Business Development Lead

Job Description

We are looking for a Business Development Lead to join the NIHRCCs Business Development Team hosted in LGCs Grant Management Group (GMG).

The NIHRCC Business Development Team engages with a wide range of companies from SMEs to large multinationals; across a range of sectors including pharmaceuticals biotech medical devices IVDs and digital technology. Through our work we support industry to navigate the UKs research ecosystem gain access to relevant expertise facilities data patients and samples and catalyse collaboration. We work closely with government departments and a wide variety of organisations from the UK and beyond including HINs the Department for Business and Trade BioAlberta NHSA and the Office for Life Sciences. We aim to support the companys journey along the innovation pathway and promote UK plc to encourage investment from companies worldwide looking to undertake health and care research in the UK.

You will be an experienced individual leading a team of Business Development Managers to ensure the successful daytoday delivery of all aspects of the BD teams work. This will include the delivery of key NIHR Industry services and engagement with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that the team deliver to the key outputs and impact metrics expected. You will work closely with the Head of Business Development Assistant Directors of Innovations and other colleagues to develop and deliver the strategic aims of NIHR Industry.

You will have an excellent understanding of the UK health innovation ecosystem and an appreciation of current and evolving technology developments and commercial exploitation routes. You will act as an ambassador for the NIHR and its support for industry in particular for companies from the Life Sciences Sector representing and promoting the organisation externally to a wide variety of stakeholders but with a particular focus on engaging and supporting industry.

The role will be based in Victoria central London with a flexible home and office working arrangement reporting to the Head of Business Development. Travel to Twickenham NIHR sites across England and some occasional national and international travel will be required.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Line management a team of BD managers
   
• Engage with companies developing new therapeutic and healthcare innovations to navigate the NIHR and the UKs wider research system to support their access to the NIHR expertise facilities and other elements needed to help them generate evidence to translate their innovations into products suitable for adoption by the UKs health care system.
   
• Overseeing team compliance with work instructions tools and systems fostering a culture of continuous improvement and consistent reporting.
   
• Support the annual strategic and operational business planning process as well as timely reporting to the customer.
   
• Develop new company accounts aligned to the NIHRCC BD Teams key account strategy. Use initiative and efficiently engage with key personnel to build and maintain strategic relationships to support the companys product development pipeline.
   
• Lead the development and delivery of focused business development activities with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Use information sources and market intelligence data to identify companies developing new treatments and healthcare innovations within a specific therapeutic area (e.g. cardiovascular) or sector (diagnostics) from across the globe.
   
• Work with stakeholders across the NIHR including the research infrastructure and when required with those externally across the UK to identify health priorities or areas of unmet clinical need to develop industryfocused offers.
   
• Independently and as part of the BD team engage with stakeholders from across the UKs research and healthcare system to increase the teams understanding of the overall system the key initiatives and priorities currently ongoing to ensure accurate and informed support to industry.
   
• When required lead on the development of marketing materials working with various stakeholders to develop content and messaging as well as working with the communications team around design and publishing.
   
• Support the Head of Business Development in delivering the teams event strategy through attending national and international conferences as well as supporting the setup and management of NIHR events.
   
• When required support cross NIHR initiatives working with colleagues from other teams within the two NIHR Coordinating Centres.

Behaviours and Competencies

• Interest in life sciences and the development of new technologies to improve healthcare and improve patients lives
• Excellent communication and presentation skills capable of tailoring your communication style to a range of expert and nonexpert audiences
• Able to work on multiple projects and initiatives in parallel working with senior colleagues across the organisation to prioritise workload define deliverables and manage timelines
• Be proactive and use initiative to explore new avenues for industry engagement
• Be inquisitive and want to learn about the health and care research system and relevant markets
• Strategic thinker able to interpret complex information while having a clear view of the big picture
• Be able to distil large amounts of information and learn at pace new scientific or technological concepts.
• Able to work independently and lead junior members of the team to support their success and development
• Be analytical and motivated to seek answers to questions
• Wellorganised and objectivedriven

Qualifications :

Required Criteria 

• A BSc / Medical or equivalent degree with a biology and/or chemistry focus
• Experience engaging with industry at senior levels either within a sales promotional consultancy or negotiation capacity
• Experience engaging with scientific/medical leaders from industry and or academia
• Good understanding of healthcare product development (either therapeutics diagnostics medical devices or digital health technologies) and the translational research pathway
• Be able to gain a good understanding of the needs and priorities of companies looking to develop or evaluate their technologies and articulate the NIHRs support to help them achieve this either through focused meetings or in the form of presentations at events.
• Broad understanding of the scientific and technical concepts underpinning a variety of healthcare products
• Experience of line management conducting annual performance reviews and recruitment
• Experience of effective operational management ensuring direct reports deliver to annual business plans
• Experience of writing contract management reports
• Excellent communication skills.

Desired Criteria 

• Industry experience within a company developing healthcare products or from the associated service businesses (i.e. CROs other life science businesses)
• Good understanding of the UK health research system and NHS
• Experience using client relationship management (CRM) software
• Experience analysing and reporting on market intelligence data
• An advanced degree (MSc / PhD) in a related life science or health technology discipline
• Project management experience ability to prioritise and management multiple tasks across the team as well as ones own workload
• Advanced IT skills (data management and analysis software programming and website development)

Additional Information :

Why work for us
Join our team and youll be working with an exceptional organisation that enables and manages highquality health and care research for the benefit of patients and the public. NIHR is one of the UKs largest funders of health and care research.

Salary & Benefits
pa. 
Bonus subject to company performance
25 days annual leave plus public holidays (UK)
Enhanced contributory pension scheme
Life Insurance
Benenden Healthcare
Season Ticket Loan 

NB: This is an office based hybrid position located in Victoria Central London and requires occasional travel to Twickenham NIHR sites across England and international locations as needed. Employees are expected to attend the office at least four days per month typically one day per week with the possibility of increased office presence based on team requirements.

Application
If you are excited about the prospect of joining our team and believe you possess the relevant skills and background we invite you to apply. Please submit your CV along with a Statement of Suitability that showcases your key skills and experiences in relation to the Required Criteria outlined in the job description. Additionally share your enthusiasm for working with NIHR. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis so early application is strongly encouraged to avoid disappointment.  

Company Statement
LGC strongly believes that every job applicant and employee should be valued for their individual talents regardless of age disability race colour ethnic or national origin sex sexual orientation gender reassignment marital or civil partnership pregnancy or maternity religion or belief. Short listing interviewing and selection will always be carried out without regard to gender sexual orientation marital status colour race nationality ethnic or national origins religion or belief age or trade union membership.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Fulltime