Senior Business Development Manager - Engineering Biology

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

LGC’s National Laboratories are seeking a Senior Business Development Manager to convert scientific strengths into balanced growth. You will lead strategic collaborations, assemble high-value consortia, and shape funded proposals across public and private sectors.

Working where science, innovation and commercial strategy intersect, you will build a robust pipeline, engage government, funders, academia and industry, and manage multi-year programmes with autonomy and judgement.

Qualifications

• Degree or PhD in Life Science or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience in business development, partnerships, or programme management in science/innovation.
• Understanding of UK grant funding landscape and ability to develop funding proposals (UKRI, DSIT, NIHR or similar).
• Strong collaboration management and ability to build opportunities from concept to fundable proposals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and organisation.

Responsibilities

• Drive revenue growth by recognizing and transforming funding, partnership, and commercial opportunities.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of externally funded activity.
• Develop strategic collaborations to improve scientific impact and market position.
• Lead identification and shaping of funding applications and multi-year programmes.
• Convert organisational priorities into practical funding and business development opportunities.
• Manage multiple projects, proposals and partner engagements with autonomy.
• Engage and influence government, funders, academia, industry, regulators and international partners.
• Prepare and deliver high-quality proposals, reports, and partner materials for technical and policy audiences.
• Provide leadership across virtual project teams and consortium partners.
• Support bid governance, contract management and compliance processes.

Skills

Business development

Partnerships

Programme management

Funding proposals

Stakeholder engagement

Bid management

Strategic thinking

Autonomy

Influence network

Proposal delivery

Education

Life Science degree or PhD

Job description

Senior Business Development Manager - Engineering Biology

• Full-time
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid
• Department: Commercial

LGC’s National Laboratories deliver a range of expert science functions and services in partnership with the UK Government, business, healthcare, and academia. We manage and operate several national laboratories on behalf of government agencies, such as the UK National Measurement Laboratory (NML), MHRA Laboratories Team and National Reference Laboratories, as well as hosting the unique function of the ‘Government Chemist’.

As home to many world-leading scientists, LGC’s National Laboratories provide a wide range of expert analytical science services and subject matter expertise to a broad spectrum of customers, stakeholders, and global forums. In addition, we undertake contract research and development projects for a range of customers in both the public and private sectors. Our work addresses fundamental and emerging measurement challenges, helping to foster innovation and promoting productivity and economic growth.

The postholder will find and develop collaborative opportunities, assemble and manage high-value consortia, represent NML at relevant industry and innovation events, and lead the creation of competitive funding proposals aligned with organisational priorities. Working where science, innovation, and commercial strategy intersect, the role will help convert NML's scientific strengths into balanced business growth, strategic partnerships, and externally funded programmes that support LGC's mission to protect and improve public health, safety, and security.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to capably perform each of the following essential duties:

• Drive NML revenue growth by recognizing, nurturing, and transforming funding, partnership, and commercial opportunities.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of opportunities, delivering measurable growth in externally funded activity.
• Develop strategic collaborations that improve NML's scientific impact, market position, and long-term sustainability.
• Lead the identification and shaping of funding applications, partnerships, and multi-year strategic programmes with a high degree of autonomy and judgement.
• Convert organisational priorities into practical funding, partnership, and business development opportunities.
• Manage multiple projects, proposals, and partner engagements simultaneously, balancing planning with hands-on delivery.
• Engage and influence a broad network of collaborators including government, funders, academia, industry, regulators, and international partners.
• Prepare and deliver high-quality proposals, arguments, reports, presentations, partner materials, and management updates for technical, commercial, and policy audiences.
• Provide/support leadership across virtual project teams, consortium partners, and external collaborators, while supporting mentoring and knowledge sharing activities.
• Support business development, bid management, governance, contract management, and compliance processes, ensuring effective pipeline reporting and process oversight.
• Apply expertise in engineering biology, research funding, collaborative R&D, consortium development, science commercialisation, and partnership management.
• Drive continuous improvement by enhancing business development practices, collaborator engagement, funding success rates, reporting metrics, and partnership models to achieve revenue and impact targets.
• Structured, delivery-focused and comfortable operating within a fast-paced environment.

Required Qualifications

• Degree or PhD in Life Science or equivalent experience
• Knowledge of Engineering Biology, life sciences, measurements/testing, or related fields
• Proven experience in business development, partnerships, or programme management in science/innovation
• Understanding of the UK grant funding landscape.
• Strong experience in developing collaborative funding proposals (UKRI, DSIT, NIHR or similar)
• Excellent collaborator management
• Ability to build opportunities from early concept through to competitive, fundable proposals, ensuring strong alignment between scientific value, partner capability, funder priorities, and NML strategy
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple parallel opportunities and deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Full UK driving license
• Understanding of standards and regulation.
• Experience working in multi-disciplinary, multi-partner environments.
• Understanding of the EU grant funding landscape.
• Highly collaborative, working across NML teams and external partners.
• Proactive, problem-solver and motivated by challenges.
• Judgement-led and selective, with the ability to distinguish high-value strategic opportunities from low-fit or transactional leads.
• Structured, delivery-focused and comfortable operating within a fast-paced environment.

ABOUT LGC:

LGC is a leading, global life science tools company, providing mission-critical components and solutions into high-growth application areas across the human healthcare and applied market segments. Its high-quality product portfolio is comprised of mission-critical tools for genomic analysis and for quality assurance applications, which are typically embedded and recurring within our customers’ products and workflows and are valued for their performance, quality, and range.

OUR VALUES

• PASSION
• CURIOSITY
• INTEGRITY
• BRILLIANCE
• RESPECT

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

LGC strongly believes that every job applicant and employee should be valued for their individual talents regardless of age, disability, race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion, or belief. Short listing, interviewing and selection will always be carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, color, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age, or trade union membership.