Chief of Staff (maternity cover)

Help shape the future of UK manufacturing innovation as our Chief of Staff (maternity cover)

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Contract: 12 to 18 months fixed term contract (maternity cover)

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Location: Home-based with regular travel to London and other UK locations as required

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Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

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Salary: Competitive

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Closing date: 14th August 2026

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The Opportunity: We are seeking an exceptional Chief of Staff to cover a period of maternity leave, working directly alongside our Chief Executive Officer. This is a highly influential position playing a pivotal role within the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. As Chief of Staff, you will act as a force multiplier for the CEO and Executive Leadership Team, ensuring strategic priorities are translated into measurable results, organisational alignment is achieved and decision-making is effective, timely and focused on delivering impact for our customers, funders and partners.

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You will work both independently and collaboratively, helping to shape strategy, drive organisation-wide delivery, improve executive effectiveness and ensure we remain fit for the future while maintaining disciplined execution of our commitments.

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You will be a trusted sounding board to the CEO, a catalyst for cross-functional collaboration and an ambassador for HVM Catapult with senior stakeholders across industry, government and the innovation ecosystem.

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What you'll bring:

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You will be a strategic thinker with excellent judgement, strong commercial awareness and an ability to operate effectively in complex and sometimes ambiguous environments. You will be equally comfortable discussing long-term organisational strategy, influencing senior stakeholders, facilitating difficult conversations and driving operational delivery.

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Key requirements:

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Degree-level qualification (Level 6) or equivalent professional experience.

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Significant experience in a senior strategic, operational, advisory or transformation role.

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Proven success leading complex cross-functional programmes and initiatives.

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Strong understanding of organisational strategy and governance within the Innovate UK Catapult Network.

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Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

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Excellent stakeholder management and influencing capability.

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Ability to synthesise complex information into clear recommendations and actions.

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Experience operating with a high degree of autonomy, discretion and judgement.

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Strong analytical, problem-solving and systems-thinking skills.

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At ease working in a fast-paced environment.

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Adaptability to quickly integrate into existing structures and ways of working.

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What you'll gain:

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The opportunity to influence how leading innovation organisations operate and succeed.

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A unique partnership with the CEO and her Executive Leadership Team.

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Exposure to major strategic opportunities, challenges and transformation programmes.

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The chance to work across a diverse network of organisations and stakeholders.

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A highly visible role with significant enterprise-wide impact.

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The High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult helps drive economic growth across the

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country by keeping UK manufacturing innovative, productive and globally competitive.

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Each year, thousands of businesses come to HVM Catapult seeking solutions to a particular

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problem or looking for ways to improve the products they sell, the way they make them and

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the skills of their workforce which could help them attract inward investment and prosper in

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the global marketplace.

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HVM Catapult’s national network of centres and 3,800 employees provide those companies

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with access to world-class facilities and expertise that would otherwise be out of reach.

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As part of the Innovate UK Catapult Network, HVM Catapult is the link between academia

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and industry to apply research, commercialising the UK’s most advanced manufacturing

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ideas. Working at scale and across the UK, our centres are a strategic research and

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innovation hub for UK industry, collaborating to accelerate industrial transformation by

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tackling key objectives in support of net zero, healthy living and national security.

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Please apply with covering letter in support of your application and CV to [email protected] by 5pm on Friday, 14th August 2026.