Senior Change Partner (Maternity Cover)

Applications must be submitted by;

12-11-2026

Vacancy for Senior Change Partner (Maternity Cover)

As the UK's innovation agency, we back the nation's most promising deep tech businesses in the UK’s priority sectors: providing the funding, expert support and connections that help them start, scale and stay in the UK.

*Please note this advert will close on the 11th November 2026 at 23.59pm.

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

Title: Senior Change Partner (Maternity Cover)

Band: UKRI Band G (UKRI Ts & Cs)

Salary: £70,752 gross per annum

Reports to: Deputy Director Business Capability & Change

• Location: UKRI sites: Swindon, London, Harwell, Daresbury, Keyworth, Cambridge, Edinburgh
• Contract: Fixed Term (Until 30th November 2027)

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 works with businesses and stakeholders across every nation and region of the UK. As part of UKRI, our hybrid working approach is built around one simple principle: time should be spent where it delivers the greatest impact.

This means working across three settings: UKRI sites, time on the ground with businesses, partners and stakeholders and time working from home. It's an approach designed to support collaboration, connection and impact.

This role is in Tier 3, with 20-40% (1-2 days each week on average) of working time typically spent either at a UKRI site or engaging with external businesses and stakeholders across the UK. Outside of this requirement, you can work from home.

Read the full UKRI Hybrid Working Policy Hybrid Working at UKRI

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

We are passionate about our commitment to making equality, diversity and inclusion a key part of everything we do, to ensure our organisation reflects our users and that in our workplace, everyone has a voice, and everyone can develop their potential.

Job Purpose:

The Senior Business Change Partner will support change readiness, engagement and adoption for the What We Offer workstream within the Activating our Strategy programme. Working closely with the Workstream Lead, Delivery Manager, PMO colleagues and change partners across the Business Capability & Change team, the role will help ensure change impacts are identified, planned and successfully embedded.

The role will work with stakeholders across Innovate UK to understand the people impacts of change and develop proportionate engagement and communication activities that support successful adoption. This includes helping teams understand upcoming changes, gathering feedback and ensuring staff are well supported through transition.

Working as part of the wider Business Capability & Change team, the postholder will contribute to a joined-up view of change across Innovate UK and UKRI, helping to identify dependencies, support change planning and ensure activities align to programme objectives.

The role will also support the assessment and tracking of change readiness and adoption, using insights and feedback to inform engagement approaches and help deliver successful outcomes for the What We Offer workstream.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• •Partnering with senior leaders and team/s across Innovate UK to develop mature, authentic and collaborative relationships to assess change needs and develop tailored, high-quality change, communication and engagement strategies.
• •Improve the process of engagement and adoption of business change across the leaders and team/s you partner with and more broadly Innovate UK, collaborating with colleagues and senior stakeholders to support delivery of change.
• •Working with team/s to improve consistent engagement and adoption of business change across the organisation and aligning with/influencing of the overall UKRI approach.
• •Working collaboratively with other Change Business Partners and more broadly the Business Capability and Change team to continue to evolve change and adoption methodologies and practices, keeping them innovative and current.
• •Designing, baselining and tracking adoption and engagement for planned changes. Producing and delivering communications and engagement strategies and/or advise delivery team/s, checking actions are in place to drive adoption and engagements.
• •Developing a single roadmap for engagement and adoption of business change for the team/s you partner with, aligned with the organisational level roadmap to ensure change lands successfully creating minimum disruption for the organisation.
• •Work closely with Business Capability and Change Leadership team, Senior Business Change Partners, Delivery Leads, Workstream Leads and business owners to develop a compelling narrative around change and the overall story about the Innovate UK change journey.
• •Development of clear, meaningful, proportionate, compelling and high-quality communications which engage stakeholders and audiences at all levels.
• •Coaching at all levels of the organisation, including ELB and Director level on the practice of good change management and change leadership. Developing guidance that can be cascaded throughout the organisation.
• •Advising, mentoring, and challenging senior staff and stakeholders to ensure Business Change can deliver complex and disruptive change in the most effective ways.
• •Contribute to the development and evolution of frameworks to be used by Programme and Project Managers to drive increased engagement and provide smooth transition of change projects into BAU.
• •Work closely with Business Capability and Change Leadership, Senior Change Business Partners, Change Business Partners, Delivery Leads, Workstream Leads and business owners to develop a compelling narrative around change and the overall story about the Innovate UK change journey.
• •Supporting Programme and Project Managers in the co-ordination and production of engagement activities which drive effective adoption, smooth transition of change into BAU and ensuring benefit realisation.
• •Management of engagement and adoption channels, tools and techniques to support the delivery of business change, ensuring the channels of communication are complimentary and appropriate to the organisation’s needs.
• •Working across IUK with the aim of influencing and improving the Staff Survey results relating to Management of Change.
• •Managing Business Change Partners and resources as required including line management and budget.

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:

Experience & Qualifications:

Essential –

• •Change Management qualification or equivalent experience (S).
• •Project Management or Continuous Improvement qualification or equivalent experience (S).
• •Significant experience of and in-depth understanding of change and the implications of taking individuals, teams and organisations on a change journey (S&I).
• •Proven ability to build and maintain mature and collaborative relationships with individuals and teams, particularly at senior/executive leadership level (S&I).
• •Proven experience of leading and advising on change strategies and approaches specifically to support change programme goals (S&I).
• •Extensive experience of developing, writin