Innovation Adviser

Do you want to make a difference working at the interface between industry and cutting edge university research? The award winning SETsquared partnership is looking for an experienced connector to identify research at the University of Bristol which can add value to small and medium-sized ‘scale up’ companies.

Working as part of the Research and Enterprise Development (RED) division, you will develop and promote opportunities for business collaboration with the University’s research base. You will provide expert advice and guidance in the development of collaboration and engagement between academics and UK Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), support the development of plans and funding bids. You will also support a variety of different activities to support the development of a range of partnerships between the University and businesses.

You will do much of this in collaboration with key members of the SETsquared Scale-Up Programme (known as SaSSE), other partners and RED colleagues.

The SETsquared Partnership is a 15-year collaboration between five research-intensive universities (Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey) that focuses on supporting early stage companies. The SaSSE Programme will build on this successful partnership to tackle UK SME innovation challenges. This new collaboration will help SMEs in key sectors for the UK to scale up by working in partnership with one or more of the SETsquared universities, drawing on each of their particular research specialisations and strengths. You will be instrumental in generating these partnerships by helping the businesses to engage with relevant University of Bristol academics.

You will also work closely with the Innovation Advisers at each of the other SETsquared universities and ensure that the right academic expertise is allocated for each of the SME innovation challenges.

We are looking for somebody with substantial relevant experience, including within University Business Engagement, an R&D role in this sector, a Research Impact role, or Research Funding. This should be teamed with excellent organisation, planning and time management skills. You will be technologically literate across a wide range of academic disciplines and have a genuine interest in research and its applications. You should be able to manage a large portfolio of complex projects and have the organisational and project management skills to prioritise your workload and meet multiple fixed deadlines. You will, of course, have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as well as IT literacy, and will have a good understanding of the Higher Education and research funding environment. It is key that you are able to communicate effectively with internal and external contacts at all levels of seniority.

For informal enquiries, contact Frances Frith frances.frith@bristol.ac.uk 07810 791317.

It is anticipated that interview dates will be 20th and 22nd February 2018.

The University is committed to creating and sustaining a fully inclusive culture. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities.