Innovation Associate (Rural Digital Inc)

Job description:

The Role

The National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE) is looking to appoint an Innovation Associate to lead our work on the Rural Digital Inclusion project - an exciting programme of work supporting rural businesses and communities across Northumberland.

About the Rural Digital Inclusion project

The Rural Digital Inclusion project is a partnership between iNorthumberland, Community Action Northumberland (CAN) and NICRE. It is supported by partners, including Commsworld who are funding this role, and works alongside the installation of full fibre broadband across Northumberland. The project will run to end of June 2027, and help rural communities and businesses get full value from the improvements to digital infrastructure.

About the Innovation Associate role

This role is an exciting opportunity to shape activities, test ideas and capture learning, and work collaboratively with a wide range of partners locally, regionally and nationally.

As NICRE's project lead you will:

• Manage the Rural Digital Inclusion project, working closely with partners iNorthumberland and Community Action Northumberland (CAN) to coordinate provision of practical support to rural businesses and communities, in particular activity by volunteer digital champions in village halls and other community spaces
• Help build strategic relationships that enhance the offer of digital inclusion support and create opportunities to trial new models and extend activities. By working collaboratively, you will avoid duplication of effort and maximise the collective impact and sustainability of digital inclusion support for rural businesses and communities in Northumberland
• Lead on learning capture and knowledge exchange across the Rural Digital Inclusion project. This will include ongoing networking and sharing learning with partners, identifying opportunities to inform policy development, and blueprinting models of rural digital inclusion for NICRE's Innovation Portal

This is a fixed term role to June 2027, and is funded for 24 hours per week (0.6 FTE). We are committed to building and maintaining a fair and inclusive working environment and we would be happy to discuss arrangements for flexible and/or blended working.

About the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE)

NICRE exists to put knowledge to work for an enterprising countryside. We combine research with practical innovation to find new ways of unlocking potential and supporting thriving rural businesses and communities. We work with a wide range of local, regional and national partners: facilitating knowledge exchange and informing policy development to foster the innovation and resilience of rural areas.

NICRE is led out of Newcastle University, and builds on leading centres of expertise, including founding partners Newcastle University's Centre for Rural Economy and Business School, the Enterprise Research Centre at Warwick and the Countryside and Community Research Institute at Gloucestershire and Royal Agricultural Universities. NICRE was established in 2020 thanks to a core grant from Research England, and now delivers a portfolio of insight, innovation and knowledge exchange activities involving a diverse mix of funders and partners.

To learn more about the National Innovation Centre from Rural Enterprise please click here.

How to apply for this role Please complete an online application and upload a CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter is a supporting statement and you should outline how you meet the essential criteria of the role and evidence this with examples.

For informal enquiries please contact Sarah Best, Project Development Manager Sarah.Best@newcastle.ac.uk or Melanie Thompson-Glen, Head of Business and Innovation, Melanie.Thompson-Glen@newcastle.ac.uk

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