Director of Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise

Enterprise

Location:  Highfield Campus
Salary:   Competitive: Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience
Full Time Permanent
Closing Date:  Sunday 02 July 2023
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  2312223TR

Southampton Business School (SBS), a double accredited school by AMBA and AACBS, hosts a vibrant and diverse community of scholars and students. We have grown substantially in breadth and size recent years, covering all core business and management disciplines via six Departments: Accounting, Banking and Finance, Decision Analytics and Risk, Digital and Data-Driven Marketing, Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour, and Strategy Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Research activity within SBS is coordinated through ten multidisciplinary research centres. The longest established research centre is the Centre for Operational Research, Management Sciences and Information Systems (CORMSIS), which ranks 39th (QS) in the world. Building on its continued success, SBS is ranked in the top quartile of the research-intensive business schools in the UK, with a strong research environment and impact which are respectively ranked 12th and 14th (REF2021) in the UK. 

Our research underpins our enterprise and educational activities. With an extensive programme portfolio accredited by 15 professional bodies we aim to develop future leaders who want to make a tangible impact on business and society. At the heart of the execution of our activities is our Triple Helix model whereby our research, education and enterprise activities are intertwined. As part of our success trajectory, we have recently secured the 5-year re-accreditation of the MBA programme which is ranked 13th in the UK (QS data). 

A member of the UNPRM, the school was recently awarded the CABS Small Business Charter in recognition of the SBS’ world-class support to students and local businesses, including the development of student entrepreneurial skills and the support and development of wider economic and social opportunities for business. Our Placement Team is amongst the top five placement teams nationally demonstrating our commitment to student experiential learning. 

Placed at the centre of the University of Southampton, a top 100 University in the world (Qs 78th) and a founder member of the UK Russell Group University, we have an ambitious growth plan, which includes investment in people and physical infrastructure. As part of this plan, the school will be relocating to a state of art business building in the next 12 months, and we hope you will be considering to apply for the Director of Knowledge Exchange & Enterprise role to join a very inclusive and diverse team of talented colleagues and contribute to the advancement of our plans for knowledge exchange and enterprise.   

About the Role

Southampton Business School is currently seeking to appoint a Director of Knowledge Exchange & Enterprise to provide strategic and operational leadership to realise the School’s Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise ambitions under the Triple Helix. The appointee will seek enterprise opportunities and direct the realisation of them by working collaboratively with colleagues within the School, Faculty, wider University including the Research Innovation Services that would involve the strategic utilisation of the expertise of colleagues, from across the range of departments in the School, to co-create sustainable solutions with regional and global organisations that change the world for the better. These solutions created through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), consultancy, utilisation of HE Innovation Funding Scheme, will ultimately generate additional streams of revenues for the School.

You will support the implementation of activities for the effectiveness of enterprise related accreditation and processes, including KEF (Knowledge Exchange Framework) planning and monitoring. Additionally, you will nurture the wider enterprise ecosystem by supporting the impact of the school research and enterprise education activities, through the identification of enterprise opportunities, engagement with external stakeholders and the dissemination of best practice in enterprise. In addition, you will work closely with the school’s Director of Executive Education to further the ambitious plans for life-long learning and servicing business growth support programmes for the School. Other collaborative relationships will include those with the Director of Internationalisation, Director of the MBA programme, the Employability Officer and Director of Accreditation.

You will have industry experience in any discipline that supports the research and enterprise education agenda of the Business School. You will possess proven stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to work collegiately across the School and the wider University and experience of developing relationships with regional, national and international business and organisations.

This is an outstanding opportunity to build upon an established integrated enterprise strategy that reinforces the School’s position within the wider university and externally, to play a more effective role in helping businesses innovate and take on best practice that unlocks growth and higher productivity with a proven impact within the School, business and civic organisations, and the wider society.

This will enable Southampton Business School to further deliver truly impactful research and education, to the benefit of society businesses, organisations and individuals, including the talent we develop for industry from our growing student base.

This role is available from 0.8FTE (28 hours a week) to Full time.

What we can offer you

We offer some fantastic benefits including 44 days leave per year (inclusive of public holidays and University closure days), options for flexible working, excellent family leave arrangements (including maternity, paternity, adoption, parental and carers leave), a wide variety of on and off-campus arts and culture facilities and access to a range of staff discounts and offers at local shops, restaurants and service providers.  

We believe equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to making the University of Southampton a welcoming, vibrant and successful organisation. Having a diverse workforce, inclusive of people of all ages and beliefs, from different racial, educational and social backgrounds opens up a wealth of possibilities, makes us more creative and accelerates our impact on society. We welcome applicants that value the diversity of our community and are willing to play their part in supporting the mission of inclusivity. 

Please include a CV and cover letter with your application.