Chief of Staff (maternity cover)

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

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

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

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Salary: Competitive

Closing date: 14th August 2026

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.

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.

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.

What you'll bring:

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.

Key requirements:

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

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

Proven success leading complex cross-functional programmes and initiatives.

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

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.

Excellent stakeholder management and influencing capability.

Ability to synthesise complex information into clear recommendations and actions.

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

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

At ease working in a fast-paced environment.

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

What you'll gain:

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

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

Exposure to major strategic opportunities, challenges and transformation programmes.

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

A highly visible role with significant enterprise-wide impact.

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

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

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

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

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

the global marketplace.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please apply with covering letter in support of your application and CV to recruitment@hvm.catapult.org.uk by 5pm on Friday, 14th August 2026.