CreaTech Frontiers Cluster Manager (Fixed term 3 years and 4 months)

Birmingham City University; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Birmingham City University’s Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is seeking an experienced Cluster Manager to lead the CreaTech Frontiers cluster’s day-to-day operations within the City Centre Campus. The role oversees a £7.2m AHRC/UKRI-funded programme, guiding delivery to meet KPIs and deliver impactful outcomes across partners in higher education, industry and culture.

Reporting to the Cluster Director, you will coordinate, monitor and report on performance, budgets and risks, while supporting

Qualifications

• Experience leading large-scale programmes or projects with multiple partners.
• Proven ability to work with funding bodies or agencies.
• Track record of senior-level partnerships in HE or similar environments.
• Experience developing multidisciplinary teams and delivering projects from inception to completion.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day delivery of the CreaTech Frontiers Cluster.
• Chair the Cluster Management Team and collaborate with Director, Steering Board and Industry Advisory Board.
• Manage programme performance, budgets, risks, resources and reporting.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with universities, industries, cultural organisations and regional stakeholders.
• Support SMEs and underrepresented communities to access programme opportunities.
• Lead and develop project team members to ensure objective delivery.
• Monitor activity against funder KPIs and programme outcomes.
• Contribute to responsible innovation, EDI and sustainability frameworks.
• Provide intelligence and reporting to senior stakeholders and AHRC/UKRI.
• Identify opportunities to improve programme delivery and impact.

Skills

Leadership

Programme management

Operational management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Data-driven decision making

Team motivation

Tools

Microsoft Office

Digital tools

AI tools

Job description

Department Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Location City Centre Campus (STEAM House) Salary £52,462 to £60,842 per annum Fixed Term (3 years and 4 months) Post Type Full Time Release Date 04 September 2026 Closing Date 23.59 hours BST on Thursday 24 September 2026 Reference RBC26009

At Birmingham City University, we are a diverse and inclusive learning community of over 31,400 students from more than 120 countries. We aim to become an exemplar anchor institution, creating and sharing knowledge for a better and more inclusive society. We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience, supporting world-class research, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment for our staff.

Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities.

Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from underrepresented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential.

By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.

Role Summary

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Cluster Manager to lead the day-to-day operations and delivery of the CreaTech Frontiers creative industries Cluster.

Funded through a £7.2m AHRC/UKRI Creative Industries Cluster grant, the programme brings together universities, industry, businesses and cultural organisations to support innovation and growth of the creative and cultural sectors across the West Midlands.

Reporting to the Cluster Director, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, ensuring the programme delivers its objectives, KPIs and stakeholder outcomes. You will work across six core partners and a wide range of regional and national stakeholders, supporting an ambitious programme of business support, grants for R&D collaborations, internships, doctoral opportunities and training.

This is a 40-month externally funded role, running until 31 January 2030.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the day-to-day delivery of the CreaTech Frontiers Cluster.
• Chair the Cluster Management Team and work closely with the Cluster Director, Steering Board and Industry Advisory Board.
• Manage programme performance, budgets, risks, resources and reporting requirements.
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with universities, businesses, cultural organisations and regional stakeholders.
• Support SMEs and underrepresented communities to access programme opportunities.
• Lead and develop project team members, ensuring effective delivery against programme objectives.
• Monitor and evaluate activity against funder KPIs and programme outcomes.
• Support the delivery of responsible innovation, EDI and sustainability frameworks.
• Provide high-quality intelligence, advice and reporting to senior stakeholders and AHRC/UKRI.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve programme delivery and impact.

Essential Criteria

• Experience of managing large-scale programmes or projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience of working with funding bodies or agencies.
• Experience of developing and managing senior-level partnerships within Higher Education or a similar environment.
• Experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven experience of delivering projects from inception through to completion.
• Experience of working at pace and delivering measurable impact.
• Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

• Strong leadership, programme and operational management skills.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to manage complex relationships and competing priorities.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making and risk-management skills.
• Ability to use data and evidence to monitor performance and inform decisions.
• Ability to motivate teams and deliver results in a complex environment.

Knowledge

• Knowledge or understanding of the creative and/or digital industries.
• Understanding of Higher Education, research and innovation environments.
• Knowledge of EDI and sustainability principles.
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office and digital tools.
• Familiarity with LLMs and AI tools to support analysis, project management and reporting.

Special Requirements

• Willingness to travel to university campuses, partner organisations, meetings and events.
• Flexibility to work outside standard office hours when required.

We welcome applications from candidates with transferable skills and experience from relevant sectors.

Use of AI in applications

At BCU, we welcome applications that clearly demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role. AI tools may be used to support you in preparing your application, but the information you provide must be accurate, authentic and based on your own experience. Applications that rely too heavily on AI, appear generic or do not provide specific evidence against the role criteria are less likely to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process. For more information, please refer to our candidate guidance.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and to an environment that supports lawful free speech and academic freedom. We will continuously review and improve our policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that we are promoting these in all aspects of our operations. We believe that by working together, combining our many different backgrounds and life experiences, we will empower each other to reach our full potential.

Disability Confident Employer

Birmingham City University is proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview.

The appointed candidate will normally be employed through our subsidiary company, BCU Support Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Birmingham City University. Appointees with prior LGPS membership who wish to re-enter the scheme may do so and will be employed directly by the University.