Job Title: Innovation Manager
Department: Business Development
Reporting Relationships: Chief Business Officer
Company Background:
Discovery Park has grown to be a thriving part of the South East’s life science community over the past eight years as a multi-business science campus. The site offers high quality laboratory, office and manufacturing facilities, the space and support to expand, access to local finance, and a strong local scientific talent pool. It was named recently as one of six prestigious UK Life Sciences Opportunity Zones by the UK Government.
The growing tenant community includes Pfizer, which built the site’s reputation as a center for drug discovery and discovered some of the most famous drugs in the world here. Other tenants include Cummins, Viatris, Algaecytes, Canterbury Christ Church University, Concept Life Sciences, Genea Biomedx, LGC, Psyros Diagnostics, VisusNano and Wren Healthcare. Discovery Park is home to 160+ companies employing 3,500 employees in total.
The park is focused on becoming a world class, world leading science park, growing and attracting innovative life sciences companies. Our exciting plans include a new incubator facility in Building 500, and development of a Manufacturing Village, working with tenants and partners to bring new activities to site.
Discovery Park Management Ltd supplies facilities support to all the park – buildings, grounds, roads, infrastructure, and communication networks. Our team of specialists are capable of creating and adapting almost any of our buildings.
We also supply utilities to all the buildings. Be it power, steam, gas, demineralised water, etc. or take it away, such as the Wastewater Treatment plant. In addition, we provide valuable services such as security, front of house, cleaning, catering, and conferencing.
Working together, our dedicated team are responsible for delivering our day-to-day operations and embracing the parks core values. These values support a culture focused on customer service, quality, and continuous improvement. We are committed to Inspirational Leadership and being People Focused, through whom we will deliver Operational Excellence and create a Community Spirit that will shape our future and support the delivery of our Vision.
Main Purposes of the Job:
Reporting to the Chief Business Officer, you will be responsible for the development of our innovation agenda, actively supporting our innovative tenant companies by building strong relationships and supporting them in their growth aspirations. A key function of the post will be driving activity via the skills and health hubs at Discovery Park, exploring opportunities to integrate activities. The post holder will create and manage measurements of success and provide regular updates to the wider team, tenant base and relevant stakeholders across key BD projects.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
We welcome applications from those who enjoy variety, embrace change, and have a strong sense of ownership and accountability. The successful applicant will demonstrate an exemplary level of communication skills, managing multiple client expectations to the highest level. The role will require working closely with internal and external stakeholders – organising project meetings and co-ordinating and driving and measuring project activity and impact.
We welcome applications from those who enjoy variety, embrace change, and have a strong sense of ownership and accountability. The successful applicant will demonstrate an exemplary level of communication skills, managing multiple client expectations to the highest level. The role will require working closely with internal and external stakeholders – organising project meetings and co-ordinating and driving and measuring project activity and impact.
You will be required to:
- Build and maintain excellent relationships with partners, stakeholders, and Discovery Park tenants
- Drive innovation related activities to support the growth aspirations of our tenant base.
- Develop and exploit collaborative opportunities with academia and industry / knowledge transfer offices to support our tenant base and site goals
- Identify funding opportunities and work with partners and stakeholders to develop relevant funding bids
- Develop and maintain accurate project documentation around key projects e.g., skills hub, health hub etc. in a timely and professional manner
- Look for opportunities to create collaborative, innovative partnerships and attract new members to the hubs.
- Organise all meetings, prepare agendas and co-ordinate all documents, minutes, and reports
- Create and maintain networks of interested partners and users through multiple channels including events, newsletters, webinars, and social media.
- Work with the marketing team to create content to support the above and develop an effective approach to knowledge sharing and dissemination of information across the organisation, to partners and wider
- Develop, monitor, and report on KPIs · Attend external events relevant to innovation activity on site
Additional Duties and Responsibilities:
Any other reasonable duties as required by the Business and/or directed by Management
Person Specification:
Essential:
Proven experience of working with external stakeholders – industry and academic
- You will have a well-established network and the ability to create value from innovation
- Commercially focused with a ‘Can do’ mentality and a desire to succeed
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Project Management Experience
- Experience of updating and maintaining a CRM system
- Ability to manage multiple projects and workloads with excellent time management and planning skills to enable prioritisation of work.
- Knowledge of developing and sourcing case studies
- Ability to triage external content relevant to our community
- Experience in using webinar technology
Desirable:
- Experience working within skills/learning and development, or an innovation/knowledge exchange environment would be an advantage.
- Experience of Project Management software – e.g., click up
- Experience of creating and managing events; developing format and sourcing speakers.
- A science degree or project management qualification
Note: The Job Description is not intended to be all inclusive. The job holder may be required to perform other related duties to meet the on-going needs of the Company
To apply for this excellent opportunity, please send your CV and covering letter to sarah.carroll@discovery-park.co.uk (Head of HR, Performance & Improvement).
Should you wish to discuss the role in more detail please contact jane.kennedy@discovery-park.co.uk (Chief Business Officer)
