Head of Commercial and Innovation

Ready to shape innovation in an organisation where your ideas directly improve people’s lives?

Looking for a role where creativity, insight, and collaboration drive meaningful change?

And do you want senior-level influence in a charity that’s transforming how it supports people across the UK?

As Head of Commercial and Innovation, you’ll play a strategic role at the heart of the charity. You’ll lead the development of new products and service models, including solutions with new technology partners, that strengthen our competitive position, expand our reach, and create sustainable value for the charity and the people we support.

Working as part of the Growth & Innovation leadership team, you’ll champion a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement ensuring innovation is purposeful, commercially grounded, and aligned to the needs of our clients and partners. You’ll also help shape a way of working where colleagues feel empowered to contribute to ideas, test solutions, and bring new thinking to life.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll balance strategic leadership with hands-on delivery driving commercial growth while embedding innovation as a core capability across the organisation.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and execution of innovation as part of the growth strategy,  which aligns to the charity’s wider five-year strategy and 3 year corporate plan.
• Establishing and embedding a new Innovation Hub, a central space for experimentation, prototyping and cross-functional collaboration.
• Identifying emerging opportunities across technology, partnerships, data and new service models, assessed through client need and outcomes, feasibility, and commercial value.
• Overseeing the development of business cases that support informed decision-making at Executive and Board level.
• Leading go-to-market planning for pilot services and propositions, working closely with Product, Marketing, Transformation, Digital and Change Services and Operations.
• Building and maintaining relationships with external partners, from funders to technology providers, to accelerate innovation and extend our impact.
• Acting as a visible organisational champion for innovation, sharing insight and fostering a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement.
• Leading and developing a high-performing team of Innovation Managers and external delivery partners.

About you

You’ll bring a strong track record in commercial leadership, service innovation or strategy within complex environments. You’re equally comfortable shaping long-term vision and getting into the detail of delivery, balancing creativity with rigour and purpose.

You will bring:

• Senior experience leading innovation, commercial development or new proposition design.
• Strong analytical, commercial and strategic evaluation skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with confidence influencing at senior levels.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and managing third-party partners.
• A values-led, collaborative approach that fosters trust, curiosity, and continuous improvement.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We’re committed to building a culture where colleagues feel they belong and can thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and recognise the value that different perspectives bring. If you need adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, we’ll be happy to help.