Innovation Development Manager

Role:Innovation Development Manager (TalEntEd Islands Innovation & Commercialisation Programme)

Grade and Salary: Gradeper annum

FTE and working pattern: 1 FTE 35hrs per week Monday Friday

Contract: Fixedterm 48 months

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leaveplus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

About the Project

The Islands Growth Deal aims to drive economic growth commercial opportunities and sustainable job creation across Shetland Orkney and the Outer Hebrides which jointly present opportunities assets and demographic challenges. The Deal is a 10year package of investment of 100m with the Scottish and UK Governments each investing 50m subject to approval of project business cases. Through collaboration with the public private and academic sectors an additional 293m in further funding is sought to facilitate the delivery of projects. Within the Deal there are three innovation focused themes of a low carbon future growth and future industries and sustainable communities. These are all aligned with the ambition to support the islands to be among the first places in the UK to achieve net zero.

The TalEntEd Islands Programme is a funded project within the Deal and comprises work packages that aim to increase opportunities for workbased learning led by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI); develop an entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial ecosystem led by Robert Gordon University (RGU); and increase opportunities for proofofconcept and commercialisation led by HeriotWatt University. Within the work package led by HeriotWatt (Work Package 3 a key intervention is the award of innovation grants that provide support from the early scoping of emerging technologies products and processes through to prototyping and piloting. The management of the award of this funding and its outputs and the opportunity it will present for leveraging additional funding into Shetland Orkney and the Outer Hebrides will be a primary responsibility of the projects Innovation Development Manager.

Purpose of Role

We are seeking an Innovation Development Manager to join the Universitys Business & Enterprise team. Based in Orkney this role will focus on delivering an innovation and commercialisation programme across Shetland Orkney and the Outer Hebrides as part of the TalEntEd Islands Programme. TalEntEd which is a collaboration between HeriotWatt University Robert Gordon University and the University of the Highlands and Islands is funded from the Islands Growth Deal which is a 10year package of Scottish and UK Government investment aimed at driving economic growth commercial opportunities and sustainable job creation aligned with the aforementioned islands ambition to decarbonise.

The successful candidate will be responsible for growing a pipeline of innovation opportunities across the islands managing innovation grants and fostering collaboration between industry third sector organisations and the collaborating universities. A key responsibility will be identifying leveraged funding and creating longterm value.

This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for applicants with experience in project development and management gained in an innovationcentred setting to create economic environmental and social value in an islands context.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Networking and Communication

• Promote Work Package 3 (WP3 across Shetland Orkney and the Outer Hebrides through multiple channels including visits to businesses and third sector organisations to develop an understanding of innovation grants and their purpose and the wider support available within WP3.
• Connect companies and third sector organisations with academic colleagues at HeriotWatt RGU or UHI and facilitate discussion on opportunity for collaboration on a project which could be potentially supported by an innovation grant.
• Advise potential applicants on alignment of a proposed project with the funding available within WP3 and decide on whether an application is within the scope of the work package

Innovation Grant Applications and Awards

• Working with applicants support the completion of innovation grant application forms along with colleagues from RGU and UHI when involved in a project.
• Provide support for the work of the WP3 Industry Advisory Board including its review of applications for innovation grant awards the recording of discussion and its decisions on whether to award funding.
• Manage the process of award of an innovation grant after a decision of the Industry Advisory Board to award funding including the drawdown of funds by the company or third sector organisation and payment to the collaborating university (HeriotWatt RGU or UHI).
• Identify opportunities to scale emerging innovation grant applications by leveraging funding and developing collaborative opportunities including through dialogue with members of the IAB.

Outcomes and Followon

• Support the reporting of outcomes including the economic social and environmental impact from the grant intervention working with external economic impact advisors.
• Identify opportunities investment and potential markets to continue building upon and maximising the longterm value from emerging innovations.
• Support continued and identify new opportunities for collaboration across Shetland Orkney and the Outer Hebrides and the university parties engaged in WP3.
• Support the establishment of a legacy where companies and third sector organisations are better informed on innovation pathways and sources of sector level support including collaboration with the higher education sector.

Project Management Office and Strategic Alignment

• Establish a good working relationship with the Programme Management Office.
• Support financial claims and reporting to the Programme Management Office and input on any requirement to reprofile the WP3 budget.
• Ensure that all work undertaken in the role is aligned with the strategic ambition of WP3 and its KPIs and that of the TalEntEd Islands Programme and broader Islands Growth Deal.

Systems Support

• Undertake project costings using Worktribe and optimise the use of Salesforce in support of WP3 outcomes.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

Essential

1. Good first degree
2. Project development and management experience gained in an innovationcentred environment
3. Experience of financial management and reporting writing grant funding proposals and project business planning
4. Experience in the commercial and third sectors preferably in either of or across Shetland Orkney and the Outer Hebrides
5. Excellent communication influencing and interpersonal skills across different stakeholder types
6. Ability to understand complex ideas and articulate them as a coherent value proposition
7. Ability to negotiate and sell opportunities
8. Ability to set and meet objectives and deadlines
9. Ability to plan workload and prioritise effectively
10. Flexibility and resilience
11. Strong attention to detail
12. Ability to work within a fastchanging innovation environment
13. Strong public speaker
14. Ability to provide written reports to a high standard
15. Experience with software applications necessary to achieve success in the role

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight(UK time)on Thursday 24^th April 2025.

Pleasesubmit your CV and covering letter detailing why you are a good fit for the role via the HeriotWatt online recruitment.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. parttime working and job share options.

HeriotWattUniversity is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected trained promoted appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

HeriotWattUniversity values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information please see our website also our awardwinning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers our total rewards calculator: see the value of benefits provided by HeriotWatt University.

About the Team

The Business & Enterprise Directorate aims to drive new opportunities and outcomes aligned to the Universitys Strategy 2025 by providing the highest quality business development and commercialisation support. This enables the institution to build on its research strengths and unlock new developments funding and investment regardless of geographical location.

Operating within an environment that celebrates innovation and entrepreneurship across the Universitys globally connected ecosystem the Directorates vision is to shape a better future by delivering collaborative industry and third sector innovation led partnerships through the commercialisation of research outputs including through spinout/start up creation and licensing and by growing an enterprise and entrepreneurial culture. Aligned with tackling current industry and societal challenges this approach creates new economic social and environmental value.

About HeriotWatt University

At HeriotWatt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with wellbeing and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.