Head of Innovation Ecosystems

About GDI Hub

The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) is a research and practice centre driving disability innovation for a fairer world that has grown rapidly to now operate in 40+ countries with more than 70 partners. We are the WHO Global Collaborating Center on AT, based at UCL.

Our vision is of a world without barriers to participation and equitable opportunity for all. We believe disability innovation is part of a bigger movement for disability inclusion and social justice. More than a product, a service or policy, disability innovation is a way of thinking to address disability challenges by co-designing solutions and sharing knowledge. We are solutions-focused experts in, Assistive & Accessible Technology, Inclusive Design, Inclusive Education Technology, Climate & Crisis Resilience and Cultural Participation. We stimulate entrepreneurship by developing bold approaches, partnerships and ecosystems to accelerate change.

We work across 5 domains, disrupting current ideas and practice by bring together new partnerships to overcome the barriers that exclusion and poverty creates in relation to disability. This role will be the lead for the highlighted aim, more can be found in the Disability Innovation Strategy:

• Research: creating new knowledge, solutions and products
• *Innovation: growing inclusive innovation ecosystems*
• Programmes: testing what works
• Teaching: learning and sharing knowledge
• Advocacy: evidence-based outreach

Based in East London and a legacy of the London 2012 Paralympic Games, we deliver world-class research, ideas and inventions, creating new knowledge, solutions and products, and shaping policy through co-creation, participation and collaboration. GDI Hub is composed of an Academic Research Centre (ARC) led by University College London (UCL) and a Community Interest Company (CIC) and is guided by an Advisory Board of disabled people. We currently have a diverse portfolio of work with a value of around £50million, are operational in 35 countries having reached 22 million people since we started counting in 2018.

GDI Hub values inclusion as a core business success factor. We actively seek to attract employees from diverse backgrounds and particularly welcome applications for this role from disabled people and people from all cultural and faith backgrounds. The role is offered on flexible terms, including location and hours of work (though right to work in the UK is required), and the accommodation of reasonable adjustments is business as usual for us.

Role Purpose

The Head of Innovation Ecosystems is a brand new and exciting senior role at GDI Hub which supports our vision for GDI Innovation which is bold and based on both theoretical work and our practical testing. The post holder will be GDI Hub’s practice lead on Innovation, with a core function to build on the work done over the first 6 years of GDI Hub, refining what we have learned and the models we have trailed, to take our inclusive innovation sector ecosystem development to the next level. Building on an established body of work, evidence, and sector relationships, the role requires a strong aptitude for strategic thinking; confidence engaging with senior stakeholders; pro-active delivery management; and sensitivity to the opportunities and priorities of inclusive Innovation in the global space. Perhaps you wish to bring your extensive skills into an impact-focused role for a few years – we want you to come change the world with us!

We are growing an ‘ecosystem of ecosystems approach’ which aims to address the different growth stages and challenges facing innovators and ventures in the disability inclusion space. We call this model ‘GDI Accelerate’, which has been developed over the past five years. As part of this work, we developed Africa’s first AT Innovation Accelerator – InnovateNow in Kenya, and the world’s first Assistive Technology focused Impact Fund – the AT Impact Fund. In 2022 we also intend to further roll-out the GDI Innovation Network and establish our Disability Innovation Coaching Programme. GDI Accelerate continues to attract wide attention, with corporate partnership rapidly evolving and geographies and sectors wanting to replicate our success.

The Head of Innovation will oversee this ecosystem growth whilst also supporting the Innovation Manager (based at UCL) in growing existing projects. The role would ideally have experience of developing significant partnerships and delivering programmes that develop innovation ecosystems within disability or in other sectors (we can teach you Disability Innovation); the most important of which is setting up and running funds and venture support systems.

This is partnership work; and will involve engaging directly (sometimes attracting funding relationship with) with a range of stakeholders representing diverse perspectives, including: donors, corporates, ventures, venture support agencies, research partners, and disability innovation experts. A key part of our innovation work is supporting the development of novel funding mechanisms, relationship networks, venture support and innovation spaces, to drive sector growth and inclusion for disabled people. Most of our work to date, has focused on assistive and accessible products, but we see this as a starting point for disability inclusion more broadly. This role will lead the delivery of client-facing projects and new initiatives as part of the wider GDI Hub portfolio, and contribute to the development of new projects, working closely with partners and clients. The Head of Innovation Ecosystems will work with delivery partners (including members of the GDI Hub team) to ensure that our Innovation activities and projects maximise their positive impact, form a cohesive whole and generate new and engaging findings.

This senior role would suit someone in ascendence in the sector who is creative and collaborative with a drive to change the world and inspire others to do the same.

The Head of Innovation Ecosystems will focus on four key areas:

• Innovation Programme Strategic Design, Delivery and Management (approx. 60%)
• Innovation Insights (approx. 15%)
• Senior stakeholder engagement, support for Advocacy and Communications (approx. 15%)
• Operational activities (approx. 10%)

More information on these focus areas is detailed in the section below.

