Head of Innovation

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Base pay range

Role title: Head of Innovation

TPR grade & pay group: Grade 4 & Digital

Directorate: Digital, Data & Technology

Starting salary: Salary starting from £84,011 per annum dependent on skills and experience, plus excellent benefits package, and flexible working arrangements

Contract type: Permanent

Location: Brighton/hybrid (8 days per month in the office)

About this role

We're looking for a visionary and entrepreneurial leader to join our senior team as Head of Innovation. This role is central to shaping and delivering TPR's innovation strategy, helping us remain a modern, agile, and proactive regulator in a rapidly evolving pensions and technology landscape.

We're particularly seeking someone who has successfully innovated business models - ideally within financial services or pensions - and who brings an entrepreneurial spirit to regulatory challenges. You'll understand how to balance bold thinking with safe experimentation, and how to translate innovation into tangible, scalable impact.

You will lead the development of a forward-looking innovation strategy that aligns with our regulatory priorities and organisational goals. Working across TPR and with external partners, you'll embed innovative thinking into how we regulate, develop policy, and deliver services. This includes identifying opportunities for innovation, designing and delivering pilots, and ensuring new approaches are tested safely and effectively.

A key part of the role involves co-ordinating TPR's response to new ideas from industry, ensuring consistency and appropriate regulatory guidance while encouraging innovation that benefits savers. You'll also convene stakeholders from across government, industry, and the regulatory community to collaborate on solutions to complex pensions challenges.

Externally, you'll represent TPR in national and international forums, contributing thought leadership and helping shape the broader innovation ecosystem. Internally, you'll foster a culture of experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement, embedding innovation as a shared capability across the organisation.

This role requires autonomy, strategic influence, and a collaborative mindset. You'll work closely with senior sponsors to co-create success criteria, ensuring clarity of purpose, alignment with strategic goals, and shared ownership of outcomes.

The role criteria

• Proven experience in innovating business models, ideally within financial services or pensions, with a track record of translating bold ideas into scalable, impactful solutions.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to identify opportunities, challenge conventional approaches, and drive change in complex regulatory environments.
• Ability to define success in evolving contexts and influence strategic direction through collaboration and inclusive leadership.
• Experience leading high-performing teams focused on innovation, design thinking, Agile delivery, and measurable impact.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity.
• Clear and effective communication skills, with experience in stakeholder engagement, public speaking, and cross-sector collaboration.
• Experience managing budgets, risks, and governance processes in complex organisations.
• Regular engagement with Boards and Executive Committees to help shape organisational priorities.
• Ability to inspire and support diverse teams, including experience with matrix working.

The team

The Innovation team plays a key role in helping TPR evolve as a forward-thinking, proactive regulator. We bring together people, ideas, and approaches to tackle complex challenges and improve outcomes for savers.

We work collaboratively across TPR and with external partners to explore new models, pilot innovative solutions, and embed a culture of creativity and continuous improvement. Our work spans regulatory design, policy development, and service delivery; always with a focus on impact, inclusion, and learning.

As Head of Innovation, you'll lead a team that is curious, collaborative, and committed to making a difference. You'll foster an environment where innovation is a shared responsibility, championing diversity and inclusion, and inspiring confidence across the organisation and beyond.

Reward and benefits

We offer 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, a hybrid working model, 35 hour working week (full-time), flexible working patterns, and flexitime. We also provide competitive parental leave, as well as a Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%. Our dedicated benefits portal (Edenred) offers retail, gym, tech and restaurant discounts, and a cycle to work scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Our culture

TPR strives to be a high-performing organisation, and we prioritise our people's growth and well-being. We offer various learning, secondment and development opportunities, support…