Senior Programme Manager (Nesta Challenges)

We are recruiting for an Interim Senior Programme Manager to join Nesta Challenges!

Are you innovative and excited about the future potential of entrepreneurship, innovative technologies and approaches to societal impact? Do you have experience in the design and delivery of programmes?

If so, Nesta is looking for a Senior Programme Manager to lead the development and delivery of challenge prizes that stimulate radical thinkers to develop new solutions to improve people’s lives, tackling some of the biggest challenges of our time.

About Nesta and Nesta Challenges

We are Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale solutions to society’s biggest problems. Our three missions are to give every child a fair start, help people live healthy lives, and create a sustainable future where the economy works for both people and the planet.

Our Challenges team is at the forefront of identifying and defining problems where new ideas, technologies and approaches can be encouraged to radically improve outcomes and then developing and managing challenge prizes that optimise the likelihood of success. Challenge prizes are competitions which reward whoever can first, or most effectively, meet a defined challenge and we have launched prizes that include improving outcomes for Nepalese farmers, encouraging young people into STEM and entrepreneurship and the $4m Toyota Mobility Challenge.

About this exciting opportunity

Our global health team at Nesta Challenges works with a number of high profile organisations to deliver challenge prizes in the health space including the $5m Global Surgical Training Challenge and the £8m Longitude Prize for antimicrobial resistance. We are looking for a Senior Programme Manager to lead the design and delivery of key programmes in our portfolio as well as scoping new opportunities and developing new relationships with key funders and stakeholders.

Leading a small team and working collaboratively with other team members, you will bring experience of designing and delivering complex programmes with diverse stakeholders to drive there profile, reach and impact, as well as experience leading complex and fast paced project workstreams.

Enabling smooth day-to-day programme execution will include the monitoring of milestones, evaluation and finance to keep track of project budgets and deadlines and flagging action points where appropriate. You will also:

·      Lead all aspects of one of more complex prizes, exercising judgement, solving problems and creating opportunities at a programme level. Complex prizes will be of significant size, difficulty and risk and involvement will span all phases.

·      Liaise with partners and clients to identify the focus of prizes, supporting their design and conducting research with stakeholders and experts when necessary

·      Build and maintain excellent working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective delivery of the prizes

·      Oversee the delivery of communications strategies, contributing to marketing materials and developing content for web and social media

What we are looking for

We value diverse skills and experiences and so we're looking for a proactive and adaptable individual with a growth mindset interested in continuous improvement both of the programmes they work on and as a professional.

An outstanding communicator, you will have strong organisational, prioritisation and time management skills, with the ability to work to very tight deadlines and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously. Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills are vital, as is first-class attention to detail.

What we offer

Salary: £53k-£65k plus array of benefits, including health cash plans, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more

Location: This role is based in Blackfriars, Central London (hybrid working arrangement)

Term: Maternity cover

Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do.

Making an application

To apply for this role, please submit your application before 8:00am on the 19th of April 2022.

Interviews will take place w/c 25th of April 2022.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results.

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.