GDI Hub works across five thematic areas, and this role will be expected to have or develop familiarity of these, including: Assistive & Accessible Technology, Inclusive Design in the Build Environment, Inclusive Educational Technology, Climate & Crisis Resilience and Culture & Participation within the Disability Inclusions space.

Responsibilities

Strategic leadership and Innovation Delivery

• Lead the intellectual and strategic growth and management of GDI’s inclusive innovation ecosystem which will support ventures to reach more people with the vital products they need.
• Engage with emerging opportunities to deliver new work and take on new projects, supporting proposal development alongside the wider team.
• Consolidate the partnerships with key stakeholders, investors, and partners to raise investment into the support ecosystems that will enable ventures and initiatives to succeed.
• Ensure projects deliver on their objectives and are aligned to GDI and client needs taking overall responsibility for the quality and timeliness of project delivery and deliverables, ensuring project processes and procedures are being implemented correctly.
• Provide leadership in client/investor discussions, understanding needs and priorities, and linking these to project and team delivery plans.
• Lead and/or contribute to external communications and profile-raising activities.

Innovation Insights

• Specific responsibility for creating Innovation outputs from GDI Hub work which showcase evidence, success, failures and sector growth, and feeding these into the GDI Hub network to maximise impact.
• Support the development of Innovation-focused insight papers and sessions with implementing partners based on their work under GDI Hub programmes.
• Lead development of innovation showcase and learning event series to highlight insights on Innovation ecosystems, key projects and linkages across GDI Hub’s portfolio of work.
• Infuse innovation insights into GDI Hub portfolio of engagement and advocacy events
• Ensure innovation insights are visible and usable to the MSc Disability, design, and Innovation teaching team

Lead Engagement with innovation sector and support Advocacy and Communications

• Form and enhance existing relationships within the innovation and impact investment sector
• Building partnerships that sets GDI up for success in supporting investment in ventures;
• Provide input to the content and events, making efforts to raise the profile of GDI Hub’s work
• Write insight reports, blogs or other content to raise the profile and learning around GDI Innovation.
• Highlight communication and advocacy opportunities arising from Innovation projects and client engagements.

Operational activities

• Attend SMT and profile advice as the Head of Profession on innovation to the CEO, cofounders and senior team.
• Work closely with the Academic Research Centre to connect and amplify research and innovation activities
• Support the management and oversight of team delivery and work planning.
• Convene and run team meetings, ensure shared understanding of the project and individual delivery responsibilities.
• Ensure team resources are used in accordance with project budgets and actively tracked throughout delivery
• Scope the need for additional team resource and work with Operational Teams to recruit and contract as needed.
• Line management to junior roles as project teams develop

Experience and Qualifications

• Significant experience (10 years+) building innovation ecosystems; with a desire to work in international development, disability innovation and/or the consultancy sector.
• Familiarity with global trends on impact investment and inclusion and/or funds with an interest in social benefit would be an advantage.
• Evidenced track record of facilitating an environment which enabled ventures to scale.
• Profile, gravitas and networks to be able to command high level conversations with sector leaders and corporate partners.
• Ability to lead matrix –managed teams to solve complex challenges.
• Experience of disability innovation is desirable, but not necessary (as GDI Hub has existing expertise within the team).
• Post graduate qualification or equivalent, focused on public policy, business, innovation, disability and inclusion or a related field.
• Exceptional written communication skills, with ability to independently take on writing of large sections of reports using clear and compelling narrative.
• Excellent ability to communicate, work in a team, and collaborate with individuals with diverse technical backgrounds and with external stakeholders.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment to tight deadlines managing own commitments to the benefit of the team.
• Knowledge of key industry, philanthropic, academic and/or institutional donors in the innovation space, would be an advantage.
• Positive and proactive attitude, with a genuine passion for this area of work

Role Competencies

Skills and abilities

• Sector development and venture support
• Strategic influence, partnerships, and fundraising.
• Programme Design and Project Management
• Planning and organising work effectively to achieve results
• Operational management and financial reporting
• Stakeholder management
• Analytical skills and comfort working with data
• Proactive, self-motivated, committed, and enthusiastic
• Skilled in matrix leadership and profile-raising activities
• Excellent communication skills including writing technical reports and publicly facing outputs
• Excellent ICT skills (Office365, incl. Excel, SharePoint, Teams, etc.)
• High degree of integrity and ability to operate in a politically sensitive environment

Personal style and behaviour

• Pro-active problem solver
• Practical and pragmatic
• Likes working as part of a small, energetic team
• Creative and organisational leadership
• Integrity and inclusive behaviours
• Able to work independently, prioritise and work to tight deadlines
• High degree of professionalism
• Excellent presentation and communication skills
• Approachable and amiable

Apply for this role if it is in alignment with your purpose and we will work together to make a big difference for inclusive innovation ventures and the hundreds of millions of people that need their products.