Innovation & Engagement Senior Manager

Newcastle University; Newcastle; Presencial; GBP 48.000 - 51.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Holiday allowance

Pension schemes

Wellbeing programs

Descripción de la vacante

Newcastle University is a world‑class civic university driving innovation through Newcastle Innovations. This role leads strategic partnerships, connects academia with industry and government, and builds programmes that convert ideas into real-world impact.

You will shape an ambitious innovation ecosystem, line-manage a team, and collaborate across faculties to deliver sustainable, impactful initiatives that benefit society and the region.

Formación

• Strong background in innovation management and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience in business development, knowledge exchange or related field.
• Proven track record managing complex innovation activities and partnerships.
• Deep knowledge of open innovation approaches, including design thinking.
• Solid understanding of UK innovation policy, funding and university–industry collaboration.
• Excellent partnership development, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong leadership and team management abilities.

Responsabilidades

• Connect across academia, industry, government and communities to broker strategic partnerships.
• Develop innovation-led growth programmes using co-design and design-thinking.Build a pipeline of high-quality innovation projects and funding-aligned propositions.
• Develop roadmaps, horizon scanning and funding intelligence from UKRI, ARIA, Innovate UK, Horizon Europe.
• Lead or support business cases, major proposals and complex bids for innovative initiatives.
• Embed collaborative innovation and engagement practices across the University via programmes and events.
• Strengthen processes to respond to innovation demand, including contracts, facilities and CPD opportunities.
• Provide leadership and line management for Innovation Managers and Engagement Project Managers.

Conocimientos

Innovation management

Stakeholder engagement

Strategy planning

Open innovation

Design thinking

Leadership

Communication

Educación

Degree or equivalent

Descripción del empleo

Salary: £48,337 to £51,258 with progression to £57,666 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 18 November 2026

From Newcastle. For the world.

Help shape the next generation of innovation

At Newcastle University, we are redefining what it means to be a world‑class civic university. Through our Next Generation Newcastle transformation, we are making a generational commitment to shape a better future—delivering research, education and innovation that creates real-world impact locally and globally.

This is a moment of exciting change. We are strengthening our focus on partnerships, place and innovation to unlock the full value of our research and talent—working with business, government and communities to tackle the challenges that matter most.

As part of this, we have transformed our Knowledge Exchange function and created Newcastle Innovations —bringing together expertise in commercialisation, partnerships and engagement into a more integrated, ambitious and outward‑facing model. We are building a dynamic innovation ecosystem that accelerates the journey from discovery to impact, connecting our strengths in health, energy, data and creative practice with real‑world needs and opportunities.

If you are ambitious about innovation with purpose—and want to shape how a leading university delivers growth, impact and societal benefit—this is your opportunity.

Innovation and Engagement Senior Manager

We are seeking an experienced innovation and engagement leader to join Newcastle Innovations and play a pivotal role in turning our innovation ambitions into action. Working across academic and professional services teams, you will be a senior specialist adviser and delivery partner, helping colleagues connect ideas, capabilities and external needs to create meaningful economic and societal impact.

Working closely with the Head of Innovation Ecosystem, Business and Innovation Senior Partners and colleagues across the University, you will build connections between academia, industry, government and communities; translate ecosystem priorities into high‑quality programmes and partnerships; and embed open, mission‑led innovation practice across Newcastle University.

In this role, you will:

• Connect and catalyse relationships across academia, industry, government and communities, building vibrant communities of practice and innovation networks and brokering strategic partnerships.
• Develop innovation‑led growth programmes, using insight, co‑design and design‑thinking approaches to develop solutions that respond to stakeholder needs.
• Build a strong pipeline of high‑quality innovation projects and investible propositions, bringing together cross‑functional and transdisciplinary teams and aligning opportunities with University and external funding priorities.
• Develop innovation roadmaps, horizon scanning and funding intelligence, identifying opportunities from sources including UKRI, ARIA, Innovate UK, Horizon Europe and industry‑led open innovation calls.
• Lead or support business cases, major proposals and complex bids, ensuring initiatives are impactful and financially sustainable.
• Embed collaborative innovation and engagement skills and practice across the University through programmes, events and direct delivery.
• Strengthen systems and processes that enable the University to respond quickly to innovation demand, including contract research, facilities, LLP and CPD opportunities, and ensure outcomes and impact are effectively captured and communicated.
• Provide leadership and line management for Innovation Managers, Engagement Project Managers and the Community Engagement Manager, creating a collaborative, high‑performing team.

