Professor of Practice

at  Birmingham City University

PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE (FIXED TERM CONTRACT UNTIL DECEMBER 2025)

Department
Research, Innovation and Enterprise
Location
Joseph Priestley Building
Salary
£78,604 to £85,440 per annum pro rata
Part time contract for 16 hours per week
Post Type
Part Time
Release Date
17 October 2024
Closing Date
23.59 hours GMT on Thursday 31 October 2024
Reference

RIE24013

BCU is looking for a Professor of Practice to support its 2030 Strategy ambition, with specific focus on the core pillar of Powering Prosperity. Specifically, the post holder would undertake a leadership role for the STEAMhouse Venture Capital Fund - an initiative to scaling the impact of STEAM for the benefit of BCU students and community members, through entrepreneur education.
The STEAMhouse Venture Capital Fund is an investment readiness programme to develop both student applicants, and those from disadvantaged communities (‘missing entrepreneurs’), supporting a pipeline of start-ups. Its purpose is to catalyse levels of employability and entrepreneurship; promote STEAM-based entrepreneur education; support a more inclusive regional culture for start-ups and growth; and align with 2030 Strategy and mission, driving socio-economic growth.

The VC fund will:

• Provide funding and an infrastructure to support both student and ‘missing entrepreneurs’ to start and grow businesses; create jobs, build individual confidence and invigorate an ecosystem; embed STEAM entrepreneurship outreach across both university and local community groups; leverage the success of the STEAM Hatchery student enterprise and STEAMhouse community programmes; scale the impact of STEAM by taking ideas from concept to reality.
• Differentiate BCU’s market offer and establish STEAMhouse as a beacon for innovation and enterprise.
• Catalyse entrepreneurship across community and student groups, strengthening the connections between both.
• Support enhanced levels of student recruitment and STEAMhouse engagement.
• Address market gap in early-stage support, especially in under-served communities, and applied technology.
• Integrate into a broader support ecosystem to nurture long term economic and societal benefit.

Key responsibilities are outlined in the job description and include, although are not limited to:

• Working with Faculty and Professional Service Directorate (PSD) colleagues including Associate and Executive Deans in leading, planning and managing the engagement, enterprise and innovation strategy, and encouraging good research practice.
• Developing and securing key links in support of the STEAMhouse Venture Capital Fund and related enterprise and engagement endeavours, and interdisciplinary research and collaborative research both nationally and internationally, and academic private sector networks that enhance the reputation of BCU.
• Contributing to the design and development of new programmes and initiatives to catalyse levels of employability and entrepreneurship, including the promotion of a STEAM-based entrepreneur education.

The post holder will have research interests which fit within, or can develop, the Faculty’s research profile, or PSD’s ambition for STEAM-based entrepreneurship. You will have the ability to write strong research bids and be able to evidence a record in attracting research or private sector funding commensurate with stage of career. You will have good project management skills and the ability to manage funded research projects, along with a commitment to continuing to develop a strong research and enterprise profile, including collaborative generation of research grants and publications. You will need demonstrable experience of enterprise and engagement, commensurate with stage of career, preferably with evidence of consultancy income generation.

FURTHER DETAILS:

Job Description

• Working with Faculty and Professional Service Directorate (PSD) colleagues including Associate and Executive Deans in leading, planning and managing the engagement, enterprise and innovation strategy, and encouraging good research practice.
• Developing and securing key links in support of the STEAMhouse Venture Capital Fund and related enterprise and engagement endeavours, and interdisciplinary research and collaborative research both nationally and internationally, and academic private sector networks that enhance the reputation of BCU.
• Contributing to the design and development of new programmes and initiatives to catalyse levels of employability and entrepreneurship, including the promotion of a STEAM-based entrepreneur education