presentations

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.

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, willing to share knowledge with others and learn from them. Able to self-start when needed.

Qualifications:

  • Degree or post-graduate qualification, or equivalent experience

Experience:

Essential –

  • Experience of working within a digital innovation environment with an understanding of major trends.
  • Up-to-date and broad-based knowledge of AI, Machine Learning and Digital technologies, and their applications in the wider UK economy. 
  • Proven ability to direct innovation processes in a commercial environment.
  • Demonstrable experience of leading the development and successful implementation of strategic programmes.
  • Proven ability to understand the strategic potential of emerging digital technologies and communicate at senior levels.
  • A clear track-record of delivery against tight deadlines.
  • Familiarity with the wider research environment.

Desirable –

  • Experience of working in partnership with funders from the public, private and third sector.
  • Knowledge of policy relating to innovation, research and technology.

Skills:

  • Ability to think and act strategically.
  • Ability to deal with ambiguity. 
  • Critical thinker and problem solver.
  • Excellent influencing and persuasion skills.
  • High degree of organisational ability and attention to detail.
  • IT competency.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to present to a wide range of audiences.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills.

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

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.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

Innovate UK is a diverse workforce of people. We believe that encouraging these differences and drawing the best from them will build a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where talents are fully utilised and in which organisational goals are met. Underpinning this is a belief that it is a fundamental right for everyone to be treated equally, with fairness, respect and dignity. We will act directly and use our influence to ensure that this right is promoted and upheld; we encourage applications from all those who meet the criteria set-out in our role profiles.

Equal Opportunities:

We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to employing any person who meets the criteria for our roles. When undertaking recruitment we may require applicants to undertake certain tests or assessments, some of which will be online and others may be in-person. If you have a disability, heath condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia then you may be entitled to support with undertaking this type of assessment exercise. Where you feel that reasonable adjustments are required to support you, we ask that you advise your recruitment point of contact in a timely fashion, providing further information. In confidence, Innovate UK will then review your application for adjustments and provide support as required.

UK Research and Innovation:

Innovate UK is partner organisation within UK Research and Innovation. If successful in securing the position, your employer will be UK Research and Innovation. More information can be found online http://www.ukri.org/.

Employee Benefits:

We offer a benefits package crafted to provide an excellent work/life balance. This includes 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege days, flexible working hours, an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme, and access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes.

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Flexible Working:

We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants.

Pre-employment Screening:

To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a comprehensive pre-employment check on successful applicants as part of the recruitment process.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role.  UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider how this aligns with your personal values or beliefs. To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as a crucial part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check.

Applications must be submitted by;

27-11-2024