Portfolio Manager - Clean Energy - (R&D MAP)

Portfolio Manager – Clean Energy

Salary: £37,841 per annum.
Grade: UKRI Band D.
Contract Type: Open Ended. 
Hours: Full-Time or Part-Time. (Minimum 0.8 FTE)
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire. (Hybrid Working)

Closing Date: 20/03/2026

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.  

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.
 

Purpose

The R&D MAP are seeking a Portfolio Manager to support the Clean Energy Mission as part of the broader R&D MAP within UKRI.  

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.  
• Involvement in the team’s corporate responsibilities  
• This is not a comprehensive list, and we may require you to undertake other duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of this post. 

 

This is not a comprehensive list, and we may require you to undertake other duties commensurate with the level of responsibility of this post.
 

Person 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)
• Strong communication skills, using appropriate styles and methods to maximise impact and understanding. (S&I)
• Experience of building effective working relationships with both internal and external collaborators (such as senior academics, policy makers, practitioners, or business partners) at varying seniority levels with the ability to influence and persuade. (S&I)
• Analytical skills with the ability to evaluate, report, and act on complex information of various forms, including numerical data.  (S&I) 
   

Desirable

• Facilitation skills including the ability to create an inclusive environment, encourage others to contribute, consider differing perspectives, guide others to appropriate and useful outcomes (S)
• Communications and media experience, including working on press releases and speaking to the media (S&I) 

 

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.
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.
• Flexible working options.

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.

We do sponsor - 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. 

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.  For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

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.