Head of Life Sciences Sector Development

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

Hybrid working

Flexible hours

On-the-job training

Job summary

South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority (SYMCA) seeks a strategic Head of Life Sciences Sector Development to shape and drive the growth of South Yorkshire's Life Sciences sector from the Sheffield Head Office. You will engage with businesses, universities, investors and government to unlock opportunities and influence investment decisions, delivering a clear sector vision.

You will lead cross‑sector collaboration, build influential partnerships and attract investment, while steering major

Qualifications

• Significant experience developing and delivering sector growth strategies or major partnership programmes.
• Strong knowledge of Life Sciences landscape and opportunities/challenges.
• Proven ability to build relationships across business, academia, government and investment communities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of a compelling vision and growth strategy for South Yorkshire's Life Sciences sector.
• Build influential relationships with businesses, universities, investors, government departments and sector leaders.
• Identify and attract investment opportunities that support business growth and job creation.
• Champion South Yorkshire's Life Sciences strengths at regional, national and international forums.
• Support the commercialisation of innovation by helping businesses, researchers and investors connect and collaborate.
• Lead high-profile programmes and initiatives delivering tangible outcomes for businesses and communities.

Skills

Sector growth strategy

Stakeholder management

Investment propositions

Leadership

Job description

Head of Life Sciences Sector Development

Application Deadline: 13 September 2026

Department: Growth, Business and Skills

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Sheffield Head Office

Compensation: £55,949 - £59,907 / year

Description

• Hours: 37 hours per week (full time)
• Contract: Permanent
• Salary: Grade 12 – £55,949 to £59,907
• Location: Sheffield (Hybrid Working)

South Yorkshire has a proud history of innovation, research and industry. Today, the region is home to a growing Life Sciences sector with the potential to deliver transformative economic growth, attract investment and create high-quality jobs for local communities. At SYMCA, we're committed to accelerating that growth and ensuring South Yorkshire is recognised nationally and internationally as a place where Life Sciences businesses can start, innovate, invest and succeed.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in shaping the future of one of South Yorkshire's most important growth sectors. As our Head of Life Sciences Sector Development, you will work with businesses, universities, investors, government departments and regional partners to unlock opportunities, influence investment decisions and develop a clear vision for the sector's future.

Interviews will be held Tuesday 6th October 2026 - In person.

About the role

As SYMCA's lead specialist for Life Sciences, you will combine strategic thinking with practical delivery to drive sector growth across South Yorkshire. You'll act as a trusted advisor, ambassador and connector, bringing together key stakeholders to create the conditions for innovation, investment and business growth. Working at a senior level across public and private sectors, you'll help shape policy, secure opportunities and ensure the region maximises its strengths in this fast-growing and globally significant sector.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the development and delivery of a compelling vision and growth strategy for South Yorkshire's Life Sciences sector.
• Build influential relationships with businesses, universities, investors, government departments and sector leaders.
• Identify and attract investment opportunities that support business growth, innovation and job creation across the region.
• Champion South Yorkshire's Life Sciences strengths at regional, national and international forums.
• Support the commercialisation of innovation by helping businesses, researchers and investors connect and collaborate.
• Lead high-profile programmes and initiatives that deliver tangible outcomes for businesses and communities across South Yorkshire.

About you

You will be a collaborative leader with a strong understanding of the Life Sciences landscape and a passion for creating opportunities that support innovation, investment and growth. Comfortable working with senior leaders and decision-makers, you'll have the ability to turn insight into action, identify opportunities for investment and build the partnerships needed to deliver long-term success.

Whether your background comes from industry, economic development, investment, academia or a related environment, you'll bring a strong understanding of the factors that help sectors grow and thrive. You'll enjoy working across organisational boundaries, influencing stakeholders and creating opportunities that deliver meaningful impact for businesses and communities alike.

We're looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• Significant experience of developing and delivering sector growth strategies, economic development initiatives or major partnership programmes.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of the Life Sciences sector and the opportunities and challenges shaping its future.
• A proven ability to build influential relationships across business, academia, government and investment communities.
• Experience of attracting investment, securing funding or developing compelling business and investment propositions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to represent organisations at a senior level.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to motivate others, manage priorities and deliver measurable outcomes in a complex environment.

If you're excited by the opportunity to shape the future of Life Sciences in South Yorkshire and help create the conditions for innovation, investment and sustainable growth, we'd love to hear from you.

Benefits

All colleagues have access to a Local Government Pension Scheme and the chance to be part of an organisation where you can really make a difference. Located in Sheffield City Centre, we are well-placed for transport links and encourage employees to take advantage of the active travel facilities. Work/life balance is extremely important to us here at SYMCA with our recognised family/friendly policies, genuine work flexibility, recognition, and shared success.

In addition to the above, some of our benefits include:

• Holiday Entitlement – From 28 to 36 days annual leave entitlement (depending on length of service) plus bank holidays. Pro-rata for part time colleagues.
• Annual Leave Purchase Scheme – The ability to purchase up to a further 15 days per year in addition to your normal annual leave.
• Hybrid working – Our offices are a space where we come together and collaborate. Most of our roles are offered on a hybrid basis with the exception of some support roles being onsite full time. Please note, unless specified within the job advert, we cannot accommodate remote working contracts.
• Flexible Hours Scheme – Most roles within SYMCA work under the Flexi-Scheme which allows office-based employees’ flexibility and discretion over their working hours. Under the scheme employees can accrue a defined amount of credit or debit of working hours, and to take time-off in the form of Flexi-Leave or banked Annual Leave.
• Rewarding You – Reducing everyday expenses through discounts, benefits, financial advice, wellbeing solutions and more with Reward Gateway and Cycle-to-Work schemes.
• Training on the job – Support with upskilling skills through on-the-job training and qualifications.
• Professional Membership Fees – Where membership to Professional bodies is applicable to your role, SYMCA will reimburse your membership fees where applicable and following approval by Line Management.

Diversity at South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority

Our workforce is made up of a diverse community, where we all belong and feel part of something bigger. We are committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

All employees are eligible to request Flexible Working arrangements from day one of employment as such all requests will be considered subject to operation requirements.

Where candidates share disabilities within the application process, if they demonstrate that they meet all essential criteria from the Role Profile within their application, they will automatically be invited to interview.

If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the process, please contact [e-mail] or include within your application form detailing the adjustment and how it will assist in managing any barriers.