Job Description

Applications must be submitted by;

16-04-2026

Deputy Director Creative Industries

We are looking for an individual with extensive experience, connections, and personal characteristics, to command credibility from a diverse range of stakeholders.

*Please note this advert will close on the 15th April 2026 at 23.59pm.

Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here

Title: Deputy Director Creative Industries

Band: UKRI Band H (UKRI Ts & Cs)

Salary: £86,731 gross per annum

Reports to: Executive Director Digital & Technologies

Location: Field based

Contract: Permanent

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

Context:

The role holder will operate within the Innovate UK Digital & Technologies programme directorate.

This role is the strategic lead for Innovate UK’s activity and programmes for the Creative Industries within the Industrial Strategy as part of the government’s prime mission of growth.

The role holder is responsible for managing a total team of around 5 people.

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

Job Purpose:

We are looking for an individual with industry experience, connections, and personal characteristics, to command credibility from a diverse range of stakeholders. The Deputy Director will play an important role in shaping the success, strategy, and future objectives for Innovate UK’s activities within the Creative Industries growth sector - a globally significant area with enormous export potential. As a key contact in D&T at IUK, the role holder is expected to work collaboratively with and across industry, research, UKRI, and government. In partnership with the Director of D&T, the role holder will help to shape and deliver nationally significant programmes of work in partnership with many organisations within the ecosystem. They will also be a key operational leader for international activities as a UK ambassador.

The role holder will be accountable for an annual budget of around £25 m (TBC), with a team of 4-5 people

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Working with the Director of D&T, jointly develop Innovate UK’s strategy for the Creative Industries ensuring connectivity and alignment across UKRI
• Build and maintain strategic relationships the wider Creative Industries leadership communities.
• Work collaboratively to support the creation and execution of a D&T-level vision and strategy seeking to better align individual technology themes within UKRI and government, where strategically helpful.
• Lead on building relationships/interaction with teams across Innovate UK, IUK Business Connect and Catapults, to ensure operational delivery of programmes and competitions.
• Provide recommendations on the delivery of a portfolio of ‘investment programmes’ within D&T, and industry/company support in developing next generation technologies, products, and services in the Creative Industries growth sector.
• Build effective working relationships with the various teams and stakeholders within and outside IUK, ensuring and safeguarding the connectivity to Innovate UK’s strategy. This includes other IUK internal functions/ IUK Business Connect, AHRC, and external to UKRI, industry, DCMS, the Creative Industries Council, government bodies and relevant strategic and industry partners.
• Deliver IUK programmes to cost, quality and schedule requirements
• You will be a recognised industry leader within the context of the Creative Industries directing the advancement of business-led innovation in this field.
• Lead and inspire cross-functional teams, fostering a high-performance, inclusive, and innovative culture. Embed pace, agility and bold choices. Role model organisational values, champion diversity and inclusion, and promote wellbeing across teams and partnershen required

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 –

• You will be a recognised industry leader in the Creative Industries and/or services industry transformation. (S&I)
• You will have experience of managing distributed relationships and collaborating across teams, organisations, and complex networks with multiple stakeholders of a business and political nature (S&I)
• You will be a seasoned professional with clear experience in developing and delivering leading edge products or services in services or other associated themes/domains. (S&I)
• Educated to degree-level or post graduate level in a relevant scientific or technical subject. (S)
• You will have previously led the development and implementation of strategic plans and change initiatives. (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.

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;

16-04-2026