Join Connected Places Catapult as a Senior Consultant based in London or Milton Keynes with a hybrid arrangement requiring a minimum of two days a week in the office. This is a permanent, full-time role featuring a company-wide 9-day fortnight working pattern and a salary range of £51,395 to £62,013 per year. You will provide strategic and operational leadership for the Integration Innovation Fund, driving its evolution and fostering vital industry partnerships.
Requirements
Extensive experience in programme leadership and managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Strong strategic and systems thinking capabilities with solid commercial awareness.
Excellent communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills.
No specific degree or minimum years of professional experience are explicitly stated in the posting.
Skills & Responsibilities
Programme leadership: Direct the strategic and operational delivery of the Integration Innovation Fund, ensuring milestones, budgets, and KPIs are met.
Stakeholder management: Act as a trusted advisor and build strong relationships across senior government, industry partners, and innovation ecosystems.
Business development: Lead and contribute to commercial bids, proposals, and revenue targets to support the growth of the transport innovation portfolio.
Thought leadership: Provide insight on emerging transport challenges, innovation trends, and market opportunities to inform sponsor and organizational strategy.
Potential transition routes: People from senior project management or innovation consultancy backgrounds may bring relevant stakeholder management and commercial skills, alongside meeting the stated leadership requirements.
Job description
Location London or Milton Keynes (minimum of two days a week in the office. You can do more than two days if preferable)Working hours Full time (9day Fortnight companywide)Contracttype/duration: Permanent*Band:* 3.1Salary: £51,395 - £62,013 (Dependent on office location and proven ability) Reporting to: Head of Enterprise Support (Transport & Infrastructure)Closing date: 25th November 2026
Based within the Highways & Integrated Transport Directorate, the role holder will provide strategic leadership for the Integration Innovation Fund (IIF), shaping its evolution as a nationally significant innovation programme and ensuring it delivers lasting impact across the UK's transport sector. Reporting to the Head of Enterprise Support (Transport and Infrastructure), the successful candidate will be accountable for the strategic and operational leadership of IIF, ensuring programme objectives, funding requirements and impact targets are achieved. They will work closely with government stakeholders, innovators, transport authorities, industry partners and internal delivery teams to maximise programme outcomes, influence future investment and support the adoption of innovation at scale. This role requires an experienced leader who can operate confidently at both strategic and operational levels, balancing stakeholder engagement, programme governance, commercial awareness and delivery excellence. Alongside leading IIF, the role holder will act as a senior leader within the Enterprise Support team, helping to shape strategy, influence key stakeholders and drive the growth of Connected Places Catapult's transport innovation portfolio.
Key Responsibilities
Shape the strategic direction and future evolution of IIF, identifying opportunities for expansion, replication and long-term sustainability.
Act as a trusted advisor to senior government and industry stakeholders.
Translate programme insights into future propositions, policy recommendations and investment opportunities.
Support the development of future funding opportunities and contribute to long-term pipeline development across Enterprise Support.
Lead the successful delivery of the IIF programme, ensuring milestones, KPIs, budget and contractual commitments are achieved.
Manage complex programme governance, reporting and stakeholder engagement activities.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with funders, government departments, industry partners and delivery stakeholders.
Provide leadership across programme workstreams, ensuring alignment between delivery, monitoring and evaluation, communications and stakeholder engagement activities.
Partner with the Head of Enterprise Support (Transport) to shape the long-term Enterprise Support strategy, develop future propositions and identify opportunities for growth across transport innovation
Identify and realise synergies across innovation programmes to maximise organisational impact.
Lead and contribute to bids, proposals and commercial opportunities relevant to the Enterprise Support portfolio.
Coach and support colleagues, demonstrating best practice in programme leadership and stakeholder management.
Provide insight and leadership on emerging transport challenges, innovation trends and market opportunities, helping to inform organisational and sponsor strategy.
Champion equity, diversity and inclusion across programme delivery and stakeholder engagement activities.
Undertake any other reasonable duties required to support the achievement of organisational objectives.
Meet revenue targets.
Spot opportunities.
Contribute to bids and proposals.
Increase client confidence in and credibility of CPC, manage sell ons and 2nd phase wins.
Ensure CRM system is updated stakeholder contact and any account information including opportunity management.
Scope and lead streams of work.
Shape the planning and budgeting of work.
Shape and design the deliverables.
Manage the PMO and commercial control.
Organise the work stream for the core and virtual team members.
Provide excellence in delivery.
Meet (or exceed) utilisation targets.
Design and plan innovative and professional delivery.
Develop senior client buy in across a range of stakeholders.
Hold face off accountability at senior management levels.
Update CRM system with contact of client information.
Contribute profession/specialism into delivery and proposal development.
Provide thought leadership.
Work in profession virtual community.
Provide learning opportunities.
Maintain own professional development.
Ensure an ethos of equity, inclusivity and diversity underpin your work activity, contribute to inclusive innovation across all Catapult activities.
You may be required to undertake any other reasonable duties to support the Catapult in achieving its strategic outcomes and ensure effective business operations.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Required Competencies
Act as a recognised leader within the transport innovation ecosystem, bringing together industry, government, investors and innovators to accelerate innovation adoption at scale.
Exceptional programme leadership and delivery skills.
Ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder programmes and partnerships.
Strong strategic thinking and systems thinking capabilities.
Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
Ability to operate effectively with senior government, industry and innovation stakeholders.
Commercial awareness and experience contributing to business development activities.
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity.
Ability to balance strategic oversight with hands-on delivery.
Commitment to inclusive innovation, sustainability and collaborative working.
Ability to work at pace within a dynamic innovation environment.
Spark creative thinking across all tasks.
Apply systems thinking to problem solving.
Create effective networks.
Use personal influence to progress beyond challenges and blockers.
Use experience to provide the voice of the customer in all activities.
Effectively manage communication across teams and stakeholders, lead meetings and contribute to publications and events.
Co-ordinate plans across activities.
Role model agility and adaptation.
Champion and promote inclusion and sustainability.
Benefits
9 day fortnight for everyone, every other Friday.
23.5 holiday entitlement for everyone, with pro-rata calculations for part-time employees, along with a Christmas shutdown period for additional days off.
Competitive pension, up to 10% company contribution to help you save for your future.
Two paid days of volunteering leave per year (pro-rata for part-time employees) to support charitable activities.
Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing 24/7 confidential work/life support services to you and your immediate family members.
Cycle to Work Scheme encouraging a healthy and sustainable commute.
Cash Health Plan, offering reimbursement for a wide range of essential and everyday healthcare expenses, promoting your well-being.
Payroll Giving scheme, allowing regular charitable contributions from pre-tax income, maximizing the impact of your donations.
Discounts and offers from a wide variety of retailers, enhancing your purchasing power and providing savings opportunities.
Mortgage Advice benefit, delivered in partnership with Charles Cameron & Associates – provides employees with free, expert mortgage advice and end-to-end mortgage support from the application process through to completion.
Connected Places Catapult is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to ensuring a fair and inclusive recruitment process. If you require any adjustments during the application or interview process, please let us know and we will be happy to support you.
