Horizon Europe UK National Contact Point (Digital) - Maternity Cover

Horizon Europe UK National Contact Point (Digital) - Maternity Cover

The role holder is one of the UK’s focal point for the Digital opportunities within the EU’s Horizon Europe programme as the Digital National Contact Point (NCP).

*Please note this advert will close on the 12th May 2026 at 23.59pm.

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Title:           Horizon Europe UK National Contact Point (Digital) - Maternity Cover

Band:          UKRI Band F (UKRI Ts & Cs)

Salary:        £58,589 gross per annum

Reports to:  Head of Foundational Capabilities - AI & Digital

Location:     Field based

Contract:     Fixed Term Until (31/12/2026)

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

Context:

National Contact Points (NCPs) work to promote successful UK engagement and participation in Horizon Europe programmes, including answering queries, supporting partner and funding identification, and support throughout the application and assessment process. There are 20 current NCPs in the UK, with international counterparts, who sit across UKRI, the Research Councils, and within Innovate UK. 14 of the 20 UK NCPs sit within Innovate UK, positioned throughout the relevant domain or international teams. 

 The network of NCPs is the main structure through which Member States and countries associated to the Horizon Europe programme influence priorities and provide essential guidance, practical information and assistance on all aspects of participation in Horizon Europe. The objective being to increase UK engagement and success in the programme. 

This role sits within the Digital & Technology growth sector team, reporting to the Head of Foundational Capabilities - AI & Digital and operates as part of the UKRI global delivery model. Innovate UK’s Global team supports innovative businesses across the UK to achieve faster growth and scale by enabling their international engagement. We help break down the barriers hindering businesses' ability to internationalise and we put them at the forefront of international innovation opportunities. We help businesses through our toolkit of products and services. These include for example, support to UK applicants to: identify relevant international opportunities; get ready for global growth by building awareness, capability and capacity; work with businesses from other countries on R&D and innovation; and access support from the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. This role also includes representing the UK at relevant Programme committees and Joint Undertakings, and supporting strategically across our participation in Horizon Europe. 

The role is based in Innovate UK’s Digital and Technologies domain, which includes teams focused on the UK Government’s frontier technologies. The team are responsible for helping breakthrough technologies become scalable businesses — turning innovation into commercial and economic growth. As well as UK opportunities the team also seeks to influence and support UK businesses and others in securing partnerships and funding through European programmes, Horizon Europe in particular. The post holder will also work with the global directorate, seeking to influence and support UK applicants in securing partnerships and funding through European programmes, Horizon Europe in particular. NCPs will also support the UK R&I sector, including universities and RTOs, to engage in Horizon Europe programmes, answering queries and promoting and supporting successful engagement across the UK R&D ecosystem. There will be strong links to other teams within the organization through this broad technical role.

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

Job Purpose:

The role holder is one of the UK’s focal point for the Digital opportunities within the EU’s Horizon Europe programme as the Digital National Contact Point (NCP). The Digital programme encompasses Robotics, Electronics, Photonics, Data and Computing (including cloud), Artificial Intelligence, Communications (5&6G/IoT), Decentralised digital technologies), Immersive/Extended Reality (+Quantum, Semiconductors, High Performance Computing). An NCP is a European Commission-recognised technical expert with privileged access to Commission officials, who works closely with and advises UK Government policy leads responsible for the relevant programme area. This is achieved by helping ensure future calls are informed by UK interests and priorities, proactively identifying key UK organisations that could benefit from engagement in the programme, and by enabling UK entities to navigate and identify the most suitable opportunities and partners to take forward their research and innovation priorities.  

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Help UK entities understand and navigate the matrix of opportunities across the domestic and international landscape.
• Influence and shape future priorities for the digital aspects of the Horizon Europe programme, as the nominated UK representative attending meetings online, in Brussels and elsewhere as necessary.
• Leading on the Digital Tech partnerships and relevant Cluster activities of Horizon Europe on behalf of Innovate UK.
• Influence the development of future Work Programmes through engaging with relevant European Commission officials, partners in UK Government and other delegates to the Programme Committee and external partnerships.
• Develop a strong understanding of UK capabilities and their requirements of international partners with a view to identifying the most relevant partners.
• Continue to support UK participation in Horizon Europe programmes, within the spirit of Commission guidance on NCPs, being the subject matter expert for the UK on European programmes in the digital technologies area.
• Work within UKRI including Innovate UK to develop a strategy for the area, and focus their efforts on the highest potential opportunities that delivers optimum results for the UK R&I community through proactive outreach to stakeholders looking to benefit from the opportunity of European programmes.
• Build strong relationships with relevant bodies and networks such as businesses, research organisations, trade associations, government departments and agencies/local authorities, private investors, and regulatory bodies. 
• Support relevant programmes beyond those run by the EU, drawing on corporate resources such as Customer Support Services (CSS), Innovate UK Business Growth, Catapults and Innovate UK Business Connect. 
• Support impact analysis of UK participation and outputs of engagement with digital technologies focused programmes 

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:

This position requires a person with commercial awareness who can manage competing priorities and a complex domestic and international stakeholder environment.  The role holder will need to make sense of multiple data sources, to establish underlying patterns and articulate a clear and compelling vision and strategy of what needs to be done, as well as being able to engage an external audience on regular occasions through being an accomplished communicator.  A good team player, willing to share knowledge and ideas with others and to learn from them.  Able to self-start when needed. 

Experience & Qualifications:

Essential –

• Degree or post-graduate qualification in a relevant science or discipline, or equivalent experience. (S)
• Knowledge of European Framework programmes e.g. as participant, adviser, or National Contact Point (S&I)
• Up-to-date and broad-based knowledge of innovation in digital applications, including but not limited to: AI, Data, Robotics, Electronics, sensors and photonics, Quantum, Future Telcomms, and IoT (S&I)
• Appreciation of the wider industrial landscape in the UK, including the key businesses and initiatives relevant to digital technologies (I)
• Familiarity with the wider research environment, both in the UK and globally (I)
• Stakeholder and resource management experience, including working in a cross-functional team and with senior representatives from business and Governments managing conflicting demands and priorities (S&I)
• Strong oral communication skills and presenting experience, including online (I)
• Strong written skills in developing papers/reports for Innovate UK and others, including the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate reports  (S&I)
• Ability to respond calmly under pressure and to make impartial and well-considered judgments in complex situations, when required (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.