Project Development Manager

Salary: £45,585 to £48,350 with progression to £54,395 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 08 March 2024

The Role

We are looking to appoint a Project Development Manager to facilitate the development of business cases and funding partnerships in support of the regional and national work of the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE), funded by Research England and led by Newcastle University, and delivery of the ‘Rural Catalyst’ partnership.

The post is funded by Research England and North of Tyne Combined Authority. 

You will play a key role in nurturing new and leveraging existing partnerships and projects, including NICRE’s role in catalysing rural innovation in the North East and beyond, as well as contribute to the effective management, planning and evaluation of NICRE and its portfolio of research and innovation activities, helping NICRE to achieve its objectives. You will work with NICRE staff and partners to develop associated and compatible new income generation to support the Centre’s long-term sustainability. 

NICRE undertakes research and knowledge exchange to inform policy, foster the innovation and resilience of rural businesses, and unlock the potential of rural economies across the UK. It is funded by Research England and founding University Partners. NICRE builds on three leading centres of expertise: Newcastle University’s Centre for Rural Economy and Business School, the Enterprise Research Centre at Warwick and the Countryside and Community Research Institute at Gloucestershire and Royal Agricultural Universities.

It involves a partnership between Universities, Government departments, local authorities and enterprise partnerships, businesses organisations, rural stakeholders and enterprises. Strutt & Parker Property consultants are its founding national professional business service partners. The Rural Catalyst, funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority, is a partnership between NICRE and the Rural Design Centre to enable innovation-led rural economic and community development in the North East.

We are committed to building and maintaining a fair and inclusive working environment and we would be happy to discuss arrangements for flexible and/or blended working.

To learn more about the National Innovation Centre from Rural Enterprise please click here.

To learn more about the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences please click here.

This is a 12 Months Fixed Term Contract.

For informal enquiries please contact Jeremy Phillipson.

To apply, please complete an online application and upload a CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter is a supporting statement and you should outline how you meet the essential criteria of the role and evidence this with examples. 

Key Accountabilities

• To identify, prepare and manage strategic partnership and business case development/funding bids linked to emerging funding prospects and innovation activities regionally and nationally
• To connect and position NICRE, Rural Catalyst, Newcastle University and partners for supporting and connecting to diverse innovation, enterprise and research funding opportunities arising through devolved and national sources
• To support development of commercial income streams and inform NICRE/Rural Catalyst’s ongoing strategy for future funding to grow the value and impact of the Centre’s portfolio
• To contribute to the delivery and management of NICRE’s portfolio of innovation and enterprise projects
• To project manage research proposals that support NICRE sustainability, providing support on costings and contractual matters and an effective interface to the University’s Grants & Contracts teams
• To work with lead academics and the University finance/ legal teams to maintain effective financial management and reporting of the NICRE/ Rural Catalyst budget and related income streams
• To put in place and manage robust processes for monitoring and evaluating NICRE/ Rural Catalyst progress, deliverables, milestones and success measures, and to lead on the drafting of periodic strategic reports to partners and funders, and to propose appropriate actions/ interventions to achieve objectives and goals
• To support the NICRE Head of Business and Innovation, Communication Manager and wider management team in arranging and co-ordinating NICRE/Rural Catalyst strategic projects and development
• To maintain information covering the status of partner relationships and report to the NICRE Directors and governance structures as required, on progress on interactions, including new and existing relationships and opportunities
• To deputise for the NICRE directors as appropriate to represent the Centre/Rural Catalyst in internal or external meetings and events, including making presentations about NICRE to senior stakeholders
• Any other duties commensurate with the role and grade, as required

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Experience of working in a senior capacity at the interface between economic/regional development and academic institutions
• Knowledge and experience of strategically supporting innovation or enterprise development
• Experience of identifying funding opportunities and building complex business cases/funding applications across a wide range of funders
• Proven and credible experience of external engagement and partnership working, with knowledge and experience of working with economic and rural development stakeholders in the North East of England and beyond
• Experience in project management, including successful management of complex projects and deliverables, budgeting, and monitoring and evaluation processes
• Excellent communication skills in English, both oral and written, with an ability to present material clearly to a variety of audiences
• Proven ability to work effectively in a variety of teams including building working relationships with colleagues and external contacts
• Resilient, reliable and ethical team player with an ability to work well under pressure
• Ability to make decisions independently, using own initiative, but also know when to seek wider input

Attributes and Behaviour

• Understands and makes sense of complex or conflicting data and different perspectives of stakeholders and University areas/faculties/etc
• Clear, concise and accurate communication, tailoring the approach accordingly using appropriate media and encouraging an overall effective communication process
• Works collaboratively with others, playing a positive role in teams and establishing and growing relationships internally and externally across organisations and functions where different skills, expertise and opinions are valued
• Has the ability to think strategically and to manage complex problems and issues
• Effective at organising and managing heavy, diverse and complex workloads within tight deadlines
• Sets own priorities in conjunction with team and area objectives
• Encourages creative and innovative thinking in self and others
• A pro-active, positive, motivated individual with a ‘can do’ attitude and the ability to remain calm and focused
• Confidence and professionalism in personal interactions, able to establish and maintain good working relationships with colleagues and others at all levels whilst having the ability to negotiate and influence where appropriate
• Willingness to travel to events and NICRE partner institutions throughout the UK and beyond (the post is based at Newcastle but the role will involve work across the North East, meeting with NICRE HEIs and partners as required)

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent) with at least 2 years relevant experience in a relevant or related role

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 26752

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