Product Lead

We are currently looking for a Product Lead – Innovative Pathways to join our Innovation Accelerator function within the Science, Research & Innovation group.

This is a full-time opportunity, on a permanent basis. The role will be based in 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London, E14 4PU. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. We are open to requests for part-time, flexible working, and job shares. Please discuss with the hiring manager before accepting an appointment.

Government departments and agencies are working towards implementing a minimum 60% attendance in office sites.

We are currently implementing a flexible, hybrid way of working, with a minimum of 8 days per month working on site to enable the collaboration and contact with partners and stakeholders needed to deliver MHRA business. Attendance on site is driven by business needs so depending on the nature of the role, this can flex up to 12 days a month, with the remainder of time worked either remotely or in the office. Some roles will need to be on site more regularly. 

 

Who are we? 

 

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.  

The Science, Research and Innovation Group delivers public health impact, world-leading research innovation, and a unique proposition via its Science Strategy. It is divided into 6 sub-Groups, Innovation Accelerator, Clinical Investigations and Trials, Research and Development, Standards Lifecycle, Control Testing and Quality Assurance and Health & Safety.

The Innovation Accelerator helps provide innovators access to MHRA scientific expertise and regulatory guidance, helping developers of innovative products (medicines, medical devices (including software) and blood components for transfusion) connect more dynamically with an enhanced advice and signposting service. It brings together the MHRA Innovation Office, the Regulatory Advice Service for Regenerative Medicines (RASRM), Regulatory Science and horizon scanning. It also leads for MHRA on the delivery of the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) and Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP).

 

What’s the role?

 

The role offers an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of healthcare innovation in the UK. 

The Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP) aims to accelerate the time to market, facilitating patient access to transformative medicines. Working across multiple organisations to ensure the successful delivery of the ILAP and ensure it can continue to develop to meet the needs of the whole sector. It is crucial that we continue to enhance the value of the ILAP to the Life Sciences industry as part of demonstrating the UK’s commitment to supporting the development of new innovation. 

The successful candidate will have a key role in supporting the successful delivery of ILAP. They will act as the key point of contact for companies within ILAP, providing a high level of customer service to ensure that developers can access the support provided by the MHRA and the ILAP partners. Key to the role’s success will be collaborating with technical experts across the MHRA, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the NHS and other organisations in the health ecosystem including the life sciences industry. You will develop and maintain an understanding of the regulatory environment we operate in.

There will also be an opportunity to play a role in cross-Agency work to develop and implement new policy aimed at streamlining regulatory pathways that accelerate the development of innovative products beyond ILAP. In particular, working closely with the Innovative Devices team to take lessons from the IDAP pilot to inform the future direction of the MHRA, alongside work to develop plans to establish a new Innovation Pathway that draws together both ILAP and IDAP under a single programme. 

 

Key responsibilities: 

 

• Act as a key contact for ILAP Innovation Passport holders. Lead on the coordination of interactions between Innovation Passport holders and ILAP Partners and support access to ILAP services. 

• Effectively advise on queries received from stakeholders in line with policy and regulatory frameworks, liaising with experts where required. 

• Liaise and work in collaboration with partner organisations to organise multi-stakeholder input for each product journey.

• Maintain accurate, up-to-date records of each product’s progress through the ILAP pathway, including Target Development Profiles, ILAP service use, and milestones.

• Prepare briefings, trackers, and status updates for internal and partner use.

• Lead on identifying operational improvements to the ILAP concierge function. Propose solutions to management and lead on implementation of service development projects to enable continuous improvement.

 

 

Who are we looking for? 

 

Our successful candidate will have:

 

 

• BSc Degree in a scientific discipline, or equivalent scientific experience

• Proven experience of effective stakeholder engagement in a large or complex organisation, coordinating and handling enquiries from a range of customer / stakeholders and resolving issues and complaints as required.

• Experience of working with staff outside your immediate team, with experience of influencing and leading delivery.

• An understanding of medicines and medical device regulation.

• Demonstrable Behaviours of ‘Seeing the Big Picture’, ‘Working Together’, and ‘Communicating and Influencing’ 

If you would like to find out more about this fantastic opportunity, please read our Job Description and Person Specification! 

 

Please note: The job description may not open in some internet browsers. Please use Chrome or Microsoft Edge. If you have any issue viewing the job description, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk 

 

The selection process: 

 

We use the Civil Service Success Profiles to assess our candidates, find out more here. 

 

• Online application form, including questions based on the Behaviour, Experience and Technical Success Profiles. Please ensure all application questions are completed in full; your application may not be considered if any responses are left blank. Our applications are CV blind, and our Hiring Managers will not be able to access your CV when reviewing your application. 

• Presentation, to be prepared as part of your interview, with further information being supplied when you reach this stage. 

• Interview, which can include questions based on the Behaviour, Experience, Technical and Strengths Success Profiles. 

 

 

In the instance that we receive a high number of applications, we will hold an initial sift based on the lead criteria of ‘Communicating and Influencing.’

 

Applicants are assessed on whether they meet any mandatory requirements as well as the necessary skills and experience for the role. Applications are scored based on the competency-based answers provided- ensure you have read these thoroughly and allow sufficient time. You can view the competencies for this role in the job description. 

 

Use of AI in Job Applications

 

 

Applicants must ensure that anything submitted is factually accurate and truthful. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

 

 

If you require any disability related adjustments at any point during the process, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk as soon as possible. 

  

Closing date: 07 September 2025

Shortlisting date: 12 September 2025

Interview date: w/c 22 September 2025

 

Candidates will be contacted within a week of the sift and the interviews completed to inform them of the outcome.

 

If you need assistance applying for this role or have any other questions, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk 

 

Candidates will be subject to UK immigration requirements as well as Civil Service nationality rules. Further information on whether you are able to apply is available here. 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check as well as animal rights and pro-life activism checks. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Certain roles within the MHRA will require post holders to have vaccinations, and in some circumstances, routine health surveillance. These roles include:

• Laboratory-based roles working directly with known pathogens

• Maintenance roles, particularly those required to work in laboratory settings

• Roles that involve visiting other establishments where vaccination is required

• Roles required to travel overseas where specific vaccination may be required.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government. 

Any move to the MHRA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility here.

Successful candidates may be subject to annual Occupational Health reviews dependent on role requirements. If you have any queries, please contact careers@mhra.gov.uk.

 

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment on the basis of merit by a fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should firstly contact Florentina Oyelami, Head of Talent Acquisition – Florentina.Oyelami@mhra.gov.uk.   

 

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk 

 

info@csc.gov.uk 

Civil Service Commission 

Room G/8 

1 Horse Guards Road 

London 

SW1A 2HQ 

About Us

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency enhance and improve the health of millions of people every day through the effective regulation of medicines and medical devices, underpinned by science and research.

The agency is made up of c.1300 staff working across two main centres and peripatetically across the UK and abroad.

The agency consists of Corporate, Digital & Technology, Enablement, Healthcare Quality & Access, Partnerships, Safety & Surveillance and Scientific Research & Innovation.