Assistant Director, Business Engagement & Research Impact (CMH) Research Strategy and Services 106638 Grade 9

Position Details

Research Strategy and Services

Location: University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range 58225 to 67468 with potential progression once in post to 87974

Grade: 9

Full Time Permanent

Closing date: 2nd December 2025

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years andweare equally proud to be recognised as a leading global want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond support them to succeed and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here todevelopthrough our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full almost 5000professionalservices jobs in a wide-range of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we areand how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees andtothe success of the University and depending on the role we offer avarietyof flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible addition you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 dayspaid holidaya year one paid day a year for volunteering occupational sick pay and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus including main bus routes and a train station on campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool shopsplaces to eat and drinkour own art gallery museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about thebenefits of working for the Universityof Birmingham

Background

Research Strategy & Services Division (RSSD)

The Research Strategy & Services Division (RSSD) was established to provide a cohesive expert and agile research support ecosystem for the University of Birmingham. Since 2022 the Division has evolved into a vibrant high-performing community that supports all aspects of research innovation and business engagement across the institution.

Business Engagement & Research Impact (BERI) Team overview

Within the Research Strategy & Services Division the Business Engagement and Research Impact (BERI) Team has been established to bring together the functions of Business Engagement (Strategic Industry Partnerships Research Innovation Partnerships and Access to University expertise); Research Impact (Impact Strategy & Operationalisation REF Impact Case Studies Impact Acceleration Accounts) and Strategic Regional team capitalises on driving change through innovation and building partnerships to build on impactful research collaborations with research that matters to our partners. It will contribute to a significant step-change in research income through the development and expansion of new and existing research partnerships and collaborations; bring together teams that work across different research portfolios to improve the Universitys engagement with external partners and collaborators and support the development and delivery of an institutional Industry Engagement Strategy the embedding of a positive research impact culture across all disciplines and a new approach to ensuring the University can deliver research that matters to industry partners and policymakers.

Role Summary

The role of Assistant Director (College Medicine and Health) Business Engagement & Research Impactis a senior role in RSSD. This includes: business engagement and partnership portfolio leadership for Research Impact working closely with the academic Directors of Research (CMH) College Impact and Engagement Leads individual academics and professional service colleagues).The focusis to drive industry engagement with research to deliver meaningful and long-term strategic relationships for the College. This new role includes the leadership of a team dedicated to supporting business engagement and research impact.

This role will bring together college teams working in a matrix structure supporting the Senior Leadership Group (SLG) of RSSD. It will require experience and enthusiasm for leading people the skill to interact with high-level corporate professionals and academics experience of working to targets and the ability to be able to passionately translate complex information into a compelling case for support. This role will make a direct contribution to the institutions ambition to become a Global top 50 HE Institution advance its reputation and integrate this with business and other key stakeholders.

As a pivotal leader within the RSSD you will be responsible for working with the Director of BERI to manage lead direct and develop the Universitys Business Engagement Impact and Innovation operation to support delivery of the University priorities. This involves the strategic and pro-active management of people resources and infrastructure. You will also support senior leaders including our Vice-Chancellor Provost PVC-R and other UEB members with engagements in the region working closely with key partner organisations such as the West Midlands Combined Authority and a number of strategic partners across the health and life sciences sectors.

A substantive part of the role will be to work collaboratively to deliver the RSSD Strategy aligned to the ambition of the College and the wider University You will operate alongside a peer group of Assistant Directors sharing best practice and identifying strategic internal opportunities to leverage research partnerships. You will be expected to develop excellent relationships with existing and potential supporters which will culminate in mutually benefitting strategic partnerships for the University of Birmingham.

Within the College you will work in partnership with colleagues to increase research income impact and influence across the funding landscape. You will be working closely with key members of the Colleges leadership team to grow research funding from industry and other partners and enhance research impact. More broadly you will help to develop significant strategic relationships with industry partners and other stakeholders in line with the Colleges strategic research themes.

A major driver for research and collaboration at the University is Birmingham Health Partners a network of six NHS Trusts two Universities and the West Midlands Health Innovation Network. To be effective in this role the successful candidate will require knowledge and experience of working across and developing funded collaborations with academia the NHS and industry. Crucially the post-holder will need to be able to work effectively utilising past experience to understand and expediate time critical projects with key NHS partners across complex medical and healthcare disciplines with professionalism and discretion. Experience with clinical trials and the NHS research and innovation I environment and wider Life Sciences industry would be advantageous.

