UHI is the United Kingdom’s leading integrated university encompassing both further and higher education. Based in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, our distinctive partnership of 12 independent colleges and research institutions is locally based and rooted in communities, but with national and international reach, as part of a regional university structure.
To support our work we are recruiting to the following role:
Commercial Partnerships Manager
| Salary range | £46,869 - £49,726 |
|---|---|
| Duration | Permanent |
| Working hours | 35 hours per week |
| Location | Inverness |
| Closing Date | 25th August 2024 |
UHI is a globally recognised tertiary institution providing innovative further and higher education for over 40,000 students across 70 campuses and learning centres spread across the Highlands and Islands, Moray and Perthshire. UHI offers much more than a traditional university. Its mission is to provide a transformational impact on it the people, communities and economy of the regions we serve through a rich blend of academic programmes from access level to PhD. UHI has recently published an ambitious Strategic Plan 2030 which builds on our success to date and take our ambition forward across five key strategic themes: teaching, learning and student support; research and innovation impact; enterprise and growth; environmental sustainability; and operational excellence.
Faculty of Science, Health and Environment
One of two newly formed Faculties at UHI, the Faculty of Science, Health and the Environment incorporates curriculum delivery, research and knowledge exchange from across the UHI Partnership, with a focus on ‘Land and Marine Sciences’, ‘Engineering, Computing and the Built Environment’ and ‘Health, Social Care and Life Sciences’. Research activity across the institution is supported by research clusters, with the ‘Institute of Health Research & Innovation’ and the ‘Marine, Environmental Science and Engineering’ groups of key importance to the Faculty.
The Institute of Health Research and Innovation (uhi.ac.uk) was constituted in February 2018. It is embedded in the Faculty of Science, Health and the Environment, and focuses on the broad themes of Biomedical Sciences (including Medical Nanotechnology) and Rural Health and Wellbeing. Health research at the university has significantly grown since 2016, thanks to various external sources of funding for projects of European and international scale. The Institute was returned to REF2014 and REF2021 – UK-wide exercises to measure excellence in research. In 2021, 28% of our research was classed as world-leading, a substantial increase over the 17% equivalent score in 2014.
The Marine, Environmental Science and Engineering (uhi.ac.uk) (M,ESE) Research Cluster is at the forefront of research into climate change, marine science, aquaculture and renewable energy, with much of its work addressing social cultural and environmental impacts of development. M,ESE includes the following research specialties:
M,ESE submitted to the Earth Systems & Environmental Sciences Unit of Assessment in REF2021, with 33% of its research considered to be world-leading.
The advertised role will have a remit that spans both Research Clusters, as well as extending into our Social Sciences and Arts and Humanities Research Clusters. In the first instance, the focus of the role will be in Health, and Life Sciences in particular, on account of a pressing need to deliver to targets related to Inverness and Highland City -Region Deal.
Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal – investment programme for increased collaboration with industry and the healthcare sector
As part of the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal programme-managed by the Highland Council, the university was awarded £9m from the UK Government to establish key infrastructure and innovation capacity.
The Life Sciences Innovation Centre (LSIC) on Inverness Campus, built in collaboration with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, is now operating as a flexible open access innovation facility, with a strong theme of collaboration with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, NHS Highland, the academic sector and commercial partners. This activity will generate new products and services, business start-ups and inward investment, as well as healthcare service improvements and new models for clinical delivery for the NHS.
The Life Sciences Innovation Centre is shared with Highlands and Islands Enterprise who make available incubation spaces to life sciences companies. Located on the Inverness Campus, it supports developments around the whole region of the Highlands and Islands. The National Treatment Centre – Highland is also located on Inverness Campus, which will foster tripartite collaboration with NHS Highland.
European Regional Development Fund
In addition to being part of the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal programme, the LSIC project has also benefitted from European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) to deliver additional research and innovation outcomes around collaboration with companies in health and life sciences.
One Health
One Health (the concept of an integrated approach to human, animal and environmental health) has been recognised to be a strategic priority for the University of the Highlands and Islands. We now have a Knowledge Exchange sectoral Group in this arena and the post-holder will be central to co-ordinating activity from across the Partnership in One Health, and in attracting knowledge exchange and commercial activity in this space.
Commercial Partnerships Manager
This post has been created to deliver to the remit of the Life Sciences Innovation Centre in the first instance, but will then develop into a broader role to support growth of research, knowledge exchange and commercialisation across the Faculty. One Health provides a unifying theme under which the post will sit and drawing together researchers from across the Partnership under the banner of One Health is an important facet of the role. This post will also be instrumental in maintaining and growing partnerships with various life sciences organisations and businesses across the region and beyond. Key partners include Highlands and Islands Enterprise and NHS Highland.
A background in a relevant scientific field (e.g. Health, Environmental Sciences or Marine Sciences) would be of benefit to the role.
A detailed job description and person specification for the post are attached.
Applicants with informal questions are encouraged to contact Prof Ian Megson, Head of the Institute of Health Research and Innovation, at ian.megson@uhi.ac.uk
Pay and Benefits
This role is linked to grade 8 on the UHI payscale. The starting salary for this position will normally be in the range of £46,869 - £49,726 per annum.
This post is permanent and full-time; the post-holder will work 35 hours per week on a working pattern agreed with their line manager.
Full-time posts carry a total of 39 days leave per annum (inclusive of public holidays). It is practice that, with the exception of the Christmas and New Year closure period, leave may be taken at any time of year, subject to the requirements of the post, department and permission of your line manager.
The workplace pension scheme we provide to workers at grade six and above is the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS). This is a qualifying pension scheme, which means it meets or exceeds the government’s standards. Full information on the scheme can be found at www.uss.co.uk
Recruitment Process
When completing the application form please ensure that you clearly evidence how you meet the selection criteria identified on the relevant person specification.
- The deadline for submitting your application is midnight 25th August 2024.
- Interviews will be held in Inverness in mid-September 2024. If you have any queries regarding our recruitment and selection process, or if you would like to request any reasonable adjustments to either the recruitment process or the prospective job, please contact the Human Resources team at hr@uhi.ac.uk.
- Job description
- Person specification
- Further information
- Terms and conditions
- Guidance notes for candidates
- Summary of terms and conditions of employment
- Apply online