Senior Portfolio Manager - Economic Growth - (R&D Map)
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)JobsCloseBy Editorial Insights
UKRI is seeking a Senior Portfolio Manager to lead the Growth Mission within the R&D MAP, managing a £500m programme that brings private sector, third sector and academia together to address public sector challenges and generate new technologies, services and IP. You’ll scope opportunities, commission research, and coordinate a diverse portfolio across government, industry and academia to maximise impact, while governing, monitoring and evaluating investments and representing the team externally. Essential criteria include a degree or equivalent, substantial innovation or research management experience, superb stakeholder engagement, strategic thinking, and excellent written and verbal communication. Apply online with a tailored CV and covering letter that directly addresses the criteria, include the job reference, and note security screening. On-site in Swindon with flexible options.
Senior Portfolio Manager – Growth
Salary: £46,743 Per Annum.
Grade: UKRI Band E.
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Hours: Full Time or Part Time. (Minimum 0.8 FTE)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Closing Date: 20/03/2026
About the Role
The R&D Missions Accelerator Programme represents an exceptional opportunity to create real world impact through R&D investment.
The programme will utilise a £500m budget to bring together the private sector, the third sectors and academia to collaboratively develop innovative solutions to public sector problems, resulting in new technologies, services, IP and more.
The programme has been designed to solve the key problems facing HMG’s five national Missions and enable delivery of the milestones in the Plan for Change.
The Government has identified the key problems faced by the UK, to which the R&D Missions Accelerator Programme has designed Research and Innovation (R&I) Challenges to develop solutions. Importantly, these solutions will then be directly utilised in addressing public sector needs.
The programme is currently developing its approaches across the Missions, and therefore by joining at this stage there’s a significant opportunity to establish and drive the strategic and operational direction of the programme.
Mission Specific
Economic Growth
The Growth Mission is driving innovation to transform vital sectors of the UK economy. You'll be working with industry leaders, cultural institutions, government, and beyond to build digital marketplaces that revolutionise how we construct homes and infrastructure, and how creative content is shared and monetised. This means collaborating with Catapults and some of the UKs biggest museums to develop breakthrough technologies, business models, and regulatory frameworks. You'll be at the forefront of shaping how construction becomes more efficient and sustainable, whilst helping the UK's world-leading creative sector unlock new revenue streams in the age of AI. This is your opportunity to drive economic growth, support new jobs, and position the UK as a global leader in innovation.
Purpose
We are looking to appoint a dynamic, driven individual with an understanding of the innovation and research sector, and an enthusiasm for the vital role played by R&I to address real world challenges.
You will scope new opportunities, drive innovation, commission research, and improve impact from the challenges’ research. This will be in partnership with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders; collaborative working is therefore crucial. Working with the wider stakeholder community, the post holder will ensure that relationships are built and maintained, thus enabling the challenges to inform national and international agendas, and to enable the R&I to realise the widest possible economic and social benefits.
You will be a key member of the Growth Mission team, taking ownership for coordinating the work of other team members and representing the team internally and externally.
Main Outputs and Activities
- You will sit at the interface between strategic leadership and delivery with strong communication skills to develop and implement key priorities, policies, and strategies.
- You will lead the scoping and development, commissioning and management of high-quality innovation and research investments through collaborative partnerships across private and third sector, Government organisations, academia and wider partners.
- You will be responsible for coordination and management of a portfolio of activities to maximise impact and knowledge exchange across a portfolio of investments.
- You will build and develop strong relationships working across the R&D MAP, UKRI, government departments, other funders and stakeholders to ensure that investments are robust, informed and impactful.
- You will work with others to ensure investments are appropriately governed, monitored, evaluated and their impact communicated.
- You will provide support to and deputise for senior staff as required and undertake periodic work on areas outside of the team as needed, supporting the wider work of R&D MAP.
This is not a comprehensive list, and we may require you to undertake other duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of this post.
Personal Specification
The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).
Essential
- Degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience. (S)
- Significant experience in innovation or research management, commissioning or related roles within the research and innovation sector. (S&I)
- Proven interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively and to form strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at different levels of seniority. (S&I)
- Sophisticated analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills and an ability to think strategically. (S&I)
- Planning and prioritisation skills, with experience of independently balancing competing demands, and delivering high quality outputs at pace. (S&I)
- Excellent communication skills (both written and oral) with a track record of producing clear, concise and accurate presentations and written documentation for a wide range of audiences. (S&I)
- Leadership and engagement skills, including an ability to provide clear vision, influence, negotiate and engage others to ensure objectives are met. (S&I)
Desirable
- Strong numeracy skills and experience of managing budgets and the exercise of financial control. (S)
- An appreciation of the principles of good governance and knowledge of the governance of research and innovation in the UK. (S)
- A demonstrable understanding of monitoring and evaluation and its uses, including awareness of a range of evaluation approaches for meeting specific objectives. (S)
Benefits
We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!
A list of benefits below:
- An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.
- 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).
- Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.
- Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
- Flexible working options.
Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!
For further information on our benefits please see:
Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UKRI is an Equal Opportunity & Disability Confident Employer.
Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact [email protected].
We do sponsor - Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact [email protected].
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.
Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.
More information can be found at www.ukri.org.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.
How we support EDI in the workforce
At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.
Disability Confident Employer
As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.
UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.
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.