Commercial Director (ECIT)

JOB PURPOSE:

To manage and take overall responsibility for commercialising the ECIT Global Research Institute’s research and IP portfolio in terms of UK economic impact to the mutual benefit of the Centre/Institute/the university and its industrial and government stakeholders. This will include developing strategic partnerships with industry nationally and internationally, the creation of new business opportunities for UK companies, the facilitation of successful technology transfer, including the creation of new start-up companies and working with relevant agencies promoting opportunities for foreign direct investment. It will involve generating significant new revenues derived from commercial exploitation to ensure the sustainability and growth of the Institute/Centre.

MAJOR DUTIES:

As the UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre, develop strategic partnerships with industry and other stakeholders nationally and internationally (including university and government labs and agencies) that will help to strategically position U.K. industry at the forefront of this critical, emerging and rapidly changing digital market sector. To include membership programmes as appropriate.
To promote The Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) as a key member of the UK Cyber Security Cluster and to promote CSIT as a leading UK and international Cyber Innovation Hub. Play a key role in linking to other ecosystems worldwide. 

To include management of all stakeholders including InvestNI, UK government, international partners.

To promote and roll out the commercial and membership models within CSIT to the other Centres within the GRI as appropriate (Centre for Wireless Innovation, Centre for Data Science and Scalable Computing).

To perform extensive market analysis to explore market and product development opportunities for the 3 Centres in the GRI.

To work closely with industrial members and research directors to more closely align research objectives with their needs and to establish forums to facilitate this including open days and national and international events, including trade shows.

To work closely with senior GRI staff including Research Directors to identify major opportunities for the industrial and commercial exploitation of GRI research outputs and its IP portfolio consistent with its longer term research objectives.

Working with others, develop a GRI Marketing Strategy (including PR strategy) at an international level.

To coordinate the marketing and market communication activities. Where appropriate this will require liaison with QUB Marketing and Communications personnel and other external agencies.

To develop new business models, mechanisms and contracts to ensure the rapid and smooth transfer of new knowledge and expertise to industry and/or relevant agencies. Managing the exploitation route inside and outside the university for example in terms licensing deals, company spin-off, knowledge transfer partnership, proof-of-concept programmes, company spin-off, working closely with QUB’s Research and Enterprise Directorate.

To have overall responsibility for the management and promotion of CSIT’s Innovation and Accelerator programmes – to include CSIT Labs and other accelerator activity both nationally and internationally. 

To liaise closely with QUB’s Research and Enterprise Directorate on all major commercial and contractual matters.

Development of close partnerships with Venture Capitalists, locally nationally and internationally to facilitate and grow spin-out companies. Negotiation of contracts and licensing deals with industry nationally and internationally in partnership with the Research and Enterprise Directorate.

Work closely with the Northern Ireland Science Park and the NISP CONNECT environment it has created to facilitate the above, including links with business angels, commercial and IP lawyers and experienced entrepreneurs.

To take the lead in streamlining proposal generation processes e.g. international consortium building for H2020, library of standard proposal templates, resulting in major new research and other funding opportunities with strategic partners.

To take the lead in developing KPI reporting metrics and reports (in partnership with the GRI Operations Manager). To include reports to funders, Industry Advisory Boards, internal faculty and university boards.

To include regular national and international travel and any other duties as may reasonably be expected.

Planning and Organising:

To seek to maximise the economic impact of the GRI’s research and IP portfolio through the creation of strategic partnerships with appropriate stakeholders at national and international level.

To undertake strategic market analysis with the intention, where appropriate, of helping to align research activities with stakeholder and commercial needs and opportunities.

To contribute strongly to the GRI’s marketing strategy including planning and implementation.

To plan, prepare and organise the execution of contracts, consultancy and technical services, where appropriate in liaison with QUB’s Research and Enterprise Directorate.

To contribute strongly to overall strategic planning and implementation.

To manage the GRI IP portfolio and IP register in liaison with QUB’s Research and Enterprise Directorate.

To undertake all administrative tasks associated with the post, with projects and contracts created and to ensure delivery of these on time.

Resource Management Responsibilities:

To manage GRI marketing and related budgets to ensure maximum value is delivered for resources deployed. Management and recruitment of staff to achieve commercial objectives, as appropriate.

To set and prioritise personal day to day activities in order to realise project goals and deliverables within agreed timescales and budgets.

To contribute to resource and budget planning within the GRI (in partnership with GRI Operations Manager).

Internal and External Relationships:

To liaise and network with staff, across all levels on issues relating to the execution of contracts, consultancy exploitation of IP and technical services.

To be the lead point of contact with external companies regarding development of strategic relations delivery of contracts, consultancy and technical services. This will require liaising with senior staff in major industrial corporations, government bodies and research laboratories.

To foster strong linkages with Venture Capitalists, nationally and internationally and, where appropriate, facilitate the creation and growth of spin-off companies.

To liaise closely with relevant government agencies that have direct interests in electronic security.

To liaise with national and international government agencies and regional development authorities in matters relating to foreign direct investment.

To liaise closely with QUB’s Research and Enterprise Directorate staff on all major commercial and contractual matters.

Where appropriate, to liaise closely with QUB Marketing and Communications personnel on all PR activities.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

A degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematical discipline.

A clearly demonstrable track record of experience and expertise in the successful management and exploitation of intellectual property and ‘know how’.

Demonstrated experience of successful advanced technology market analysis.

A clearly demonstrable track record in fostering strategic partnerships and engagements with industry and where appropriate universities, research institutions and government departments and agencies.

Significant experience of working at a senior level in a high technology business related environment (defined as five years minimum) and experience of R&D and product management.

Experience of successfully marketing selling and project managing revenue generating technology based services and IP to business and the wider community including successfully conducting relevant commercial and legal negotiations.

Experience of successfully negotiating collaborative R&D contracts.

Highly developed commercial acumen with the ability to find solutions by applying sound judgement and a strategic understanding of relevant issues, and the ability to bring negotiations to a successful conclusion.

Well-developed analytical capabilities.

Ability to manage large projects and/or a portfolio of projects with significant complexity, and also the project management skills to manage own projects with significant size and/or complexity.

Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships with university staff and external stakeholders.

Experience of writing papers, preparing and giving talks/ presentations in a number of contexts.

Good team player with interpersonal skills of the highest quality and demonstrable experience of having utilised those skills in leadership, marketing and sales negotiations.

Sound judgement and the ability to make difficult decisions in pressured situations whilst maintaining effective relationships.

A customer orientated approach to completing tasks and achieving objectives.

Willingness to work flexibly with considerable international travel and substantial time commitment outside of normal working hours.

Willingness to attend conferences, trade shows nationally and internationally.

DESIRABLE CRITERIA:

Relevant business or marketing qualification.

Experience of working with or within a university, a research environment or a knowledge or technology transfer environment.

Extensive experience of dealing with large international technology corporations and/or technology intensive SMEs.

Experience of working in the Cyber Security or software applications sector.

Experience of managing and controlling budgets and resources and an understanding of financial management procedures.

Understanding of relevant national and regional economic needs and priorities and how the University can address those needs and priorities through knowledge exploitation.

Understanding of sources of research funding and of venture and seed capital, grant and other business funding mechanisms.