Main Duties

The Assistant Director (CMH) BERI will excel in the following areas:

Leadership Strategy and Operational Management (in collaboration with the Director of BERI):

• Provide leadership for the overall development management and continuous improvement of BERI.
• Manage staff resource - including leading on recruitment of new staff as the team grows.
• Develop the strategic and operational strategy for the BERI team.
• Adopt a collegial approach to internal partnerships with College and Professional Services colleagues to work together to achieve University objectives.
• Represent the BERI team at senior-level University committees and working groups to ensure that the interests of the Team and University are both met across strategic projects.
• To provide advice and support to colleagues across the University including members of the University Executive Board (UEB) on matters relating to industrial partnerships and how the University can drive greater value from these.
• To support the writing of papers on BERI performance and strategy for University committees and University Council as required.
• Leadership development and direct line management of the Business Engagement Partners Research Impact Development Partners Research Impact Managers Impact Development Officers across CMH including the agreement of team member objectives and deliverables.
• Creating a motivating environment where people are challenged developed encouraged and supported to achieve outstanding results.
• Taking personal responsibility for ensuring that agreed outcomes are delivered on time and effectively; and develop this sense of personal responsibility within individuals and the wider BERI team.
• Seizing and acting upon appropriate opportunities and encouraging team members to do the same.
• Remaining visible and accessible empathetic open approachable and encouraging to others.
• Modelling and acting consistently with the purpose and values of the RSSD Professional Services and the University.
• Supporting the development of the BERII team through a period of growth ensuring that staff continue to feel valued and that the RSSD culture continues to be positive and empowering.
• Understanding and keeping up to date with legislation and government policy and how it impacts BERI aligning our activity with the external R&D landscape.
• Deputising for the Director of BERI as and when required.

Business Engagement:

• Be responsible for identifying implementing and maximising opportunities to enhance our reputation regionally nationally and internationally demonstrating the impact of the Universitys research.
• The development and implementation of the College Business Engagement strategy in collaboration the Director of BERI and with the appropriate College leadership team followed by the execution of the plan with the College teams.
• To proactively develop new business partnerships aligned to the research strengths of UoB.
• To cultivate relationships with intermediary organisations linked to ensuring co-ordination of promotional and business engagement activities around the research strengths as well as exploring cross-cutting College programmes for research.
• High-level support of the Universitys relationships with intermediary organisations and relevant business media (e.g. with DBT WMGC CBI Chamber of Commerce NCUB) representing the University and briefing our leadership as appropriate.
• Managing internal relationships with members of University leadership and across the Universitys professional services network.

Strategic Projects and Partnerships:

• Provide professional partnership engagement support for major initiatives including horizon scanning and identification of strategic opportunities. Identifying cross-College/UoB opportunities and leading professional services teams in ensuring these are mobilised.
• Identify and lead on major opportunities for leveraging of industrial partnerships and industrial funding to deliver significant public-sector funder investment into the such work collaboratively with for example the University Strategic Projects team to identify appropriate industry partners and develop attractive funding cases to obtain leverage for public funding.
• Work to establish the industry partners as an advocate of the University and its proposed projects to other industry partners funders or to Government as appropriate.

Organisational Understanding:

• Provide senior leadership support in the development of university-wide research & knowledge transfer strategy.
• Contribute to strategic discussions and the development of plans within the wider University e.g. University steering groups for key projects.
• Understand the breadth of the University and appreciate the differences in personalities roles and ways of working throughout the University and its constituent Colleges.
• Look for ways to engage and encourage academic colleagues by clearly defining the benefits of Industry- academic partnering.
• Recognise the distinct but complementary roles of Business; Public; Civic; Community; and Cultural Engagement within the institution and understand how to leverage the benefits of each of these to enhance the Universitys offering to potential partners and clients.
• Proactively look for ways of improving others experience of working with BERI.
• Show a strong understanding of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) and how BERI support the academy to maximise associated benefits.

Strategic Thinking and Perspective:

• Understand and convey the Universitys Strategic Framework and the Colleges research priorities and the implications for the team Division Colleges and University.
• Recognise and enhance the value of local regional national and international partnerships to deliver value for Division College and University.
• Demonstrating an understanding of the economic/commercial context and financial dynamics of the University the drivers which maximise results and the priorities for the University
• Deliver long and short-term plans and balance delivery against both.
• Understand and keep up to date with legislation as it affects Business and the Economy connected to HEI.
• Identify external environmental factors that impact research intensive universities and their research and development aspirations.
• A highly developed capacity for short medium and long-term strategic planning.
• A practical understanding of the strategic management of research partnerships from the identification of opportunities through to completion and sign off.

