Partnerships Manager

at  Kings College London

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Job id: 086587. Salary: £62,696 - £71,857 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.
Posted: 20 March 2024. Closing date: 24 March 2024.
Business unit: Research Management & Innovation. Department: IP & Licensing.
Contact details: Dr. Mike Shaw. mike.shaw@kcl.ac.uk
Location: Guy’s Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.
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Job description
King’s is a leading UK research-intensive university, with strengths across a breadth of disciplines and a strong ethos of collaborative research with partners to develop innovation.
Innovation@King’s (I@K), brings together the interdependant functions of Industry Partnerships, Translational Research support and Intellectual Property & Licensing as a single team.
King’s College London is seeking a Partnerships Manager with a primary focus sourcing, developing and securing partnerships with third parties that are built around externally-funded research and research related initiatives, proactively seeking new funding opportunities and muti-disciplinary projects, developing relationships with research partners (including industrial both large and SME) and key external funding agencies. The Partnerships Manager is expected to have diverse focus on numerous of the KCL research Faculties.
The Partnerships Manager will play a central role in the scoping, initiation, development and ongoing management of research partnerships with industry and other external organisations that are enabled through external research funding opportunities. They will work with senior academic staff to define priority areas for partnership, identify and engage with suitable partners, and manage ongoing relationships to ensure success. As importantly, they are expected to proactively identify candidate partner organisations and acquire knowledge of key market verticals that align with KCL research as target areas for potential collaboration.
The role will work closely with the established teams within I@Ks, to identify external funding opportunities that enable innovation development and impact through partnership.
The ideal candidate will bring experience of academic-industry partnership and key strategic external funding agencies such as Research Councils, Innovate-UK, and UK Government Departments. They will combine strong strategic, project management and analytical capabilities with diplomacy, negotiation skills and an ability to work well across functions and academic disciplines.
This post will be offered on an 3 year fixed term contract.
This is a full-time post.
Key responsibilities
Driving a substantial increase in externally funded research partnerships, through:
Providing leadership and support to the development of strategies and actions plans for major externally-funded research and research-related (including research infrastructure) initiatives, proactively seeking new innovation funding opportunities and multidisciplinary innovation projects, developing relationships with research partners and key strategic external funding agencies – Research Councils, Innovate-UK, Charities, National Academies, Government Departments, Industry, EU & International organisations;
Working with senior academic leaders and Faculty based innovation and enterprise support roles to define priority areas for the development of such externally funded partnerships.
Identification of relevant industry partners and relationship-building to obtain a strong understanding of their priorities and needs.
Identification of sources of external funding opportunities that enable large and small innovation partnerships.
Developing a comprehensive knowledge of King’s strengths and capabilities, including through collaboration with fellow I@K colleagues.
Supporting and guiding academic staff and Faculty based innovation and enterprise support roles in developing strategic partnerships with industry, including organisation of key meetings and development of materials highlighting Faculty strengths targeted to individual partners.
Developing and updating knowledge of prospective partners’ key application areas that align with King’s research capabilities.
Working with the Director I@K and other members of I@K towards defining and delivering on KPIs and wider strategy of the I@K team and Faculty Innovation Plans.
Contribute to the delivery of contracts and agreements for innovation partnerships including costing and pricing of activities, and assisting wit reviewing regulatory, ethical, insurance and indemnity arrangements suitable for the partnerships in question.
In developing partnerships, ensure that key partnership risks have been understood and accepted or mitigated by the delivery teams in the Faculties and that key delivery partners (internal and external) have been engaged in the design and development of partnerships and their innovation development activities.
Be the I@K lead for maintaining, and providing critical opinion for optimising, the strategic links with an identified portfolio of key funders relevant to your areas of responsibility in order to influence and align funder opportunities with the interests and priorities of the Faculties. This will include supporting development and management of internal strategy groups; maximising institutional engagement and maintaining close relationships with Faculty based innovation and engagement staff.
Skills, knowledge, and experience
Essential criteria
1. Postgraduate research experience in a subject relevant to life sciences or in engineering sciences with a cross-disciplinary thesis subject and postdoctoral research in applied life sciences (for PhD holders).
2. Experience and understanding of the innovation funding ecosystem.
3. Experience in and understanding of academic or industry R&D and demonstrable ability to map industry needs to academic expertise.
4. Ability to lead and contribute to complex, difficult projects, from conception to delivery and experience of engaging, and collaborating, with internal and external stakeholders to build teams, deliver key outcomes or resolve complex challenges across a wide range of activities.
5. Well-developed leadership and influencing skills with the ability to motivate and involve individuals and teams and the ability to negotiate in a complex environment.
6. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
7. Demonstrable presentation skills, including ability and keenness to present to audiences of academic and industry experts and other senior stakeholders, including internal and external conferences.
8. High level of numerical and data analytical skills, including spreadsheets and databases with demonstrable proficiency in use of MS packages (e.g. able to design complex spreadsheets).
9. High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement, and flexibility in approach and attitude, possessing resilience, determination and diplomacy.
10. Comfortable working independently and able to build professional networks.
11. Positive and constructive approach, including when under pressure.
Desirable criteria
1. PhD or an equivalent level of experience in a subject relevant to life sciences or in engineering sciences with a cross-disciplinary thesis.
2. Experience in development and management of industry-academic research partnerships, or other relevant experience in the industry/academic sectors, including business development or management consultancy roles.
3. Significant experience in developing strategic reports and business cases to support novel research and technology development as well as experience in supporting and advising/collaboratively working with others to develop business cases or project plans.
Further information
The selection process will include a panel interview and a presentation

Please refer the Job description for details