£37,841 – £37,841EntryFull Time
Innovate UK has the following secondment opportunity available for employees of Innovate UK Business Connect:
Applications must be submitted by
21-05-2026Project Finance & Assurance is a team of management accountants who are all responsible for checking and approving the financial viability and eligibility of successful grant applicants.
*Please note this advert will close on the 20th of May 2026 at 23.59pm.
Watch our video “Why Join Innovate UK?” here.
Title: Project Finance and Assurance Accountant
Band: UKRI Band D (UKRI Ts & Cs)
Salary: £37,841 gross per annum
Reports to: Project Finance & Assurance Pre Award Senior Manager
Location: Swindon (Hybrid Working)
Contract: Permanent
Innovate UK recognises the importance of work-life balance and we will be happy to discuss any requests for flexible working arrangements.
Job Purpose:
Project Finance & Assurance is a team of management accountants who are all responsible for checking and approving the financial viability and eligibility of successful grant applicants. Each member has a strong background in management accounts and is capable of scrutinising sets of accounts and liaising with applicants and stakeholders to ensure that they are legitimate and eligible to receive public funding. This is a key part of the application process and must be conducted in a timely manner so that participants can start their innovation projects.
Frequently working to deadlines, management accountants must understand Subsidy Regime and State Aid rules and use these to check the viability of project participants and the appropriate eligibility of their intended project costs. This will involve discussions and options with those organisations who do not meet the financial viability necessary to be eligible. Experience in commercial accounting good practice and decision making is essential, as is a strong investigative and inquisitive nature. The team must balance the need to adhere to the proportionate level of risk and accounting standards, transparency requirements in accordance with managing the public purse, along with the need to provide a high level of customer service to project participants.
We particularly welcome female applicants as women are under-represented within Innovate UK in this type of role.
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:
Work on and deliver the financial review of project information in a dynamic environment including:
This is not an exhaustive list and you might be encouraged to undertake any other duties across the wider directorate, commensurate with the Band and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post holder has the key experience and/or training.
Shortlisting criteria
(S) – Assessed at shortlisting
(I) – Assessed at interview
(S&I) – Assessed at both shortlisting and interview
Person Specification:
Experience & Qualifications:
Essential –
Competencies:
All team members demonstrate compatibility with and capability against our Core Competencies such as:
Thinking and Problem Solving – Stakeholder management – Communication skills – Influencing – Self-awareness/self-management – Strategic awareness – Working with others– Project management
Some of the above competencies will be assessed at interview stage, in addition to the criteria’s listed in the person specification.
Travel Requirements:
Swindon-based: There may be the occasional requirement for national travel.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
Innovate UK is a diverse workforce of people. We believe that encouraging these differences and drawing the best from them will build a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, where talents are fully utilised and in which organisational goals are met. Underpinning this is a belief that it is a fundamental right for everyone to be treated equally, with fairness, respect and dignity. We will act directly and use our influence to ensure that this right is promoted and upheld; we encourage applications from all those who meet the criteria set-out in our role profiles.
Equal Opportunities:
We are an equal opportunities employer, committed to employing any person who meets the criteria for our roles. When undertaking recruitment we may require applicants to undertake certain tests or assessments, some of which will be online and others may be in-person. If you have a disability, heath condition or specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia then you may be entitled to support with undertaking this type of assessment exercise. Where you feel that reasonable adjustments are required to support you, we ask that you advise your recruitment point of contact in a timely fashion, providing further information. In confidence, Innovate UK will then review your application for adjustments and provide support as required.
UK Research and Innovation:
Innovate UK is partner organisation within UK Research and Innovation. If successful in securing the position, your employer will be UK Research and Innovation. More information can be found online http://www.ukri.org/.
Employee Benefits:
We offer a benefits package crafted to provide an excellent work/life balance. This includes 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege days, flexible working hours, an exceptional defined benefit pension scheme, and access to a variety of support networks and discount schemes.
Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
Flexible Working:
We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants.
Pre-employment Screening:
To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a comprehensive pre-employment check on successful applicants as part of the recruitment process.
The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.
UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider how this aligns with your personal values or beliefs. To enable us to hire the very best people we will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as a crucial part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check.
Applications must be submitted by;
21-05-2026
