Innovation Associate

**About Us**

The UK Agri-Tech Centre is a new organisation launched on 1 April 2024 and created from three of the original Agri-Tech centres.

Utilising our UK-wide assets, world-class facilities and expertise, our new organisation is a gateway for funding programmes, such as the Farming Innovation Programme and Horizon Europe, and provides benefits to the whole supply chain, the UK economy and beyond.

We strengthen the connections between science, business, and funders to accelerate research and development, tackling the industry’s most critical challenges, such as climate change, labour availability, disease mitigation and environmental sustainability.

**Job Purpose**

As an Innovation Associate, you will play a key role in advancing sustainability within agricultural ecosystems. Your work will focus on understanding and enhancing sustainability, exploring trade-offs, and integrating concepts such as Biodiversity Net Gain, the Environmental Land Management Scheme, and emerging Carbon Markets. This technical expertise will inspire collaboration and support impactful sector growth.

You will engage with diverse stakeholders to identify, develop, and deliver opportunities for sustainable innovation, contributing to projects that strengthen the sustainability of agricultural systems and supply chains, supporting the Net Zero transition. In this way, you will support businesses to grow through the commercialisation and adoption of new and sustainable agricultural technologies.

**Main Duties**
- Engagement & Research:_
- Proactively engage with the agricultural and environmental sectors to understand sustainability challenges and opportunities.
- Stay informed on key developments in sustainability, across ecosystem services, biodiversity, carbon markets, and policy frameworks.
- Innovation & Opportunity Development:_
- Identify and pursue new opportunities for sustainable practices and technologies.
- Build consortia and support bid writing for grants and funding, enhancing the UK Agri-Tech Centre innovation portfolio.
- Project Support & Delivery:_
- Provide technical and strategic input to projects related to ecosystem services, trade-offs, and environmental outcomes.
- Ensure the timely and budget-conscious delivery of projects.
- Thought Leadership & Communication:_
- Contribute to thought leadership reports, open innovation activities, and horizon scanning.
- Present findings and innovations to diverse audiences, translating technical content for non-specialists.
- Internal & External Collaboration:_
- Work closely with the Innovation Team and wider organisation.
- Represent the UK Agri-Tech Centre at events, workshops, and conferences as required.

**Qualifications, Skills and Experience**
- Essential:_
- A degree in a relevant field such as Agricultural Systems, Environmental Science, Ecology, or Sustainability.
- Familiarity with agricultural policy frameworks, including Biodiversity Net Gain, Environmental Land Management Schemes, and Carbon Markets.
- Ability to engage and enthuse stakeholders across academia, industry, and policy sectors.
- Strong technical project management skills, with experience in delivering complex projects.
- Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with an ability to tailor technical information to different audiences.
- Desirable:_
- Experience with data analysis or modelling in agricultural systems, ecosystems, or sustainability.
- Knowledge of ecosystem services frameworks and the innovation landscape, including UK and International funding programmes.
- Familiarity with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) or sustainability modelling techniques.
- General Attributes:_
- A collaborative and consultative working style, with excellent problem-solving abilities.
- Analytical and creative thinking skills to identify opportunities for innovation.
- Ability to work accurately under pressure, meeting deadlines with mínimal supervision.

**Additional Information**

Some travel will be required, including periodic travel to our hub office in York, so being a commutable distance from York would be an advantage.

**Application Process**

Closing date is January 20th, 2025

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year

**Benefits**:

- Casual dress
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Work from home

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday
- No weekends

Work authorisation:

- United Kingdom (required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in York YO10 5DQ