Innovation Officer (Portfolio)

Alzheimers Society

Hours
35 hours per week

About the Organisation

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity, and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by providing help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be. Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives. Our values ensure that our focus remains clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead, reminding us of what we all stand for.

About the role

At Alzheimer’s Society, we are advisors, supporters, fundraisers, researchers, influencers, communicators, technical specialists, and so much more. We are volunteers, we are employees, and together we are here to make a difference to the lives of people with dementia and their carers. Dementia is Britain's biggest killer. Almost one million people are living with dementia right now in the UK. By 2040, that figure is expected to rise to 1.4m. At Alzheimer’s Society, we are committed to ending the devastation caused by dementia. This cannot be achieved without innovation.

Innovation is the catalyst that takes discoveries and breakthroughs out of the lab into real-world impact. At Alzheimer’s Society, we identify, support and invest in innovations to transform the lives of people affected by dementia and the systems that support them – across prevention, diagnostics and detection, access to treatment, and preventing crisis through care. We seek out and bring the best innovators and entrepreneurs into dementia, working together with experts, system leaders, and people affected by dementia.

Our Innovation Programme supports individuals and businesses throughout their innovation journey - from the earliest stage of dementia product ideas through to market and implementation. To date, we have supported over 60 products and innovations through our Innovation Programme, which are providing help right now and hope for the future. These have reached more than 1.5 million people and have enabled our portfolio partners to generate more than £13.5 million in follow-on funding.

Through harnessing ground-breaking new technology and tackling the big underlying system challenges of diagnosis and access to treatments, innovation provides hope for the future. We’re looking for a motivated and purpose-driven individual who is excited by the power of innovation to change lives. As Innovation Officer, you’ll play a vital role in delivering Alzheimer’s Society’s Innovation Strategy to transform the lives of people affected by dementia.

The Innovation Officer (Portfolio) is responsible for supporting the performance, impact, and financial return of our innovation investment portfolio. It leads to developing and maintaining impact metrics and dashboards, tracking portfolio data, and monitoring portfolio product sales and investment returns. The Innovation Officer (Portfolio) reviews portfolio partners’ quarterly reports, ensuring contractual compliance, timely reporting, and identifying potential opportunities/challenges to explore further.

This requires managing the ongoing relationships with portfolio partners, acting as a key point of contact, responding to requests where possible, and supporting partners to maximise income generation and scale their innovations. Working closely with internal teams, evaluation partners, and external stakeholders, the role contributes to the design, commissioning, and monitoring of evaluations to evidence impact and inform decision-making.

The Innovation Officer (Portfolio) supports financial and administrative processes, including invoicing for returns on investment, supporting due diligence, contracting of new Innovation Programme partners, and the management of brand licensing agreements in collaboration with legal and finance colleagues. In addition, the role supports communications, marketing activity, and stakeholder engagement for the portfolio, including coordinating partner involvement in events and representing the portfolio through attendance and networking.

Working collaboratively across teams, the Innovation Officer (Portfolio) contributes to continuous improvement to ensure innovation activity is effective, inclusive, and impactful. We are looking for someone who exemplifies our values, someone who is: Determined to make a difference when and where it matters most. A Trusted Expert who believes in working Better Together and demonstrates true Compassion. Dementia devastates lives, innovation transforms them

Responsibilities

Impact and Reporting:

• Develop impact metrics and populate a dashboard with portfolio data to track and report on the impact of the investment portfolio.
• Monitor the sales and returns of investments in the portfolio and provide regular reports on these metrics.
• Responsible for monitoring and reviewing portfolio partners' quarterly reports for the duration of the return on investment.
• Work with evaluation partners and portfolio partners to design, commission, and monitor evaluations of selected innovations

Portfolio Partners Support:

• Manage the relationships with portfolio partners, meeting quarterly to discuss their reports, and responsible for responding to requests from portfolio partners and internal/external stakeholders as and when required.
• Support with maximising income generation for portfolio partners, working with internal teams and external stakeholders to identify opportunities for testing, implementation, and scaling.
• Manage requests for and support with monitoring requirements of brand licensing agreements for portfolio partners, liaising with the legal team as and when required.
• Support with monitoring contractual compliance of portfolio partners for the duration of the return on investment.
• Liaise with the Innovation Officer (Programmes) on Innovation team communications and marketing activity for the portfolio, engaging internal and external stakeholders as and when required.

Other:

• Support the planning and delivery of events, including coordinating portfolio partner involvement, preparation, and representing the portfolio through attendance and networking.
• Work with the Innovation Assistant and finance colleagues to raise invoices for the return on investments.
• Support with the due diligence process and contracting of Innovation Programme partners.
• Develop effective relationships with new Accelerator Programme partners, supporting the assigned Senior Innovator to enable implementation, scaling, and transition into the investment portfolio.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across Innovation, Research, and wider teams to support joined-up delivery.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to streamline processes, improving portfolio management, and reporting.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Skills & Knowledge:

• Experience of working in innovation, science, and health with a relevant understanding of the sector.
• Experience of working with innovative products/start-ups and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in analysing data and producing reports to highlight the impact, reach, and return on investment of portfolio products
• Experience in developing impact metrics and a dashboard to monitor impact across the portfolio
• Experience managing partner relationships, including monitoring contractual or funding compliance over time
• Experience with supporting due diligence and contracting processes, including working with legal and finance teams
• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder activity, including internal teams and external partners
• Experience working with external delivery partners to design, commission, and monitor product evaluations
• Experience with financial administration, such as invoicing and financial reporting
• Experience contributing to income generation or return-on-investment activity, ideally within innovation, health, public sector, or third-sector contexts
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong IT skills
• Able to create and manage database information for different purposes 
• Proven experience in organising internal and external engagement events 

Competencies & Personal Attributes:

• Be a team player, supporting colleagues when there are deadlines, and know when to ask for help themselves.
• Be a self-starter and incredibly motivated.
• Excellent organisational and timekeeping skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Non-judgemental communication, tolerant and welcoming of differences of perspective and opinion
• Commitment to and understanding of equal opportunities
• Understanding of the inclusion agenda and its relevance within a diverse society
• Curious and constantly questioning the status quo
• Eager and able to work at pace in a complex environment
• Independently minded and a critical thinker
• Flexible, creative, and committed to continuous improvement
• Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to adapt to situations, people, and challenges
• Pragmatic individual who is ambitious for themselves and others

Compensation & Benefits

• Paid compassionate and bereavement leave
• Paid time off work to support
• Annual leave of 27 days, increasing to 30, plus bank holidays
• Career breaks of up to 3 months
• Flexible working
• Wellbeing leave
• Health Cash Plan
• Paid dependants leave
• Values Hero and Society Legend Awards
• Group Personal Pension Plan
• Life Assurance Scheme - two times your annual salary
• Home Allowance of £312 per year
• Discounted gym membership with Society Plus
• Mental health app and unlimited therapy
• Women in Leadership Development Programme
• Leadership development programme
• Financial support towards relevant professional qualifications, enhanced family leave - 16 weeks paid for all parents
• Paid time off work for fertility treatments for both partners, paid carers' leave

Working locations

• Home-based

How to apply

• Apply to our website
• Please also contact Alzheimer’s Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

Interviews

• Interviews are provisionally scheduled to take place on 14th July 2026 via MS Teams

Policies

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment, or health condition, or individuals who identify as Black, Asian, or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. Our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy here, along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups, helps us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.

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