Strategic Business Development Manager

National Physical Laboratory (NPL); Teddington; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is seeking a dynamic leader to bridge government and industry, shaping energy and environment strategies and expanding NPL’s impact. You will cultivate senior relationships across government and key sectors, identifying opportunities that align policy aims with commercial growth.

You will advocate evidence-based advice, engage diverse stakeholders, and support scientists and engineers in pursuing bold, long‑term opportunities to advance UK measurement

Qualifications

• Experience developing bold strategic ideas with industrial and governmental stakeholders.
• Track record of managing key accounts, project sales and joint grant applications.
• Passion for science and innovation; ability to explain technical concepts to a broad audience.
• Balance strategic/commercial needs with scientists and engineers to engage rewarding work.
• Awareness of energy and environment drivers and climate change challenges.
• Strong communicator; bring clarity to complexity and ambiguity.

Responsibilities

• Interface between government and industry to connect ambitions with interests.
• Develop senior relationships with key departments and agencies in government.
• Develop senior industry relationships to identify strategic opportunities.
• Represent NPL at industry meetings and workshops as a trusted face of the laboratory.
• Communicate demand for national scientific expertise to stakeholders.
• Support scientists in developing capabilities to drive NPL’s growth.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Relationship building

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Account management

Grant applications

Job description

About the Role

Help us connect with customers, partners and stakeholders to develop and deliver UK impact in policy, regulation, innovation and trade relating to climate and environment.

As part of the Energy and Environment strategy team, this role shares the common challenges of green growth and addressing climate change with the broader perspective of assuring a sustainable relationship with our environment for other man‑made outputs, such as waste and pollution. Accordingly, you will work closely with other team members to ensure the overall Energy and Environment strategy is achieved.

NPL’s renowned measurement and scientific expertise has already been applied across environment related areas, including:

• Climate measurement
• Measurement of emissions and atmospheric greenhouse gases
• Ambient air quality and sensor networks
• Managing the impact of underwater noise
• Environmental standards for guidance and regulation

You will increase the impact of NPL by growing the application of current expertise and developing new opportunities and applications for NPL scientific expertise in line with the new the Energy and Environment strategy. This places emphasis on developing the following industry sectors:

• Climate modelling including risk management and adaptation
• Agriculture, forestry and other land use
• Water and seas
• Waste reduction and the circular economy
• The bio‑economy for new energy and industrial feedstocks

Any activity relating to the environment is highly dependant on government policy to achieve action, particularly the DEFRA 25 year environment Strategy, UK Net Zero Strategy, UK Industrial Strategy, Clean Growth Strategy and the Clean Air Strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• You will need to be highly proficient at the interface between government and industry, connecting government ambitions with industry interests.
• You will be expected to develop senior relationships with the most relevant government departments such as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (including the Environment Agency and other associated agencies) and the Department Business, Innovation, Science and Technology.
• Similarly, you will be expected to develop senior relationships with industry to identify both strategic opportunities for industry and more pressing regulatory driven opportunities.
• Alongside are a multitude of stakeholders that all have potential to contribute to achieving our strategic aims. For all stakeholders, you will be a recognised and respected face of NPL, attending critical industry meetings and workshops on behalf of the laboratory.
• You will become a trusted voice that upholds our independence and objective, evidence-based advice.
• With your exposure to external stakeholders, you will play a pivotal role in understanding and communicating the demand for national scientific expertise and supporting our scientific community in developing their capability to support NPL development and growth.
• You will be confident in achieving buy-in and support from scientists to pursue the big long-term strategic opportunities that will cement NPL’s status as one of the world’s leading national measurement institutes.

About You

Skills and Experience

Inquisitive, confident and motivated to connect with and influence external partners at all levels, you will be collaborative, a strong communicator, able to build internal and external partnerships that lead to opportunities for NPL.

• You will have experience of developing bold, strategic ideas with a mix of industrial and governmental stakeholders. You are confident in your ability to reconcile long term governmental ambitions with shorter term industry objectives.
• You will have a track record of managing key accounts, successful project sales and joint grant applications. You can develop and close science-related opportunities in the range £0.5M to £5M.
• While we don’t expect an in-depth scientific knowledge, you must have a passion for science and innovation and be comfortable communicating technical concepts to a broad audience.
• You are comfortable working with people who are motivated by science and able to balance the strategic need to assure NPL’s future, the commercial needs of the organisation and the desire of scientists and engineers to engage in rewarding work.
• You have an awareness and interest in understanding the key drivers and dependencies of the energy and environment relationship and an appreciation of the complexity of addressing climate change and other environment related challenges.
• You are a strong communicator who can bring simplicity and structure to complexity and ambiguity.

Join us and you’ll soon see how thought leadership and imagination is inspiring the next generation to greater things. It's about challenging complexity and bringing clarity and building relationships that make a difference. We are bold and visionary; we believe that anything is possible at NPL.

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting‑edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well‑being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work‑life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success.

To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.