Research & Innovation Manager (Scale) (Maternity Cover) - 7407

Elrha is a global organisation that finds solutions to complex humanitarian problems through research and innovation. 

We are looking to recruit a Research & Innovation Manager (Scale) (Maternity Cover) to join our Programmes team on a fixed-term basis. Funding for the role is currently secured until 28 February 2027. We anticipate the maternity cover requirement continuing until the end of November 2027, however any extension beyond 28 February 2027 will be dependent on funding being confirmed.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead and shape Elrha's Readiness to Scale Pipeline, supporting innovative humanitarian solutions as they progress towards wider adoption and real-world impact. You will work closely with promising scaling grantees and technical partners, providing strategic oversight, strengthening quality and learning, and helping to navigate risks and opportunities. As a key member of the team, you will play an important role in advancing and evolving Elrha's approach to scaling and adoption, contributing to the future of humanitarian innovation globally.

Your application will need to demonstrate:

• Experience of managing complex grants, programmes or projects, including monitoring performance and impact.
• Experience designing and delivering applied learning and capacity building activities, including needs assessments, learning journeys and strategy development.
• An understanding of how innovations can achieve scale, adoption and sustainable impact.
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration skills, with the ability to engage diverse partners and build effective relationships.
• Proven ability to coordinate delivery, manage risk and drive high-quality outcomes.
• An interest in the humanitarian or development sectors, ideally demonstrated through academic qualifications and/or paid or voluntary work.

Experience of donor engagement, systems and design thinking methods, mentoring innovators or working within humanitarian innovation would also be an advantage.

If you want to be part of an organisation that creates positive change in the humanitarian sector, then join us and we'll give you every opportunity to succeed.

We offer: 

• Remote working as standard – staff can access office bases in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester if required/ appropriate. We expect staff to attend team meetings and away days in person as required.
• As standard we work 35 hours per week. We are also happy to discuss flexible working patterns and many of our staff work non-standard working hours.
• Our benefits include minimum 5% employer pension contribution (3% employee contribution), life cover, organisational sick pay, family friendly pay and leave schemes; 26-day basic annual leave entitlement with incremental increase depending on length of service, opportunities for learning and development, a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and retail discounts platform.
• Please read through the Information for Candidates document for further information about working at Elrha including information about Our Values, Strategy, Benefits and Salaries.

Note for applicants: 

• Candidates must have the independent right to work in UK, and be resident in the UK, at the time of appointment as we are unable to support visa sponsorship for this role.
• This is a maternity cover position. Funding for the role is currently confirmed until 28 February 2027. Any extension beyond this date will be subject to the availability of funding and the ongoing requirements of the role.
• Please read through the job description for a detailed list of requirements, and ensure you complete the personal statement to explain how you feel you meet the requirements of the role and why you feel this is next career move for you. Applications without this information will not be shortlisted.
• Elrha is an independent subsidiary of SCUK and benefits from some SCUK systems and processes.
• We reserve the right to close the advert early should we receive a very high volume of applications.
• We do not use recruitment agencies.
• For any questions, please contact the HR team at HR@elrha.org

Closing date: 20 September 2026 

Interview dates: w/c 5 October 2026 

About Elrha 

Elrha is a global organisation that finds solutions to complex humanitarian problems through research and innovation. We fund and support projects that go on to shape the way in which people across the world are supported during a crisis. We're an established and respected part of the humanitarian community, working closely and meaningfully with our fellow networks and actors to make change happen.

Read our strategy: shaping the future: our strategy for research and innovation in humanitarian response 2023 - 2040. It sets out how we'll work with our community to realise its potential in humanitarian response, and how we'll capture the real change and improvements to the lives of people affected by crisis. 

Our strategy sets out our values by which we hold ourselves accountable as individuals and as an organisation and employer.

• Putting people at the centre
• Working with others
• Acting responsibly
• Committed to learning
• Inspiring change

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion 

Elrha is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work both external and internal. We strive to be an inclusive employer and particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups such as returning parents or carers who are re-entering work after a career break, people who are LGBTQ+, from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, with a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition, with caring responsibilities, from different nations and regions, and from less advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.

Please ensure you read the full job description, the Candidate Pack, and complete the Personal Statement as requested in the application process. We look forward to hearing from you. 

• Group:Elrha
• Location (Role):London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester or homebased in the UK
• Contract Type:Fixed Term Contract / Internal Secondment
• Full / Part Time:Part-time (28 hours)
• Contract Duration:Fixed-term maternity cover until 28 February 2027, with possible extension to November 2027 subject to funding.
• Closing Date:20 September 2026
• Salary Range :£40,800 - £44,800 (0.80 FTE) per annum (£51,000 - £56,000 FTE)
• Hours Per Week:28