About you

You will bring strategic perspective alongside a strong delivery mindset, with the confidence to work across organisational boundaries and influence senior stakeholders. You will be able to move from insight and opportunity to practical programmes, partnerships and propositions, while building trust across academic, industry and public‑sector communities.

• A strong background in innovation management, strategic planning and stakeholder engagement, with experience of business development, innovation leadership or knowledge exchange in higher education or a related sector.
• A proven track record of developing complex innovation activities, projects or proposals by matching external opportunities and needs with organisational capabilities.
• Deep theoretical and practical knowledge of open innovation approaches, including design thinking, and experience of leading complex, agile projects.
• A strong understanding of UK innovation policy and funding, university‑industry collaboration, the higher education landscape and regional innovation ecosystems.
• Excellent partnership development, negotiation, communication and stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to influence senior decision‑makers.
• Excellent leadership and team‑management skills, together with the ability to encourage experimentation, collaboration and iterative development.
• A degree or equivalent qualification, or significant relevant experience gained through progressively demanding roles.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to work at the centre of Newcastle University’s evolving innovation ecosystem and help shape how we connect research, talent and ideas with external partners and opportunities. You will have the scope to build new networks, develop major collaborations and strengthen innovation capability across the institution, contributing directly to the ambitions of Next Generation Newcastle.

Together, we are building the next generation of innovation—connecting people, ideas and opportunities to shape a better future.

For more information abut this opportunity or for a confidential discussion, please reach out to Estelle Blanks, Director of Business Development & Enterprise- [e-mail]

Key Accountabilities

• Work with the Head of Innovation Ecosystem to connect and catalise relationships between academia, industry, government and communities
• order to build vibrant communities of practice and innovation networks. Translate ecosystem priorities into programmes and activities and feed insights back into our strategies. Broker and manage strategic partnerships, including contract negotiation, governance and performance. Represent Newcastle Innovations and Newcastle University at events led by the Innovation Ecosystem team or external partners.
• Lead on innovation‑led growth programmes working closely with the Head of Innovation Ecosystem. Embed the use of a structured approach to innovation that utilises insights and design‑thinking to co‑develop innovative solutions
• Working with the B&I Senior Partners, develop and deliver plans for engagement and innovation in collaboration with faculties and central services.
• Work with the Innovation Ecosystem team to develop a pipeline of high‑quality business and innovation projects and investible propositions. Ensure collaborative and trans‑disciplinarity approaches are embedded and that projects involve co‑design and quadruple helix participants. Design and lead cross‑functional teams to deliver innovation projects, ensuring alignment with university strategy and external funding priorities.
• Working with the Faculties, Newcastle Innovations and colleagues across the University identify innovation roadmaps for institutional priorities to identify and support new and significant external opportunities to develop innovation activity and leverage new income. Set up a process for Horizon Scanning.
• Working with colleagues in the Innovation Ecosystem team implement a process of Innovation funding intelligence and information sharing including horizon scanning for UKRI, ARIA, Innovate UK, Horizon Europe, open innovation calls from industry working closely with the Innovation Managers and the Research Funding Development team.
• Lead or support the development of business cases for new initiatives and investible propositions, ensuring financial sustainability and impact. Lead or support the development of large and complex proposals and bids.
• Lead on and collaborate across Newcastle Innovations teams to devise a programme of work aimed at embedding collaborative innovation and engagement practices across the University and designed to better equip colleagues with innovation and engagement skills. Directly deliver elements of the programme and plan for colleagues’ participation.
• Working with the Head of Ecosystem, co‑develop Newcastle Innovations events plan for innovation and engagement. Ensure Engagement and place activities are delivered throughout the programme taking into account Community Engagement activities.