Innovation Manager (Business Engagement)

Innovation Manager (Business Engagement)

The University of Surrey is a global community of ideas and people, dedicated to life-changing education and research.

We are ambitious and have a bold vision of what we want to achieve - shaping ourselves into one of the best universities in the world, which we are achieving through the talents and endeavour of every employee.

Our culture empowers people to achieve this aim and to collectively, and individually, make a real difference.

We are looking for an Innovation Manager - Business Engagement to help grow and embed knowledge exchange activity across the University, supporting academics and business partners to turn research strengths into real-world benefit. This is a full time fixed-term role until July 2027.

Working within Research, Innovation and Impact, you will build productive relationships between the University and businesses, particularly SMEs, helping to identify opportunities for collaboration, funding and impact. You will play an important role in supporting the University's innovation ambitions by connecting researchers with external organisations, developing business-led projects and helping to deliver outcomes that contribute to research impact and knowledge exchange.

In this role, you will:

• Work with academic colleagues and other internal stakeholders to identify opportunities for business engagement, collaborative research, knowledge exchange and business-led innovation activity.
• Promote the University's research strengths and expertise to external organisations, building and maintaining strong relationships with businesses, sector partners, funders and other external stakeholders.
• Support the development of innovation funding applications, in particular opportunities linked to Innovate UK, and other business-led collaboration funding routes.
• Maintain a pipeline and portfolio of business-led innovation and engagement projects, ensuring collaborations are productive, sustainable, aligned with University strategy, and evidenced in support of the University's impact ambitions, including REF, KEF and other knowledge exchange outcomes.

This is an opportunity to work at the interface between research, innovation and industry, helping ideas move from academic expertise into practical application and wider societal and economic benefit.

About you

We are looking for someone who can build strong relationships, spot opportunities and support innovation funding applications through to successful outcomes.

You will bring:

• A relevant degree or postgraduate qualification, or equivalent substantial vocational and professional experience in a related role.
• Experience of knowledge exchange, innovation, business engagement or research impact activity.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage a varied portfolio of work and deliver to deadlines.
• Experience of working with businesses, including start-ups or SMEs, and an understanding of business needs, commercial drivers, business plans or financial considerations.
• Experience of identifying, scoping, and supporting applications for innovation, knowledge exchange or business-led collaboration funding.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to work with academics, businesses, funders and senior stakeholders.
• The ability to work with a high degree of autonomy, sound judgement and professionalism.

The University of Surrey is committed to providing an inclusive environment that offers equal opportunities for all. We place great value on diversity and are seeking to increase the diversity within our community. Therefore we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups, such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities.