Portfolio Manager - Missions
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Portfolio Manager - Missions
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
Salary: £37,841 per annum.
Band: UKRI Band D.
Contract Type: Open-ended.
Hours: Full-time/ Part Time. (minimum 0.8 FTE) (flexible working available)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working available.
Closing Date: Friday 20 March 2026.
Roles Available: 2
About Us
The R&D Missions Accelerator Programme represents an immensely exciting opportunity to create real world impact through R&D investment.
The programme will utilise a £500m budget to galvanise 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 Roles
Portfolio Manager – 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.
To find out more and apply, please visit Portfolio Manager – Economic Growth (R&D MAP)
Portfolio Manager – Clean Energy
The Clean Energy Mission is the UK’s world-leading response to climate change with its twin focus on Clean Power by 2030 and accelerating to Net Zero. We're tackling two interconnected challenges that will shape the nation's energy independence, push peaking gas plant off the system and drive down energy bills. You’ll be looking at how new business models and approaches can unlock grid flexibility through AI and digital innovation, and developing new low-cost ultralong-duration energy storage solutions. Working with experts in system change such as the Energy Systems and Digital Catapults, market shapers at NESO and Elexon and leading industry players, you'll be investing in real-world solutions and growing UK-based innovators and skills, right at the forefront of building the flexible, resilient power grid that will deliver our clean energy superpower ambitions.
We are looking for people who are highly self-motivated and who engage widely to find new solutions and ways of creating impact and bring real benefits to people’s lives and the economy.
These roles will be particularly suited to people with a background in energy and climate or a strong interest in the energy transition. Commercial acumen and technical skills in energy, innovation, AI/digital and/or finance are all highly desirable. Communications and media experience is also a definite advantage.
To find out more and apply, please visit Portfolio Manager – Clean Energy (R&D MAP)
Main Outputs and Activities
- Running the commissioning of new investments.
- Working across your team to aid the delivery of challenge priorities.
- Working with senior challenge staff to establish effective relationships with key strategic partners in your team’s area of work.
- Investment management of key investments within assigned challenge, ensuring that outputs, outcomes, and impact reach their full potential by engaging with key collaborators.
- Working with the innovation leads and key collaborators to support, develop and prioritise new ideas.
- Working closely across wider UKRI teams, ensuring high quality and timely project management of commissioning and governance activities.
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:
- A degree/equivalent qualification in a relevant subject area or demonstrable equivalent level of knowledge, skills, and experience. (S)
- Planning and organisational skills, including: an awareness of project management methods, the ability to support the co-ordination of project workstreams and the ability to effectively prioritise and run complex activities with competing workloads. (S&I)
- Ability to work independently and take ownership for delivery of expected outcomes whilst maintaining attention to detail. (S&I)
- Ability to work collegiately and flexibly in a team, delivering a varied portfolio consistently in a timely manner. You will need to be responsive to changes to overcome challenges and successfully deliver expected outcomes. (S&I)
Please note that some of the roles have additional criteria relating to the role, these can be found on their individual listing on the UKRI Careers Page.
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.
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 Recruitment@ukri.org
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 Recruitment@ukri.org.