Business Development Manager: Green Futures Solutions - Maternity Cover

University of Exeter; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A distinguished UK university is seeking a full-time Green Futures Solutions Consultant to drive positive climate, nature, and business change. The hybrid role involves managing clients, developing new business opportunities, and delivering bespoke solutions based on research. Applicants should have a strong commercial drive and experience intersecting science and business. The position offers generous leave and various benefits.

Benefits

41 days leave per year

Options for flexible working

Discounts at leading retailers

Onsite gyms and cycle to work scheme

Leading policies around parental leave

Qualifications

• Experience in managing existing clients and projects.
• Proven ability to seek out and develop new business opportunities.
• Understanding of consultancy or business service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Manage existing clients and projects effectively.
• Seek and develop new business opportunities.
• Support the development of new products and services.

Skills

Strong commercial driver

Experience at the interface of science and business

Ability to manage clients and projects

Motivation for driving positive climate change

Job description

Exeter Innovation

We are looking to recruit a full-time, fixed-term maternity cover post for the above role from 1st December 2025 – 6th September 2026 with potential extension subject to funding. The post is Hybrid (Streatham Based) with the expectation that you will be on-campus at least 2 days a week.

About the role

Do you have a track record, passion and tenacity in wanting to drive positive climate, nature, and business change? We’re looking for a fixed-term Green Futures Solutions Consultant to make this change and continue to grow the University’s work in this area.

We’re looking for individuals that have a strong commercial driver and are experienced and excited, to have worked or work at the interface of the science and business community and are motivated by driving positive climate, nature and business change.

You will be managing existing clients and projects, seeking out and develop new business opportunities and supporting the development and delivery of new ‘paid-for’ products and services and bespoke solutions that respond to business demand and generate impact from the University’s research.

About Green Futures Solutions:

Green Futures Solutions will work with (non-academic) clients and partners to drive positive change and impact from the University of Exeter’s world leading research. Green Futures Solutions bridges the gap between research and consultancy delivering bespoke and ‘off-the-shelf’ services to businesses and wider organisations.

Green Futures Solutions will help build resilience in response to rapid and uncertain global environmental change and will provide the collective leadership to support tangible transformational change that is climate, nature and business positive.

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.

Benefits

• 41 days leave per year
• options for flexible working
• numerous discounts at leading retailers
• onsite gyms on all of our campus’ and a cycle to work scheme
• sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to six weeks full pay) and a Fertility Treatment Policy
• stunning campus environments in Exeter and Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England

Further information: Before submitting an application, you may wish to discuss the post informally by contacting Talwyn Whetter (Head of Strategy, Green Futures Solutions) or Alex Huke, Head of Environment and Clean Growth, (Exeter Innovation) email: [e-mail] or 07917348284