Communication & Collaboration:

• Assist in the provision of expert credible and influential advice to the most senior internal and external stakeholders including the Chancellor the Vice Chancellor Heads of College DPVCs and academic colleagues.
• Be an able and willing internal and external ambassador for the University who can use external networks for personal and institutional benefit.
• Demonstrate high level of self-awareness of own impact and modify behaviour accordingly listen and respond constructively to the realities and needs of others by using a range of communication skills and strategies.
• Display tact diplomacy and the ability to challenge convention and persuade others to consider alternative perspectives and approaches and gain commitment to a change or course of action.
• Demonstrable ability to rapidly assimilate complex technologies and key issues and present these in a fashion credible to both senior academics and senior industrialists.
• Able to deal constructively with conflict to reach a workable consensus and delivery of agreed objectives.

Performance and Resource Management:

• Ensure that the best possible BERI service is delivered to the College Professional Services and the University and its stakeholders.
• Set monitor and evaluate the highest possible standards of Business Engagement performance for the College and wider BERI team.
• Manage and lead the BERI team in CMH aligned to the broader BERI team objectives/goals.
• Demonstrate experience of working collaboratively with others to deliver goals within an agreed timescale.
• Agree with the Director of BERI stretching but achievable targets and maintain a clear focus on activity which will achieve them.
• Take personal responsibility with the College senior team for ensuring that agreed outcomes are delivered on time and effectively.
• As and when required take on additional management responsibilities deputise for Director of BERI and other colleagues within the College and broader RSSD team.

Working Collaboratively:

• Demonstrating collaborative working and actively consult with others across the RSSD Professional Services and the Academic Colleges seeking links and alliances as appropriate.
• Building open trusting and effective partnerships within and across the University as well as externally with business partners and intermediary organisations.
• Promoting diversity (ED&I) of ideas in relationships with people and cultures having the ability to work with colleagues at all levels of authority competence and status in order to contribute to the effective development and delivery of individual and team goals.
• Assisting with partnership/relationship building activity across the University and BERI by suggesting useful contacts and by exploiting relevant internal and external networks.

Person Specification

Required qualifications experience:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent ideally with a postgraduate qualification.
• Ability to manage their own workload to ensure that all tasks are performed to a deadline.
• Confidence to balance the reactive and proactive aspects of the role generating their own work but also responding to requests from the Director of BERI and RSSD and senior colleagues across the University.
• Understand the different drivers for business other partners and academic stakeholders and how they can be brought together successfully.
• Proven business development/sales skills and client relationship management experience.
• Proven ability to meet targets milestones and contracted outputs within agreed deadlines and the ability to encourage others to do the same.
• Thorough understanding of budget management business planning and resource allocation.
• Significant experience of complex R&D and/or business development.
• Experience of translating strategy into operational plans with measurable outcomes.
• Proven experience of managing multiple complex projects. A qualification in project management would be beneficial.
• Knowledge of implementing and managing change.
• Identifying and developing solutions to address complex problems.
• Applying a significant amount of sound professional and independent judgement.

General knowledge skills:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Negotiation skills and the ability to persuade and influence.
• An empathy with and understanding of the worlds of business and academia and the ability to match motivations.
• The ability to represent the University at senior level and to prominent influential individuals with confidence diplomacy and authority.
• A proven ability to remain positive adaptable and flexible when dealing with change and uncertainty.
• Strong sense of professional integrity.
• Self-aware highly motivated and proactive.
• Experience of working in a large and complex organisation.
• Good understanding of the UK Higher Education sector.
• A passion for and commitment to the role that business engagement plays in a connected global university.
• Ability to prioritise own work under pressure.
• Good all-round IT skills
• Personal confidence independence and determination to succeed as an individual and as part of a team.
• The ability to accept and embrace change.
• The ability to work with initiative to take decisions and think creatively and laterally.
• The ability to work effectively both in a team and independently and to remain cheerful in times of pressure.
• The flexibility to work unsociable hours (evenings and weekends) when required and to travel overseas.
• The determination to constantly exhibit the agreed values and behaviours of the University.

Informal enquiries to Helen Lau email:

View our staff values and behaviours here

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyoneon our website.