Closing date 15 Oct 2019 23:00 (UK time)
Salary £32,817–£40,322 (Grade 7)
Location Edinburgh
Department Heriot Watt University
Category Professional & Managerial
Status Full Time
Duration 10 months fixed-term

About Heriot-Watt University

Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business and languages.

With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and practical, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry. We connect with industry at every level and develop programmes to match their needs – so employers get work-ready industry-fit graduates.

Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.

We have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership, and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.

For full details on our University please view our Careers at Heriot-Watt http://www.hw.ac.uk/about/careers-at-heriot-watt.htm

About our Team

The GRID @ Heriot-Watt

Fascinated by the future and captivated by technology and innovation?
Want to work with a diverse range of organisations and help them explore the art of the possible?

We are embarking on a number of flagship digital and data driven innovation investments– in total we are investing over £50M over the next 5 years in these new global initiatives, and we aim to work with selected partners to leverage this further, transforming lives and creating opportunities for all.

The GRID at Heriot-Watt has many dimensions. It’s a place for learning, a way of thinking and a catalyst for collaboration. GRID brings together global expertise to tackle current industry challenges whilst pioneering new innovation to drive our future economies and companies of scale.

However, it is people that matter, and we are creating great spaces where creative and brilliant minds are encouraged to share ideas and explore new concepts – tapping into world-class academic resource to stay at the forefront of rapidly changing technology trends.

Through The GRID, HWU is revolutionising the means of learning. Innovation, discovery and entrepreneurship are being placed at the core of learning. The GRID connects our leading academics, high growth technology companies and our research partners to build better products and services for future global markets.

Detailed Description

Purpose of Role

As a key member of the Enterprise Team, the Enterprise Executive has a broad remit which includes growing our entrepreneurial culture; nurturing budding entrepreneurs and supporting the development of their ideas toward start-up/spinout companies and contributing to the development and delivery of new enterprise activities for the university.

The post is continuous (subject to funding).

Enterprise forms a key area of development for Heriot-Watt University, is the focus of the Scottish Government Scotland Can Do agenda and a major component of the Scottish Funding Council University Innovation Fund. The University has a strong track record within enterprise and company creation and is originator and host of the leading pan-Scotland enterprise programme, the Converge Challenge.

The Enterprise team supports the University’s strategies through delivery of a wide range of Knowledge Exchange and Entrepreneurship activities that create real impact and value to industry and society.

As a student, academic researcher, collaborator or knowledge transfer partner, the Enterprise team provides professional advice and assistance on:

• Spinout/start-up creation and enterprise;
• Commercialisation and working with industry;
• Knowledge exchange and technology licensing;
• Research commercialisation and IP management.

Key duties and responsibilities

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities

The post-holder will:

• Identify commercialisation opportunities across Heriot-Watt University and develop them into successful commercial outcomes.
• Promote enterprise opportunities for staff & students across the five campuses of the university and interact with key stakeholders including investors, corporate partners and government/economic development agencies.
• Support development of an enterprise network across the university linking academic schools, professional services and external stakeholders as appropriate
• Support new industry-led innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives (e.g. accelerators and innovation challenges
• Provide hands-on business advice on starting a business for staff and students of HWU including;
• Lead/support the delivery of enterprise bids and regional activity
• Participate in networks of enterprise support activities primarily in the U.K. in relation to economic development activity
• Support the University in leveraging appropriate funding to support company creation & enterprise activity (e.g. SE High Growth, RSE, RAEng, Converge Challenge etc.)
• Support colleagues in collating KPI data that exemplifies the University delivery of enterprise activities
• Assist the Chief Entrepreneurial Executive, Head of Commercialisation, and the Deputy Principal of Enterprise and Business to develop strategic initiatives to further enterprise and entrepreneurship developments across the university.
• Other duties as specified by the Chief Entrepreneurial Executive to support enterprise delivery and wider commercial objectives.

Education, qualifications and experience

Essential Experience

• Proven track record of working within a start-up environment
• Commercial experience, operating in an innovation-centred environment
• Financial management, business planning and writing funding proposals
• Ability to work in partnership across public and private sector organisations
• Strong understanding of intellectual property
• Good first degree in a Technology, Engineering or Business related subject

Essential Skills

• Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal
• Set and meet joint objectives & deadlines
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to plan workload and prioritise effectively
• A good understanding of and the ability to use a range of software applications and services (CRM, intellectual property management, word-processing, spreadsheets, databases, email, PowerPoint).
• Ability to understand complex ideas and help articulate them into a coherent value proposition
• Ability to secure funding in an early-stage innovation environment
• Ability to negotiate and sell opportunities

Desirable Skills

• Strong public speaker with experience of delivering training and workshops
• Co-ordinating activities across large organisations
• Understanding of available business start-up support across UK, Malaysia and Dubai
• The ability to provide clear reports and advice for the different senior stakeholders within an entrepreneurial and academic ecosystem

How To Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on 15 October 2019.

This role does not meet the minimum requirements set by UKVI to enable sponsorship of migrant workers. Therefore we cannot progress applications from candidates who require sponsorship to work in the UK. For further information on this, please visit the UK Visas and Immigration website: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas

At Heriot-Watt University we understand that being diverse makes us better which is why we support a culture of respect and equal opportunity, and value diversity at the heart of what we do. We want to increase the diversity of our workplace to underpin a dynamic and creative environment.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.