School/Department Research & Innovation
Based at Cranfield Campus, Cranfield, Bedfordshire
Hours of work 37 hours per week, normally worked Monday to Friday. Flexible working will be considered
Contract type Permanent
Salary Competitive open band commencing at £69,911 per annum
Apply by 12/04/2021

Role Description

This is an exciting opportunity to join Cranfield University to lead the Research and Innovation Office (RIO) and contribute to the overall management of the University through membership of the Senior Management Team and the Professional Services Executive. You will be responsible for developing Cranfield’s research and knowledge exploitation strategy to agreed KPIs and leading RIO to develop and deliver these strategies, with particular focus on sustaining and enhancing the University’s research environment and culture. You will also be responsible for catalysing innovation and ensuring a strong culture of research governance. You will ensure RIO is fit for purpose, to develop and deliver a University-wide research and innovation strategy, encompassing knowledge exploitation, incubation and acceleration, research integrity and research support to Schools, Themes and individual academic staff.

As a specialist postgraduate university, we focus our world-class expertise, large-scale facilities and unrivalled industry partnerships to create, develop and sustain leaders in technology and management. Our work tackles global grand challenges and delivers worldwide impact across thematic areas as diverse as Aerospace, Defence and Security, Energy and Power, Environment and Agrifood, Management, Manufacturing, Transport Systems, and Water. Cranfield’s long standing and deep relationships with business and government power our research which informs and shapes the innovation roadmaps of international industry, and influences government policy.

The incoming Director will support the continued development of Cranfield’s ambitious research agenda.  Reporting to and working closely with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation, you will support Cranfield’s objectives to maintain research of the highest quality, impact and profile, and ensure that the University is recognised externally in REF and KEF exercises and by government and industry partners.  Through your leadership of RIO, you will inspire high performance and maintain excellent levels of team morale. You will help grow and diversify our research income, delivering major bids from public and private research funders. You will lead the development of an enhanced research environment across Cranfield, co-ordinating research and innovation activities such as the grand challenges, doctoral network, research networks and research fellowship programmes.

You will have strong academic credentials, ideally to PhD level or equivalent extensive experience, with a deep understanding of the processes underpinning research and innovation. You will have experience in producing strategic plans and delivering to KPIs and will have the ability to win work and close a deal. You will have strong operational experience with the ability to provide clear direction and leadership to staff, with experience of developing a high-performance culture. Importantly, you will be attracted to and excited by Cranfield’s distinctive nature and mission. The knowledge and empathy to operate credibly, as well as the interpersonal and communication skills to engage with and influence a wide range of academic, government and industry partners, are essential.

Our equal opportunities and diversity monitoring has shown that women and minority ethnic groups are currently underrepresented within the university. We therefore actively encourage applications from eligible candidates from these groups, in addition to other underrepresented protected characteristic areas, such as disability and LGBTQ+.

The job description will be available shortly, for a confidential conversation please contact Kimberley Tiley on +44 207 529 6346.