Programme Manager, Spinouts and Startups

Salary £39,045 per annum

Location London

The role

The role of the Programme Manager, Spinouts and Startups is to manage the recruitment and selection process of entrepreneurs onto our Enterprise Fellowship programme and to provide account management and cohort management for the duration of the programme. This includes contributing to programme design, marketing, supplier management, and budget management.

The Programme Manager will lead on scouting for and liaising with applicants and reviewers, data and programme analysis, and supporting and monitoring the awardees once in post. Additional duties include aiding the team in running events to support current awardees and alumni, as well as contributing to the Academy’s entrepreneurship and innovation thought leadership.

The successful candidate may bring experience from a venture capital firm, talent investor, technology transfer office, or an accelerator. They will understand how to identify and support high-potential founders and ventures, combining strong stakeholder and relationship management skills with the ability to coordinate high-quality innovation, entrepreneurship or venture development programmes. Highly organised, analytical and detail-oriented, they will manage multiple priorities effectively and bring experience of budget management, data analysis and supplier coordination. As a proactive and collaborative communicator, they will work confidently with founders, investors, experts and partners to deliver high-quality support and maximise programme impact. The role-holder will play an important part in ensuring our programmes remain best-in-class and that participants can access the support, expertise and networks they need to build and grow their businesses.

The immediate team which delivers the programme comprises four Programme Managers and one Senior Programme Manager.

Application closing date: 29 November 2026 Interview date: w/c 07 December 2026 Interview location: London

Our location

Our light, spacious head office is based in a fantastic location in central London with views over St James’s Park and close to the West End. We operate hybrid, flexible working practices with a baseline for office based working of a mandatory weekly team day plus further days each week as required for the role and the Academy.

Who are we?

Engineering matters. It shapes our everyday lives, from our ability to turn the lights on, have a hot shower and commute into work, to the mobile phones we rely on to keep connected. It also plays a vital role in addressing some of the biggest challenges facing society today, from climate change, to global health pandemics and cyber threats. The Royal Academy of Engineering is a charity that harnesses the power of engineering to build a sustainable society and an inclusive economy that works for everyone. In collaboration with our Fellows and partners, we’re growing talent and developing skills for the future, driving innovation, and building global partnerships, and influencing policy and engaging the public. Together we’re working to tackle the greatest challenges of our age.  With a diverse workforce and an inclusive and supportive culture, we look to attract candidates from wide and different backgrounds who have a passion for the role engineering plays in society. Our aim is to make the Academy the best place to work for the staff we have and those we seek to attract.

Why work for us?

We’re looking for people who are driven to make the world a better place. If you’re passionate about what you do and want to work collaboratively with talented colleagues to make change happen now and for future generations, we want you to get in touch. This is the perfect time to join us. We have a dynamic, visionary CEO, a strong leadership team and an ambitious and exciting strategy. The value we bring as experts in our field and change agents is highly recognised and makes the Academy a motivating place to be. Our work today builds on a long, proud history with a focused and ambitious future which we’d love you to be part of. We are looking for talented people who want to make a difference, to join our team – is this you?

The Academy is committed to making reasonable adjustments to remove barriers that hinder applicants from applying or staff from working effectively and comfortably.

With a diverse workforce and an inclusive and supportive culture, we look to attract candidates from wide and different backgrounds who have a passion for the role engineering plays in society. Our aim is to make the Academy the best place to work for the staff we have and those we seek to attract.

The Royal Academy of Engineering is proud to be an ‘A’ Rated Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence holder, as approved by the UK Immigration Authorities.

The Academy may consider sponsorship for roles that are eligible, as defined by the Home Office. In accordance with Home Office criteria, sponsorship may only be considered where there is a suitable Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, the minimum salary threshold is met, and all other relevant Points Based System requirements for Skilled Worker sponsorship are fulfilled. Please note that this does not guarantee that the Academy will be able to sponsor a candidate as a Skilled Worker and accordingly may not be able to make an offer.

A Certificate of Sponsorship may be assigned, and a Skilled Worker visa application will only be made once an applicant has been successfully and conditionally offered a role. All offers of employment requiring sponsorship under the Academy’s Sponsor Licence are subject to the individual obtaining the legal right to work in the United Kingdom for the Academy in the specific role.

Employment will not be confirmed until the Skilled Worker visa application has been formally approved and communicated by the Home Office. Additionally, a potential offer of employment may be made to candidates who already hold a visa permitting work for the Academy in a specific role. As with Skilled Worker sponsorship, such employment may be time-limited depending on the nature of the visa.

The benefits

• Generous holiday allowance plus additional quarterly wellbeing days and Christmas office closure
• Non-contributory pension scheme with 10% employer contribution
• Significant investment into your personal and professional development
• Annual pay review
• Health and wellbeing programmes
• Regular social activities