About Nesta
What is Nesta?
Nesta's jobs page says "Nesta is a research and innovation foundation. We apply our deep expertise in applied methods to design, test and scale solutions to some of the biggest challenges of our time, working across the innovation lifecycle." Its about page sets three missions: "from 2030 every child has the same chance of developing to their full potential in the early years" (A fairer start), "to halve the prevalence of obesity in the UK by 2030" (A healthy life) and "to reduce home carbon emissions in the UK by 30% by 2030" (A sustainable future). It lists its innovation methods as Mission Discovery, Policy, the Mission Studio ("the next generation of mission-led start-ups"), the Centre for Collective Intelligence and impact investments, and it runs two specialised units: BIT, which "helps clients from government, nonprofits and the private sector to improve people's lives", and Challenge Works, which "designs and runs challenge prizes". The page says Nesta "has evolved since we started more than 20 years ago", and on 2026-10-16 it listed one vacancy.
Where will I work?
The employee benefits list says "We follow a hybrid working arrangement with two days in the office". The jobs page adds that "we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements", and asks applicants to say what adjustments they need. The page covers vacancies "from across Nesta, Mission Studio, BIT and Challenge Works".
What is the Nesta team like?
The jobs page has a section headed "Our culture of 'whatever it takes'": "At Nesta, we're driven by a deep commitment to our missions, pushing ourselves to do whatever it takes to achieve them. This means setting ambitious goals, thinking big and refusing to settle for small wins." It says Nesta values "progress over process, experimenting iteratively and adapting quickly based on what we learn", and that it wants "diverse and talented people who bring their expertise, passion and 'whatever it takes' approach to our work". On diversity it says "We believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results" and that it actively seeks "to reach a diverse pool of candidates".
Work-Life Balance
The benefits list gives "25 days of annual leave (pro-rated for part-time employees) plus eight bank holidays", "3.5 days off over the Christmas period" and "3 days volunteering leave", which is 36.5 days a year before volunteering, and staff "can also buy and sell annual leave twice a year". Flexible working lists three options: "Options to work on a compressed hours arrangement", "Options to work on a part-time basis" and "Open to job-sharing arrangements", so compressed hours is one opt-in arrangement among several, not a company-wide schedule. The page also says "We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life".
Perks and Benefits
- 25 days of annual leave plus eight bank holidays, 3.5 days off at Christmas and 3 days of volunteering leave
- The option to buy and sell annual leave twice a year
- A hybrid arrangement of two office days, with compressed-hours, part-time and job-share options
- Private medical insurance, a health cash plan and dental insurance
- An 8% employer pension contribution, and life assurance
- A 24/7 employee assistance programme, a wellbeing app with meditation and podcasts, gym vouchers and yoga classes
- Free flu jabs, eyecare vouchers and Toothfairy dental advice, plus free fruit in the office
- A cycle-to-work scheme