Senior Innovation Consultant

This is a fixed-term, full-time Senior Innovation Consultant position at the UK's National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) until November 2027. The role involves leading innovation projects for businesses, focusing on healthy longevity by translating market signals and citizen insights into actionable solutions. Key requirements include proven experience in client relationship management, human-centered design, project leadership, and trend analysis.

• Thank you for your interest in joining the UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA).
• Please note this is a Maternity cover post until November 2027.
• The Senior Innovation Consultant is a key role at NICA. You will have a passion for, and proven experience of, delivering innovation projects to support businesses in harnessing new opportunities.
• The Senior Innovation Consultant is a key role at NICA. You will have a passion for, and proven experience of, delivering
• innovation projects to support businesses in harnessing new opportunities.
• You will be curious with a growth mindset and inspire others around you with fresh ideas and will have an understanding of and experience in applying human-centred design methods and processes in practice – ideally with older adults - and enjoy working in a collaborative, multidisciplinary team.
• You will be curious with a growth mindset and inspire others around you with fresh ideas and will have an understanding
• of and experience in applying human-centred design methods and processes in practice – ideally with older adults - and
• enjoy working in a collaborative, multidisciplinary team.
• You will take responsibility for the successful delivery of projects and building and maintaining strong relationships with our clients.
• You will achieve this by drawing on your understanding and translation of signals and innovations from the overall market landscape, from your analytical skills, your excellent project management skills and working closely with our citizen’s insight network, Voice®, to gain a deep understanding of the needs, wants, desires and motivations.
• Translating these insights into engaging, high-quality outputs for client delivery.
• You will take responsibility for the successful delivery of projects and building and maintaining strong relationships with
• our clients. You will achieve this by drawing on your understanding and translation of signals and innovations from the
• overall market landscape, from your analytical skills, your excellent project management skills and working closely with
• our citizen’s insight network, Voice®, to gain a deep understanding of the needs, wants, desires and motivations.
• Our mission is to create a world in which we all live better, for longer.
• We work with innovation and commercialisation experts, industry, academics, research and technology organisations and citizens, to develop solutions that enhance life as we age, promoting a positive impact on society at scale.
• You will find us at the heart of the Newcastle Helix development, in the award winning Catalyst building.
• To learn more about us and what we do click here.

• Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
• We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.
• At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.
• Experience of trend scouting, market landscape, innovation scenarios
• Experience working with and building strong relationships with commercial clients
• Experience of leading discovery sessions with clients to translate their needs and help produce project proposals with clear, achievable deliverables
• Proven experience of leading a multidisciplinary, creative team to deliver engaging, high-quality outputs
• Excellent planning, organisational and project management skills with the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
• Experience of applying human-centred design methods and processes in practice – ideally with older adults - through a variety of design methods such as interviews, workshops and citizen panels
• Experience of presenting to a wide variety of audiences, both in person and remotely
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proven experience of a range of IT programmes, especially Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite
• Experience in using LLM, SLM, Agentic AI and proficient in effect prompt writing
• Willingness to travel nationally and internationally, if required
• Previous experience of working and delivering in an exceptionally dynamic advisory type environment
• Experience or understanding of the opportunities and challenges of working in healthy ageing and longevity
• Experience of conducting trend analysis and developing future forecasts
• Experience of running prototype and product testing with end users
• Experience working with both qualitative and quantitative survey software, video software and graphic design tools to translate data into compelling insights that tell a story
• Educated to degree standard in an innovation, design, social sciences, trend forecasting or technology discipline and/or significant work experience