Business Development Manager

You will be responsible for creating a thriving research environment where our academic community is supported to submit high-calibre research proposals, impact of which can be seen in society and across different sectors and disciplines. You will help the Faculty of Business and Law achieve income targets through high-quality bids, maintaining a diverse funding portfolio, and developing a long-term bidding pipeline.

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be typically no more than once or twice per week.

• Support development of research, knowledge exchange and impact environment in the Faculty to deliver income target, submit high quality, impactful bids, maintain diversified funding portfolio and develop long-term bidding pipeline.
• Monitor changes to the external funding environment, such as key funders’ strategic objectives.
• Support the PVC-RES initiatives, including Open Societal Challenges, through identifying key research ideas in FBL, mapping out how existing initiatives can be aligned with the OU priorities.
• Encourage cross-Faculty and interdisciplinary collaborations through building networks with academic and non-academic colleagues, organising bidding sandpits, networking events and bidding drop-in sessions; manage environment enhancing initiatives and training for academics to improve quality of bids and REF performance.
• Support bid development including analysis of external environment and previously funded projects, stakeholder and partnerships needs analysis, support with theory of change, funder liaison, look for alternative funding and improvement of unsuccessful bids.
• Work closely with the Head of Partnerships and Business Development Manager to fill gaps in partnership portfolio and support high-quality large-scale bids.
• Develop and maintain a good knowledge and understanding of the higher education research and enterprise funding environment (UK and international); disseminate targeted funding opportunities and develop a bidding pipeline.
• Assist with pre- and post-award activities using Award Management System, including coordinating grant applications, providing advice on funder requirements, liaising with partners and funders, assisting with costing and pricing, providing input to the writing of the application and its quality, ensuring projects are submitted on time, in line with all requirements of the funder and contracts are in place and that awards are effectively managed.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent senior management work experience.
• Excellent IT skills including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of UK funding bodies and their priorities.
• Proven track record of enhancing research environment and successful academic research income generation including research development and research management (pre and post award).
• Experience of facilitating workshops.
• Excellent financial management skills including budgeting, costing and pricing of proposals.
• Proven ability to build relationship and work effectively with internal and external stakeholders, demonstrating tact, diplomacy, and respect.

Closing Date: 26/08/2024

Weekly Working Hours: 37

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