Business Development Manager

National Oceanography Centre; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave

Pension scheme (Employer contribution)

Relocation support

Cycle2Work scheme

Employee wellbeing programmes

Job summary

National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is recruiting a Business Development Manager to expand partnerships and drive sustainable income. The role involves translating NOC’s capabilities into compelling commercial proposals and building strong industry relationships.

You will work within the NOC Innovations arm, collaborating with scientists and engineers to develop and market new services. A hybrid working approach is offered, with base locations in Southampton or Liverpool and relocation support

Qualifications

• Experience in securing commercial opportunities and building customer relationships is essential.
• Strong commercial judgement and ability to translate technical capabilities into compelling proposals.
• Background in marine science, technology, metocean or oceanography is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Expand partnerships and generate sustainable income for NOC Innovations.
• Identify and secure opportunities for existing commercial services and develop new offerings with scientific/technical colleagues.

Skills

Business development

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in business/ marine science

Job description

National Oceanography Centre, Southampton or Liverpool

Permanent

Full time (37 hours per week)

Who are we?

We are the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) - the UK’s leading institution for integrated coastal and deep ocean research. Through our ground-breaking research, collaboration, and game-changing innovation we work to gain a deeper understanding of our ocean, helping every living thing on our planet flourish.

We are made up of a dynamic and vibrant community focused on solving challenging long-term marine science problems, underpinning international and UK public policy, business and societal outcomes.

The ocean has the potential to provide the solutions to so many of the social, economic and environmental challenges we face worldwide. To truly harness the value of the ocean, we put ocean research, science and discovery at the heart of our culture.

Join us in shaping the future of oceanographic research and contribute your unique perspective to our organisation.

About the role

Working as part of NOC Innovations, the National Oceanography Centre’s trading subsidiary, this is an exciting new opportunity to contribute to our income diversification strategy and deliver positive impacts for society.

As a Business Development Manager, you will be responsible for expanding partnerships and generating sustainable income. You will identify and secure opportunities for existing commercial services and work with scientific and technical colleagues to develop new offerings.

The role involves understanding customer challenges, building strong industry relationships and translating NOC’s capabilities into compelling commercial proposals that generate long-term revenue.

About you

We are looking for an experienced business development professional with a track record of securing commercial opportunities and building customer relationships. Ideally, you will have a background in marine science, technology, metocean or oceanography, alongside experience working with industry.

Strong commercial judgement, communication skills, creativity and tenacity will be essential to turning ideas into viable offerings.

Why NOC?

We offer a generous set of benefits, including:

• - 30 days contractual annual leave, plus 3.5 extra closure days and bank holidays
• - a 10% employer contribution pension scheme (with a 15% NI saving on employee contributions made above 5%, if in the salary sacrifice scheme)
• - Death in Service (3 times annual salary) provided by Aviva from day one of employment, plus access to a range of other Aviva wellbeing services
• - financial support for relocation
• - a salary sacrifice scheme for electric / hybrid vehicles (qualifying period applies)
• - access to our Employee Assistance Programme, offering free and confidential support on mental, physical, emotional, health and financial issues
• - access to a flexible benefits portal offering online discounts, cashback and eGift cards
• - a Cycle2Work scheme allowing employees to acquire bikes and accessories
• - a great working environment with a number of social events, including summer and Christmas celebrations
• - we are proud to be a Living Wage Employer

Location

This position can be based in Southampton or Liverpool. Our Southampton site is well connected by public transport and has ample cycle parking in addition to free onsite car-parking with over 40 EV charging points. The Liverpool centre is part of the University campus and is only a short walk from the city centre and Lime Street station.

We have a hybrid working approach where for most positions staff can work from home up to 2 days per week. If you are interested in this position, but require a more flexible working arrangement, please contact the recruitment team using the contact details below.

Date advert posted: 4 November 2026.

Closing date: 22 November 2026. This vacancy may close earlier depending on the number of applicants.

We are committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We actively encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position, as we strive to create a supportive and equitable environment where all voices are valued and heard.

Those seeking employment at NOC are considered solely on their qualifications, skills and experience, without regard to gender, gender identity, age, race, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, relationship status, family status (including pregnancy / maternity leave) or any other protected characteristic.

There is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the position and declare a disability.

Please note we are not accepting applications via recruitment agencies for this position.