ShaKEs Project Director

Queen Margaret University; Musselburgh; Hybrid; GBP 69,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious university in Scotland is seeking a ShaKEs Project Director to lead innovative knowledge exchange projects across multiple institutions. In this role, you will develop and implement transformative approaches to commercialisation and innovation, ensuring sustainable models that foster collaboration. Ideal candidates will have proven expertise in this field, excellent stakeholder engagement skills, and a drive for creating impactful solutions. This exit role offers an opportunity to shape the future of academic-commercial partnerships and contribute to economic growth.

Benefits

Flexible working environment

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• Proven experience in developing and implementing commercialisation strategies.
• Ability to work collaboratively across institutional and sectoral boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver transformative approaches to knowledge exchange.
• Design a sustainable model for commercialisation and innovation.
• Support project objectives aligned with partner institutions' strategies.

Skills

Creativity

Tenacity

Innovation

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Relevant expertise in commercialisation or higher education

Job description

ShaKEs-SharedKnowledgeExchange(KE)Services: Small Modern and Specialist Institutions- Located in any of the six partner institutions - Abertay University, Glasgow School of Art, Queen Margaret University, Robert Gordon University, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and University of the Highlands and Islands

ShaKEs Project Director

Contract: Fixed Term to 31 July 2027

Hours: 35.75 hours (1FTE)

Salary: Grade 10 (£69,488 - £71,566)

Ref: CVEC00036A

ShaKEs is an exciting new consortium of the six smallest higher education institutions in Scotland: Abertay University, Glasgow School of Art, Queen Margaret University, Robert Gordon University, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and University of the Highlands and Islands, plus Edinburgh College, representing the college sector.

Through a new novel and collaborative approach, ShaKEs aims to develop, test and evaluate a sustainable model for commercialisation, industry expertise and KE infrastructure focused on shared legal, contracts and intellectual property (IP) resources and helping to develop alternative routes to commercialisation in our focus areas, many of which have a high proportion of micro enterprises and represent an area of untapped potential in university commercialisation efforts.

Our partnership builds on long-standing collaboration and distinct academic strengths in Scottish Government priority economic sectors: Food & Drink, Creative Industries, Gaming, Health, Social Care & Wellbeing, Tourism, Built Environment and Service/Public and Third Sector innovation – areas historically underrepresented in R&D but where our collective agility aims to unlock new innovation pathways.

We are seeking highly motivated professionals who are inspired by the inclusive growth potential of our priority economic sectors. You will bring creativity, tenacity, and a drive for innovation to design and deliver transformative and disruptive approaches. You will play a key role in embedding our shared service ambitions through the development of a fit‑for‑purpose commercialisation infrastructure – one that is underpinned by specialist expertise, professional acumen, and a deep understanding of stakeholder needs. You will relentlessly outcome and user focused, committed to shaping transformation and passionate in understanding and breaking down barriers, finding novel and creative solutions and driving alternatives.

Our goal is to build a sustainable and adaptable model that supports industry, public sector reform and our academic staff, while thriving within an institutional culture primarily focused on learning and teaching.

Members of the ShaKEs team can be based in any of the six partner institutions. Together you will be responsible for delivery of the project objectives whilst supporting the key priorities identified within the partner institutions' 5 Year Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Fund strategies underpinning the consortium.

We are committed to the intersection of skills, research, innovation and place, guided by new Scottish Government Community Wealth Building (CWB) principles to secure social and environmental as well as economic outcomes, and share learning across Scotland's tertiary sector.

Funded by the Scottish Funding Council, ShaKEs aims to share and increase access to much needed fit‑for‑purpose specialist innovation infrastructure, providing an opportunity to further the Scottish Government innovation ambitions as outlined in the National Innovation Strategy, Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint, National Strategy for Economic Transformation, in addition to the delivery of the wellbeing outcomes in the National Performance Framework.

Further Information on the ShaKEs webpage.

For informal enquiries please contact any of the Institutional Leads listed on the webpage.

Closing Date: 19 January 2026

Interview Dates: 6 and 9 February 2026

Please note, this vacancy may close earlier than the stated closing date if we receive a high volume of applications.

Should you wish to apply for the vacancy please visit our vacancies page download the job description and complete an application online.

If you have any queries regarding the application process or require special assistance, please contact Human Resources

This role does meet the minimum requirements set by UKVI to enable sponsorship of migrant workers. Therefore, we can progress applications from candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK.

As a university, we are committed to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers alongside Concordat to Support Research Integrity and we are, in fact, the first Scottish Higher Education Institute (and part of the first UK cohort of institutes) to publicly declare our commitment to its principles.

Queen Margaret University is committed to equality of opportunity for all by providing a supportive, flexible and inclusive working environment, and we welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds. Please have a look at our Diversity, Wellbeing and Inclusion Calendar.

We are proud to hold an Athena SWAN Bronze Award which recognises the advancement of gender equality at QMU. Find out more about Athena SWAN here.

We have a number of family friendly policies and are happy to consider job share applications.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, should you require any specific arrangements during the recruitment process please contact Human Resources