Job Description

Job number LBC03842 Contract Type Permanent Posting End Date 5 June 2025 Job Area Waste, Recycling and Environmental Services
About the job
Salary: 337,938 - 340,476 a year
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent
Are you passionate about driving change, championing creativity, and making a meaningful impact in local communities? If so, wed love to hear from you.
Were on the lookout for an Innovation Officer to help shape the future of Neighbourhood Services in Luton. In this role, youll play a central part in identifying and implementing forward-thinking solutions that support our mission to create Valued. Improved. Placesxe2x80x94places where residents are proud to live, work, and thrive.
What youll be doing:

• Scan the horizon for local, national, and international innovation that could benefit Neighbourhood Servicesxe2x80x94spotting whats next and whats needed.
• Develop compelling business cases and funding bids to bring new ideas to life, helping us secure the resources needed to make them happen.
• Design and deliver innovation projects that align with our core service priorities and the broader ambitions of Luton 2040xe2x80x94particularly our journey toward becoming a net zero town.
• Work cross-departmentally, collaborating with a wide range of teams to embed new ways of working that genuinely improve outcomes for our residents and communities.
• Champion a culture of innovation, inspiring colleagues to think differently and embrace opportunities for meaningful change.

Please note this role does not attract sponsorship.
About you
We are seeking a candidate with in-depth experience in conducting research and developing idea proposals and business cases that support service improvement and innovation. You should be comfortable turning insights into actionable strategies that align with organisational goals.
You will have proven experience in writing successful grant applications and funding bids, with the ability to navigate funding opportunities and secure resources that drive innovation forward.
Strong analytical skills are essential. You should be able to undertake market analysis, carry out feasibility studies, and conduct options appraisals, effectively gathering and evaluating data to produce informed, evidence-based recommendations.
The role requires excellent time management and organisational skills. You must be capable of prioritising your own workload, managing multiple projects simultaneously, and delivering high-quality outputs within set deadlines.
Exceptional communication skillsxe2x80x94both written and verbalxe2x80x94are key. You should be adept at producing engaging presentations, visuals, business cases, and reports that support your work and help secure buy-in from a variety of stakeholders.
A solid understanding of innovation and best practice in one or more service areas within Neighbourhood Servicesxe2x80x94such as waste management, street cleansing, parks, public protection, or enforcementxe2x80x94is essential to ground your work in real-world service delivery.
Finally, you will hold a relevant graduate qualification or be able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a related field.
About us
Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.
The people of Luton depend heavily on this council and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?
We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough
Benefits
We offer a range of excellent staff benefits which include:
- From 25 to 32 days annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
- Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
- Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
- Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
- Generous relocation package: up to 38,000 (subject to eligibility)
- Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
- Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
- Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
- Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
- Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel
How to apply
We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!
Our xe2x80x98How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application:
Available documents
Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.