Connected Places Catapult logo
Full-time
Remote friendly (London England United Kingdom)

Location - Milton Keynes or London (minimum of two days a week in the office. You can do more than two days if preferable)

Reporting to - Interim Director of Digital, Data and Urban Infrastructure

Band - 4.2

Salary - £75,000 - £81,000 (depending on office location and proven ability)

Working hours - Full time (9 day fortnight companywide)

Contract type/duration - Permanent

Closing date - 6th October 2024

Connected Places Catapult is the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport, and places. We provide impartial ‘innovation as a service’ for public bodies, businesses, and infrastructure providers to catalyse step-change improvements in the way people live, work and travel. We connect businesses and public sector leaders to cutting-edge research to spark innovation and grow new markets. We run technology demonstrators and SME accelerators to scale new solutions that drive growth, spread prosperity, and eliminate carbon.

We are human centred and solution-led. We advocate for standards which enable interoperability, replicability and scale. We work in partnership with others across the UK and beyond to provide access to R&D assets and deliver impact. We support local economies and organisations by being present within them to embed and transfer innovation capabilities. We are globally connected in order to stimulate demand for UK innovations overseas and create opportunities for companies to expand globally.

Purpose of the role

 We are looking for a strategic thinker with deep technical knowledge to lead development of the Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDo) into the Climate Resilience Decision Optimiser (CReDO) digital twin and data sharing platform, enhancing resilience investment planning and reporting. This will scale the demonstrator into products and services for Connected Places Catapult. The Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDo) is a pioneering climate change adaptation digital twin project that provides a practical example of how connected data can improve climate adaptation and resilience across a system of systems. Thanks to recent success this role will be responsible for delivering a £4million project managing the delivery team in house and external contractors. The role will also focus on the wider portfolio of CReDo project providing technical leadership for future bids and commercialisation work. 

CReDo looks specifically at the impact of flooding on energy, water and telecoms networks. It demonstrates how those who own and operate them can use secure, resilient, information sharing across sector boundaries to mitigate the effect of flooding on network performance and service delivery.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead strategic, technical, product, business, and engagement for CReDo portfolio of projects - Initially £4million over 3 years.
  • Lead multidisciplinary teams of data strategists, data scientists, software developers, designers and user researchers, economists and business analysts, product managers, delivery managers, and engagement managers. You will work alongside their line managers to foster internal capability that can be translated to other innovation projects.
  • Line Manage CReDo Product Manager and CReDo Deliver Manager.
  • You will also collaborate and manage a spectrum of partners, suppliers and contractors including researchers, SMEs, and consultants.
  • You will need to balance an array competing internal and external priorities across the research, innovation, technology, industry and governmental landscape.
  • You will report to the director of digital, data and urban infrastructure
  • Your immediate responsibility will be productising the CReDo infrastructure digital twin over the next 3-4 years. The demonstrator will be developed into a cross-sector digital twin platform that meets industry and government needs. This will involve developing a commercially sustainable business model, identify a suitable ownership model and home for CReDo, and realising widespread adoption across critical national infrastructure sectors.
  • Off the back of initial investment from Connected Places and other organisation, the programme has received scale up investment from the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund to realise this goal of productization and commercialisation across the energy sector.
  • In your role you will be expected to lead the growth of investment in the programme and to scale out to other sectors to realise cross-sector infrastructure resilience against cascading climate risk. This could involve regulator funding from other sectors such as water, as well as extending to strategically important sectors across transport and the built environment.
  • Uphold and promote CPC’s values, ensuring an ethos of equity, inclusivity and diversity underpin your work activity, contributing to inclusive innovation across all Catapult activities.
  • Commit to equal opportunities and ethical practices in all aspects of work.
  • You may be required to undertake any other reasonable duties to support the Catapult in achieving its strategic outcomes and ensure effective business operations.


  • Previous experience in delivering innovative projects and products
  • Strong track record of successful stakeholder engagement in a technical context 
  • Enjoy forming relationships, inspiring teams around a common purpose and significant prior experience in successfully deploying innovative products
  • A confident influencer and communicator with the ability to adapt style and message for different audiences across a variety of sectors
  • Possess a strong combination of technology plus stakeholder engagement skills
  • Problem-solving aptitude and creative thinking skills
  • Skills and experience working in innovative companies at the cutting edge of their fields, in cities, transport or climate
  • Qualifications in a scientific, mathematical or engineering subject or equivalent experience
  • Understanding of different methodologies/ approaches across data science, including risk modelling, expert elicitation, machine learning, network modelling, climate data, decision support, data models, knowledge graphs, data sharing, and an openness to continued learning and exploration
  • Background and/or exposure to software engineering principles and experience working with software engineering teams
  • Significant work experience outside academia, applying data analytics and/or modelling to real-world projects
  • Good programming skills in data science and software development relevant languages such as Python
  • Knowledge of product commercialisation and IP a bonus
  • Awareness of climate resilience and adaptation, climate change, extreme weather hazards and their impact on infrastructure

  • 9 day fortnight for everyone, we have a full company shutdown every other Friday.
  • 23.5 holiday entitlement for everyone, with pro-rata calculations for part-time employees, along with a Christmas shutdown period for additional days off.
  • Competitive pension, up to 10% company contribution to help you save for your future.
  • Two paid days of volunteering leave per year (pro-rata for part-time employees) to support charitable activities.
  • Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) providing 24/7 confidential work/life support services to you and your immediate family members.
  • Cycle to Work Scheme encouraging a healthy and sustainable commute.
  • Cash Health Plan, offering reimbursement for a wide range of essential and everyday healthcare expenses, promoting your well-being.
  • Payroll Giving scheme, allowing regular charitable contributions from pre-tax income, maximizing the impact of your donations.
  • Discounts and offers from a wide variety of retailers, enhancing your purchasing power and providing savings opportunities.

Employment here is based solely upon individual merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. We strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics protected by law. We also make all reasonable accommodations to meet our obligations under laws protecting the rights of the disabled.