Industry Engagement Manager

Job Purpose 

The Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Engagement Directorate is responsible for delivering the University of Glasgow’s Innovation Strategy. The Innovation Partnerships team is responsible for creating partnerships that matter and delivering a step change in the University’s industrial collaboration and external engagement.

This role will be embedded within one of three of the University’s Colleges depending on the role holder’s background and industry expertise:

• The College of Medicine, Veterinary and & Sciences
• The College of Science & Engineering
• The College of Arts & Humanities

The purpose of the role is to increase engagement with industry and innovation partners and develop valuable opportunities for industry-academic- public sector collaboration and engagement. We are looking for candidates familiar with the external landscape and industrial trends relevant to the Colleges mentioned and with a passion for building collaborative opportunities across academic, industry and the public sector. Successful outcomes will include a growth in the University and College’s industrial engagement and an increase in value resulting from increased external collaboration.

The role holder will act as a key contributor to the development and delivery of the College’s innovation and industry engagement plans, facilitating strategic industry and innovation partnership engagement, supporting their College with its existing key relationships, and developing a pipeline of new relationship opportunities.

As part of the central Innovation Partnerships Team the role holder will work within a team of Industry Engagement Managers and with business development colleagues from the four Colleges to identify and facilitate value creating cross-University collaboration opportunities. The role holder will ensure that the Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Engagement Directorate supports the College’s Innovation Strategy through the development and delivery of engagement targets that contribute and align to the wider University’s Innovation Strategy (2022-2025).

Main Duties and Responsibilities 

1.      Develop new partnership opportunities for the assigned College through the identification and translation of research areas and innovation activity with commercial potential.

2.      Advise College Management, academics, and researchers in relation to managing and developing existing industry partnerships, identifying opportunities to broaden or deepen engagement, for mutual benefit, and monitoring the impact on Industry and the University.

3.      Working with Central and College colleagues, co-ordinate the design, delivery and embedding of solutions and ways of working which facilitate engagement and access to the University for industry and business.

4.      Grow a pipeline of industrial collaborations through working in partnership with key researchers and  identifying opportunities for targeting UKRI, public, innovation or industrial funding. This will involve working with key academics to develop industrial value propositions and project proposals which are aligned to the Innovation Strategy, strategic objectives, and trends in the external landscape.

5.      Develop and lead a program of meetings with external organisations to communicate progress of research and business developments.

6.      Generate and communicate industry sector intelligence for the assigned College in support of strategic focus areas.

7.      Provide strategic input to and/or co-ordinate high-value bids across the assigned College for research and innovation funding including writing proposals involving complex subject matters or funding options for industry and other funders.

8.      Design, deliver and support promotion campaigns to develop the capability and improve awareness of academics and researchers around the benefits of industrial engagement, including partnership and funding opportunities, and to increase access to innovation and industrial engagement opportunities across the College and wider University.

9.      Provide regular insight, high level analysis and reporting to senior management outlining progress against strategy and to assist in strategic decision-making.

10.   Travel as necessary to support meetings and events, as required.

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience 

Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential: 

A1.       Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and management skills in a similar or number of different specialist roles. Scottish Credit Qualification Framework level 9, 10, 11. Higher Degree in a relevant discipline or substantial vocational and relevant experience demonstrating management skills and knowledge in an appropriate professional / specialist area.

Desirable: 

B1.       Knowledge of intellectual property, legal matters and risks relevant to university-industry collaborations.

B2.       Understanding of academic industrial partnerships.

B3.       Awareness of mechanisms to support industrial-academic collaboration, including the research and innovation funding landscape, and experience converting proposals into funded programmes or projects.

Skills
Essential: 

C1.       Significant proven ability to develop and maintain relations with existing partners / stakeholders at a senior level and to identify and target new collaborators/ partners.

C2.       Tact and diplomacy when dealing with sensitive and confidential information, and ability to work well under pressure.

C3.       Ability to remain positive, confident, tenacious and intellectually curious.

C4.       Proven ability and interest to learn about and the potential for new technologies, products, and services in an academic or industrial setting.

C5.       Dynamic and creative with ability to spot, create and seize development opportunities and realise these through to workable solutions.

C6.       Strategic thinker with ability to plan long term strategic priorities whilst managing short term operational pressures.

C7.       Excellent organisational skills, project management and reporting ability.

C8.       Clear and confident communicator in written and audio/visual formats.

C9.       Ability to explain technical concepts and technologies to non-technical and technical members internally and externally.

C10.   Proven ability to negotiate contracts to a successful solution.

C11.   Computer literacy, including understanding and competency in desktop applications including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook as well as database software and the Internet.

C12.   Capable of understanding and analysing research proposals and / or business plans and being able to offer constructive comments and feedback.

C13.   Proven ability to create and deliver on marketing plans for service / product sales.

Desirable: 

D1.       Strong account management skills to identify cross-selling and up-selling opportunities.

Experience
Essential: 

E1.       Significant experience of developing strong strategic relationships with external business partners and converting these into value adding deliverables. (project, product, service, other)

E2.       Proven track record of influencing and negotiating at senior levels in the public and/or private sector towards the successful delivery of organisational objectives.

E3.       Significant experience of developing value propositions which balance the needs and requirements of both internal management and stakeholders, and external partners and stakeholders.

E4.       Track record of developing and delivering innovative solutions to business engagement in collaborative projects.

E5.       Experience of working in a complex technical or innovative environment.

E6.       Experience of designing and executing successful negotiations which result in contract signing.

E7.       Substantial experience of developing and running partnership projects, preferably in a business-to-university, or university to business context.

Desirable: 

F1.        Experience of either technology transfer and commercialisation of research or partnership development in a university or commercial environment.

F2.        Experience of leading teams containing senior academics and industrialists and driving strategy in a technology environment.

Terms and Conditions 

Salary will be Grade 8, £48,350 – £56,021 per annum.

These posts are full time (35 hours per week) and open ended. Relocation assistance will be provided where appropriate.

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension – pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University  https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.