Horizon Europe National Contact Point - Sustainable Agriculture and the Bioeconomy

The Team:
Innovate UK’s leads in agriculture and the bioeconomy sit in the Healthy Living and Agriculture directorate which includes teams focused on Health and Care as well as Agriculture and Food. Collectively these teams deliver dedicated R&D funding to the UK’s health and life science sector.
As well as UK opportunities the team also seeks to influence and support UK businesses in securing partnerships and funding through European programmes, Horizon EU in particular.
The team also plans to identify and support other international collaborative opportunities, outside of Europe, under for example the EUREKA Framework and in developing economies via the Newton and Prosperity fund.
The post holder will be a member of the AgriFood team.
We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.
Job Purpose:
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 for proposals 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.
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.
The intention may be to leverage the capacity of the NCPs to accelerate this endeavour; broadening the scope of their contribution, and to look at wider global opportunities, whilst prioritising EU programme work and ensuring a clear strategy is in place for this area., + Assist all types of UK entities understand and navigate the matrix of opportunities across the Horizon Europe Cluster 6 including its Partnerships and Missions. This includes 1:1 advice by email and phone, presentations in person or webinars, creation of online resources etc.
+ Support UK participation in European programmes, within the spirit of Commission guidance on NCPs, being the subject matter expert for the UK on European programmes in the Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment areas.
+ Build strong relationships with relevant bodies and networks such as businesses, research organisations, trade associations, government departments (e.g. DSIT, DEFRA) and agencies/local authorities, private investors, charities and regulatory bodies to support and promote participation.
+ Develop an understanding of UK capabilities in this sector.
+ Participate in the Cluster 6 NCP CSA (Coordination and Support Action) CARE4BIO and deliver actions in Work Packages to support increased understanding and training of Cluster 6 NCPs and participants .
+ Input to and attend meetings of the Cluster 6 and Missions Programme Committees in Brussels. This done in conjunction with DEFRA, BBSRC and NERC with input from stakeholders including devolved UK Administrations, to create a unified UK wide response Influence the development of future Work Programmes up to 2027 and then the successor programme FP10.
+ Support relevant programmes beyond those run by the EU, drawing on corporate UK resources such as Customer Support Services (CSS), Innovate UK Business Connect and Innovate UK Business Growth.
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.

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., + Degree or post-graduate qualification in relevant science, engineering or related discipline, or equivalent experience
Experience:
Essential –
+ Knowledge of European Framework programmes e.g. as participant, adviser, or National Contact Point
+ Up-to-date and broad-based knowledge of innovation in Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment applications
+ Appreciation of the wider landscape in the UK, including the key businesses and initiatives relevant to Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
+ Familiarity with the wider research environment, both in the UK and globally
+ Stakeholder management experience, including working with senior level individuals managing conflicting demands and priorities
+ Knowledge and experience of innovation in a commercial environment and a good broad understanding of the support companies need to develop and deploy new technology
+ Communication and presenting experience, including online
+ Working within a cross-functional team requiring time and resource management
Skills:
+ The ability to respond calmly under pressure and to make impartial and well-considered judgments in complex situations, when required
+ The capability and gravitas to engage effectively with senior representatives from business, UK and other Governments, and the EU.
+ Excellent presentation skills with the ability to hold an audience large or small in your specialist role
+ Strong written and oral communication skills in developing papers/reports for Innovate UK and others, including the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate reports
+ Highly developed team working skills, able to form effective working relationships both internally and externally
+ Self-starter, able to work unsupervised and on own initiative with the ability to prioritise and multitask
+ Excellent interpersonal skills, including tact, discretion and experience of liaising with senior stakeholders and staff
+ High competency of ICT skills/ IT systems and applications including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access

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, Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Alongside your salary of £54,043, Innovate UK contributes £15,656 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ Learning and development tailored to your role
+ An environment with flexible working options
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
+ A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%