R&D Assistant Manager

We have an exciting opportunity for someone to join our CP Innovation team as an Innovation Assistant Manager. With true flexibility, you can choose to work from one of our Hub offices in Castle Donington, Birmingham, or London or if you live a bit further away, from home.

Our CP Innovation team is now 40 strong; we take care of each other, making sure we build something special that will endure. We are a high-performance unit comprised of people from a wide range of backgrounds including engineering, biotech, chemistry, IT and even an astrophysicist

We support our clients through R&D tax incentives and Patent Box relief as well as through working with an ecosystem of advisors such as grants providers and patent attorneys.

A day in the life of an Innovation Assistant Manager…

• Support R&D "Delivery Leads" on claims, performing tasks in a timely and diligent manner
• Taking notes in workshops with clients, capturing actions and contributing to the conversation
• Drafting CP Innovation reports and technical project descriptions
• Undertaking costing calculations
• Seek opportunities to support senior members of the team on practice development initiatives, by way of engagement in the annual process improvements meetings/participation in team meetings
• Through this role you will develop your core soft skills including:
• Oral and written communication skills
• Project management skills, particularly workload planning, prioritisation, risk identification and managing actions
• Excel skills including being proficient with lookups and pivot tables
• Resilience – develop your personal resilience, build techniques to manage stress and your own emotional wellbeing
• Personal profile – build your LinkedIn profile and presence

We pride ourselves on having a structured approach where expectations are clear. We couple this with creating a culture of safety where people feel empowered to put their hand up if they need help.

As an Innovation Assistant Manager, you will need to have an analytical outlook with a process driven mindset. You will need to have great oral and written skills which you are keen to develop and with a busy workload, you will know how to juggle and prioritise. Key experience includes…

• Ideally, you will have R&D experience within an accountancy practice but not essential
• Technical background would be advantageous
• An open mind to try something new with the drive and ambition to learn and grow

We've been dubbed 'the rebels of accountancy'. We're straight-talking. Never afraid to share our opinions. We put people and relationships before products and services, and deliver a streamlined, client-focused service – free from unnecessary red tape.

Check out our recent achievements:

• Best Companies' No.1 Accountancy Firm & No.30 Best Large Company to Work For in the UK
• Became B Corp Certified in 2023 and we're still the UK's largest accountancy B Corp, measuring and improving our impact beyond business for a brighter tomorrow
• Achieved 5 awards at the Inspiring Workplace Awards in 2025: winner in the Large Business category and best in class for inspiring People & Culture, Wellbeing, Inclusion and Employee Experience

What's in it for you?

Our people are the beating heart of our culture. We know that if you love working here, and you're given the trust and autonomy to work in a way that best suits you, you'll produce amazing results.

That's why we offer things like:

• A flexible approach to work - balancing working from home, in office or with clients
• A generous holiday entitlement
• An enhanced parental leave policy
• An enhanced pension scheme
• No dress code – just "wear something"
• A multi-award-winning wellbeing offering to support your physical, mental, spiritual, and financial health
• Volunteering opportunities to work closer with local communities and charities
• Cooper Parry social/sports clubs

Feeling supported and welcomed is such a big part of bringing your whole self to work. As an equal opportunities employer, we'll work with you to ensure you have everything you need to develop your skills and achieve your best.

Get in touch if you have any questions about our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion or about accessibility/accommodations during your application process.

For the attention of agencies - unsolicited CVs will not be honoured. We will only accept CV submissions for roles briefed to you by our Talent Acquisition team.