T-ERA Energy / Research Development Manager

Job Purpose

The successful candidate will be responsible for the management of the T-ERA investment at the University of Birmingham and in our partner institutions, including engagement with the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) based in Ansty, Coventry and management of the subsequent T-ERA involvement. They will proactively support the development of new national and international research and business engagement for the T-ERA facilities and maximise the benefits of collaborative working with the ERA partners and broader UK academic community.
The successful candidate will also project manage the wider T-ERA investment at the Universities of Aston, Loughborough and Warwick, report to the ERA management board on T-ERA and to ensure sustainability of the T-ERA investment through the development of funding applications and a wider academic and business communities exploiting the T-ERA facilities.

Person Specification

• The successful candidate should have:
•

• • Honours Degree or equivalent in a subject relevant to the EPS College ideally closely aligned to Engineering or a cognate scientific discipline; higher research degree desirable. A background in energy related areas would be beneficial.
• • Experience of working as a Research and/or Business Development Manager in an advanced technology research environment.
• • Experience of project management is essential.
• • Experience of leadership of project planning, bidding, delivery and dissemination on timescales of months to years.
• • Knowledge of innovation management (conception, creation and commercialisation of new product, processes and services) desirable.
• • Significant knowledge and expertise in the external research funding environment in Higher Education or equivalent and especially the engineering and physical sciences.
• • Proven knowledge and understanding of research management and contract issues such as research governance, ethical review, data protection, intellectual property.
• • Successful track record and expertise in the formulation of research and knowledge transfer grants, bids and proposals for public and private funding and ability to provide academics with detailed direction on scoping and developing bids/grants applications drawing together complementary inputs and data to enhance the quality of the final applications.
• • Exceptional networking and relationship building skills.
• • Strong communicator both verbally and in writing. Able to present to groups, negotiate a position, structure and present complex ideas and data in writing and translate such complexity to make it accessible to others.
• • Experience in the formation and management of strategic relationships, preferably at a senior management level.
• • Experience in the negotiation of commercial agreements between academic, research and industry partners
• • Experience in the communication of complex scientific and technological subjects in a format easily accessible by technical non-experts and/or the layman
• Experience in the leadership of multi-partner project teams involving research and industrial partners towards successful achievement of target goals.
• • Competent IT user – Microsoft packages, email, internet etc.